Kjell Magne Bondevik
Encyclopedia
Kjell Magne Bondevik is a Norwegian
Lutheran
minister and politician
(Christian Democratic Party). He served as Prime Minister of Norway
from 1997 to 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, making him Norway's longest serving non-Labour Party Prime Minister since World War II. Currently, he is President of the Oslo Centre for Peace and Human Rights.
On 31 October 2006 he published his memoir, called Et liv i spenning (A life of excitement and tension).
, Norway. He became a theological
candidate from MF Norwegian School of Theology
in 1975. In 1979 he was ordained as pastor in the (Lutheran) Church of Norway
. He is married to Bjørg Bondevik(née Rasmussen), and has the three children Bjørn (born 1972), Hildegunn (born 1973) and John Harald (born 1976). Kjell Magne Bondevik is also the cousin of the Norwegian bishop
Odd Bondevik
.
", and that he was "influenced by the radical wind of the time". While he remained in the movement of Young Christian Democrats (Norway, KrFU), he claims to have "radicalized the organization to great dispair in the party". He has also said that he would likely rather have "oriented" himself towards the Socialist People's Party
, had his radicalization of the Christian Democratic Party not gone through.
Representing the Christian Democratic Party, Bondevik was a member of the Storting (Parliament) from 1973 to 2005. He was his party's parliamentary leader in the periods of 1981–1983, 1986–1989, 1993–1997, 1997 and 2000–2001, and party leader from 1983 to 1995. In this position, he was succeeded by Valgerd Svarstad Haugland
. Bondevik was also Minister of Foreign Affairs in Jan P. Syse
's government of 1989–1990, Minister of Church and Education in Kåre Willoch
's government 1983–1986, also Prime Minister Willoch's deputy 1985–1986, and state secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister during Lars Korvald
's government 1972–1973.
cabinet
consisting of the Christian Democratic Party, the Centre Party
and the Liberal Party
.
While serving his first term as Prime Minister, Bondevik attracted international attention in August 1998 when he admitted that he was suffering from depressive episode
, becoming the highest ranking world leader
to admit to suffering from a mental illness while in office. Upon this revelation, Anne Enger Lahnstein
became acting Prime Minister for three weeks, from 30 August to 23 September, while he recovered from the depressive episode. Bondevik then returned to office. Bondevik received thousands of supportive letters, and said that the experience had been positive overall, both for himself and because it made mental illness more publicly acceptable.
His cabinet during his second period in office, a coalition cabinet
consisting of the Christian Democratic Party, the Conservative Party
and the Liberal Party
, was appointed 19 October 2001, succeeding Jens Stoltenberg
.
The second Bondevik government carried out reforms and left a booming economy. However, Bondevik was defeated in the 2005 parliamentary election
, with 81 seats obtained for Bondevik's coalition and its supporters to the opposition Red-Green Coalition
's 88.
Bondevik announced his retirement from national-level politics at the end of his term as prime minister and did not seek re-election for his seat in parliament.
, this controversial practice was halted.
Member of the Club of Madrid
.
Kjell Magne Bondevik is an Honorary Member of The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.
In 2009, Bondevik was awarded an honorary degree from the University of San Francisco
http://www.usfca.edu/usfnews/news_stories/Bondevik.html.
, human rights
and inter-religious tolerance world wide. The centre cooperates closely with the Carter Center
in Atlanta, the Kim Dae Jung Library in Seoul
and the Crisis Management Initiative
in Helsinki
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
minister and politician
Politics of Norway
Politics in Norway take place in the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy. Executive power is exercised by the King's council, the cabinet, led by the Prime Minister of Norway. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Storting, elected...
(Christian Democratic Party). He served as Prime Minister of Norway
Prime Minister of Norway
The Prime Minister of Norway is the political leader of Norway and the Head of His Majesty's Government. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Stortinget , to their political party, and ultimately the...
from 1997 to 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, making him Norway's longest serving non-Labour Party Prime Minister since World War II. Currently, he is President of the Oslo Centre for Peace and Human Rights.
On 31 October 2006 he published his memoir, called Et liv i spenning (A life of excitement and tension).
Family and early life
Bondevik was born in MoldeMolde
is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord...
, Norway. He became a theological
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
candidate from MF Norwegian School of Theology
MF Norwegian School of Theology
The Norwegian School of Theology , is a private, independent, accredited Norwegian specialised university...
in 1975. In 1979 he was ordained as pastor in the (Lutheran) Church of Norway
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
. He is married to Bjørg Bondevik(née Rasmussen), and has the three children Bjørn (born 1972), Hildegunn (born 1973) and John Harald (born 1976). Kjell Magne Bondevik is also the cousin of the Norwegian bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Odd Bondevik
Odd Bondevik
Odd Bondevik was the bishop of Møre in the Church of Norway from 17 November 1991 until retirement in 2008. In retirement, he is putting together a new Norwegian translation of the Old Testament...
.
Political career
Bondevik in 2008 said that he regards himself as a "68'erProtests of 1968
The protests of 1968 consisted of a worldwide series of protests, largely participated in by students and workers.-Background:Background speculations of overall causality vary about the political protests centering on the year 1968. Some argue that protests could be attributed to the social changes...
", and that he was "influenced by the radical wind of the time". While he remained in the movement of Young Christian Democrats (Norway, KrFU), he claims to have "radicalized the organization to great dispair in the party". He has also said that he would likely rather have "oriented" himself towards the Socialist People's Party
Socialist People's Party (Norway)
Socialist People's Party was a splinter group of the Norwegian Labour Party . SF was principally dissatisfied with the pro-NATO/European Economic Community external policies of DNA. A group centered around the magazine Orientering had been expelled from DNA...
, had his radicalization of the Christian Democratic Party not gone through.
Representing the Christian Democratic Party, Bondevik was a member of the Storting (Parliament) from 1973 to 2005. He was his party's parliamentary leader in the periods of 1981–1983, 1986–1989, 1993–1997, 1997 and 2000–2001, and party leader from 1983 to 1995. In this position, he was succeeded by Valgerd Svarstad Haugland
Valgerd Svarstad Haugland
Valgerd Svarstad Haugland is a former Minister of Culture and Church Affairs and former leader of the Christian Democratic Party in Norway between 1995 and 2004, to which also former Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik belongs....
. Bondevik was also Minister of Foreign Affairs in Jan P. Syse
Jan P. Syse
was a lawyer and Norwegian politician from the Conservative Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1989 to 1990. He also served as Minister of Industry from 1983 to 1985...
's government of 1989–1990, Minister of Church and Education in Kåre Willoch
Kåre Willoch
Kåre Isaachsen Willoch is a Norwegian politician from the Conservative Party. He served as Minister of Trade and Shipping in 1963 and 1965–1970, and as Prime Minister of Norway from 1981 to 1986...
's government 1983–1986, also Prime Minister Willoch's deputy 1985–1986, and state secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister during Lars Korvald
Lars Korvald
was a Norwegian politician from the Christian Democratic Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1972 to 1973, leading the cabinet that took over when Trygve Bratteli resigned in the wake of the first referendum over Norway's membership in the European Economic Community.-Early life and...
's government 1972–1973.
As Prime Minister
Bondevik's first term as Prime Minister lasted from 17 October 1997 to 3 March 2000, in a coalitionCoalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
cabinet
First cabinet Bondevik
Bondevik's First Cabinet governed Norway between 17 October 1997 to 3 March 2000. It was led by Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik, and consisted of the Christian Democratic Party, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party. There was a major reshuffle in March 1999. It had the following...
consisting of the Christian Democratic Party, the Centre Party
Centre Party (Norway)
The Centre Party is a centrist and agrarian political party in Norway, founded in 1920. The Centre Party's policy is not based on any of the major ideologies of the 19th and 20th century, but has a focus on maintaining decentralised economic development and political decision-making.From its...
and the Liberal Party
Venstre (Norway)
The Liberal Party is a centrist liberal political party in Norway. The party is the oldest in the country, and has enacted reforms such as parliamentarism, freedom of religion, universal suffrage and free education. Since 2010, the leader of the party is Trine Skei Grande...
.
While serving his first term as Prime Minister, Bondevik attracted international attention in August 1998 when he admitted that he was suffering from depressive episode
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
, becoming the highest ranking world leader
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
to admit to suffering from a mental illness while in office. Upon this revelation, Anne Enger Lahnstein
Anne Enger Lahnstein
Anne Enger, formerly Anne Enger Lahnstein is a Norwegian politician, but out of politics for the moment, as she is County Governor of Østfold. A former leader of the Centre Party, she is best known for her opposition to the European Union. She was the front person of the "No to EU"-campaign at the...
became acting Prime Minister for three weeks, from 30 August to 23 September, while he recovered from the depressive episode. Bondevik then returned to office. Bondevik received thousands of supportive letters, and said that the experience had been positive overall, both for himself and because it made mental illness more publicly acceptable.
His cabinet during his second period in office, a coalition cabinet
Second cabinet Bondevik
Bondevik's Second Cabinet governed Norway between 19 October 2001 and 17 October 2005. It was led by Kjell Magne Bondevik and consisted of the Conservative Party, the Christian Democratic Party and the Liberal Party. It had the following composition:...
consisting of the Christian Democratic Party, the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Norway
The Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s...
and the Liberal Party
Venstre (Norway)
The Liberal Party is a centrist liberal political party in Norway. The party is the oldest in the country, and has enacted reforms such as parliamentarism, freedom of religion, universal suffrage and free education. Since 2010, the leader of the party is Trine Skei Grande...
, was appointed 19 October 2001, succeeding Jens Stoltenberg
Jens Stoltenberg
is a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001....
.
The second Bondevik government carried out reforms and left a booming economy. However, Bondevik was defeated in the 2005 parliamentary election
Norwegian parliamentary election, 2005
Parliamentary elections were held in Norway on 12 September 2005. More than 3.4 million Norwegians were eligible for vote for the Storting, the parliament of Norway. The new Storting has 169 members, an increase of four over the 2001 election....
, with 81 seats obtained for Bondevik's coalition and its supporters to the opposition Red-Green Coalition
Red-Green Coalition (Norway)
The Red-Green Coalition is a centre-left coalition of Norwegian parties, formed by the Labour , the Socialist Left Party , and the Centre Party. Unlike many other Red-Green coalitions, the "Green" here is the colour of a centrist party rather than an actual Green party...
's 88.
Bondevik announced his retirement from national-level politics at the end of his term as prime minister and did not seek re-election for his seat in parliament.
Awards and decorations
Bondevik was awarded the Grand Cross of St. Olav in 2004, the first sitting Norwegian Prime Minister to receive the Order of St. Olav in 80 years. The award happened due to a change in the Statutes of the Order with automatic awards to the Prime Minister and Ministers of the Government. With the succeeding Stoltenberg GovernmentJens Stoltenberg
is a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001....
, this controversial practice was halted.
Member of the Club of Madrid
Club of Madrid
The Club de Madrid is an independent non-profit organization created to promote democracy and change in the international community. Composed of 80 former Presidents and Prime Ministers from 56 countries, the Club de Madrid is the world’s largest forum of former Heads of State and Government.Among...
.
Kjell Magne Bondevik is an Honorary Member of The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.
In 2009, Bondevik was awarded an honorary degree from the University of San Francisco
University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco , is a private, Jesuit/Catholic university located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1855, USF was established as the first university in San Francisco. It is the second oldest institution for higher learning in California and the tenth-oldest university of...
http://www.usfca.edu/usfnews/news_stories/Bondevik.html.
The Oslo Centre
The Oslo Centre for Peace and Human Rights was founded by Kjell Magne Bondevik in January 2006. The purpose of the centre is to work for world peacePeace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
, human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
and inter-religious tolerance world wide. The centre cooperates closely with the Carter Center
Carter Center
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. In partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering...
in Atlanta, the Kim Dae Jung Library in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
and the Crisis Management Initiative
Crisis Management Initiative
Crisis Management Initiative is an independent, non-governmental organisation that works to resolve conflict and to build sustainable peace. CMI has offices in Helsinki and Brussels and activities in Liberia, Ethiopia, the Black Sea region, Middle East and Aceh. It was founded by Martti Ahtisaari,...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
.