The
Labour Party is a
social-democraticSocial democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
political partyA political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in
NorwayNorway , 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...
. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader,
Jens Stoltenbergis 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....
, is the current
Prime Minister of NorwayThe 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...
.
The Norwegian Labour Party is officially committed to social-democratic ideals. Its slogan since the 1930s has been "work for everyone", and the party seeks a strong
welfare stateA welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...
, funded through
taxTo tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
es and
dutiesIn economics, a duty is a kind of tax, often associated with customs, a payment due to the revenue of a state, levied by force of law. It is a tax on certain items purchased abroad...
. During the last 20 years, the party has included more of the principles of a
social market economyThe social market economy is the main economic model used in West Germany after World War II. It is based on the economic philosophy of Ordoliberalism from the Freiburg School...
in its policy, allowing for privatisation of government-held assets and services and reducing
income tax progressivityA progressive tax is a tax by which the tax rate increases as the taxable base amount increases. "Progressive" describes a distribution effect on income or expenditure, referring to the way the rate progresses from low to high, where the average tax rate is less than the marginal tax rate...
, following the wave of
economic liberalisationEconomic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
in the 1980s. The Labour Party profiles itself as a
progressiveProgressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
party that subscribes to cooperation on a national as well as international level. Its youth wing is the
Workers' Youth LeagueThe Workers' Youth League is Norways biggest political youth organization, and is affiliated with the Norwegian Labour Party.AUF took its current form in April 1927, following the merger of Left Communist Youth League and Socialist Youth League of Norway corresponding with the merger of its...
.
Since its establishment in the late 19th century, the party steadily increased in support until it became the largest party in Norway in
1927-Results:-References:*...
– a position it has held ever since. This year also saw the consolidation of conflicts surrounding the party during the 1920s following its membership of
CominternThe Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
from 1919 to 1923. From
1945These elections were held on 8 October 1945. The Labour Party won an absolute majority in the Storting which they would keep until 1961.-Results:...
to
1961A general election was held to elect 150 MPs to the Norwegian parliament, the Storting.The Labour Party lost its absolute majority of seats that the party had held since 1945, winning 74 seats...
, the party had an absolute majority in the Norwegian parliament, during which Norway was casually referred to as a "one party state". Since 1935, there have been only sixteen years in which the party has not held the office of the Prime Minister. The domination by the Labour Party, during the 1960s and early 1970s, was initially broken by competition from the
leftIn politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
, primarily from the
Socialist People's PartySocialist 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...
. From the end of the 1970s however, the party started to lose voters to the right, leading to a turn to the
rightIn politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
for the party under
Gro Harlem BrundtlandGro Harlem Brundtland is a Norwegian Social democratic politician, diplomat, and physician, and an international leader in sustainable development and public health. She served three terms as Prime Minister of Norway , and has served as the Director General of the World Health Organization...
during the 1980s. In
2001A general election to the Storting, the parliament of Norway, was held on September 10, 2001. The Labour Party won a plurality of votes and seats, closely followed by the Conservative Party...
the party achieved its worst electoral results since
1924-Results:-References:*...
, forcing it to commit to a co-operation agreement with other parties in order to form a
majority governmentA majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
.
History
The party was founded in 1887 in Arendal and first ran in elections to the Parliament of Norway in 1894. It entered Parliament in 1904 after the 1903 election, and steadily increased its vote until 1927, when it became the largest party.
From the establishment of
Vort ArbeideDagsavisen is a daily newspaper published in Oslo, Norway. The former party organ of the Norwegian Labour Party, the ties loosened over time from 1975 to 1999, and it is now fully independent...
in 1884, the party had a growing and notable organisation of newspapers and other press outlets. The party press system eventually resulted in
A-pressenA-pressen is one of the three largest media companies in Norway and was established on May 27, 1948 with the name Norsk Arbeiderpresse . It got its present name in 1994...
. In January 1913 the party had 24 newspapers, and 6 more newspapers were founded in the year 1913. The party also had the periodical
Det 20de Aarhundre. In 1920 the party had 33 newspapers and 6 semi-affiliated newspapers. The party had its own publishing house,
Det norske Arbeiderpartis forlagDet Norske Arbeiderpartis Forlag is a Norwegian publishing house with connections to the Norwegian Labour Party.It released publications by many of the party's most prominent politicians, and also released translated material from Karl Kautsky, Kropotkin, Clara Zetkin, Oscar Wilde and others.In...
, succeeded by
Tiden Norsk ForlagTiden Norsk Forlag is a Norwegian publishing company owned by Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, and publishes fiction and general literature.-History:Tiden was founded in 1933 by the Norwegian Labour Party. In 1936 it bought Fram Forlag. In the early years the largest authors were Aksel Sandemose and Lars...
. In addition to books and pamphlets, Det norske Arbeiderpartis forlag published
Maidagen (annual
May DayMay Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
publication),
Arbeidets Jul (annual Christmas publication) and
Arbeiderkalenderen (calendar).
From its roots as a radical alternative to the political establishment, the party grew to its current dominance through several eras:
The party experienced a split in 1921 caused by a decision made two years earlier to join the
Communist InternationalThe Communist International, abbreviated as Comintern, also known as the Third International, was an international communist organization initiated in Moscow during March 1919...
, and the
Social Democratic Labour Party of NorwayThe Social Democratic Labour Party of Norway was a Norwegian political party in the 1920s. Following the Labour Party's entry into the Comintern in 1919, its right wing left the party to form the Social Democratic Labour Party in 1921...
was formed. In 1923 the party left the Communist International, while a significant minority of its members left the party to form the
Communist Party of NorwayThe Communist Party of Norway is a political party in Norway without parliamentary representation. It was formed in 1923, following a split in the Norwegian Labour Party. The party played an important role in the resistance to German occupation during the Second World War, and experienced a brief...
. In 1927, the Social Democrats were reunited with Labour. Some Communists also joined Labour, whereas other Communists tried a failed merger endeavor which culminated in the formation of the
Arbeiderklassens SamlingspartiArbeiderklassens Samlingsparti was a short-lived political party in Norway.-Establishment:It was a part of the tendency of unification among the workers' parties in Norway. From the Norwegian Labour Party, two splits had occurred: the Social Democratic Labour Party in 1921 and the Communist Party...
.
The first Labour government, led by
Christopher HornsrudChristopher Andersen Hornsrud served as Prime Minister of Norway from January to February 1928. He combined the post of prime minister with that of minister of finance. Although his tenure as Prime Minister was brief, his list of political accomplishments is not...
, was formed in 1928, lasting only two weeks. During the early 1930s Labour abandoned its revolutionary profile and set a reformist course. Labour then returned to government in 1935 and remained in power until 1965 (except for the
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
exile period between 1940–1945 and one month in 1963). During most of the first twenty years after
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
,
Einar Gerhardsenwas a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party of Norway. He was Prime Minister for three periods, 1945–1951, 1955–1963 and 1963–1965. With 17 years in office, he is the longest serving Prime Minister in Norway since the introduction of parliamentarism...
lead the party and the country. He is often referred to as "Landsfaderen" (Father of the Nation), and is generally considered one of the main architects of the rebuilding of Norway after World War II. This is often considered the "golden age" of the Norwegian Labour Party.
The party was a member of the
Labour and Socialist InternationalThe Labour and Socialist International was an international organization of socialist and labour parties, active between 1923 and 1940. The LSI was a forerunner of the present-day Socialist International....
between 1938 and 1940.
Other periods of the Labour Party's leadership of the national government have been 1971-1972, 1973–1981, 1986–1989, 1990–1997, 2000–2001 and since 2005. Thus, the party has held power for 24 of the past 38 years (to 2009).
In the
election in 2001A general election to the Storting, the parliament of Norway, was held on September 10, 2001. The Labour Party won a plurality of votes and seats, closely followed by the Conservative Party...
the party reached a low point of 24.3% of the popular vote, but was still the largest party in the Storting. In the
election of 2005Parliamentary 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....
the party regained support and received 32.7% of the popular vote. It is the leading partner in the centre-left Red-Green Coalition, which won a majority in the 2005 elections. Labour leader
Jens Stoltenbergis 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....
became
prime ministerThe 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...
and leads a coalition government (the first one that the Norwegian Labour Party has entered). He was previously prime minister from 2000 to 2001.
In 2011, the party changed its name from the Norwegian Labour Party (
Det norske arbeiderparti) to the Labour Party (
Arbeiderpartiet). The party claimed there had been confusion among voters at polling stations because of the difference between the official name, Norwegian Labour Party, and the colloquial name "Labour Party". The name change will cause
Arbeiderpartiet to appear on the ballot, thus eliminating any potential confusion.
On 22 July 2011,
a gunman opened fireThe 2011 Norway attacks were two sequential terrorist attacks against the government, the civilian population and a summer camp in Norway on 22 July 2011....
at the Labour Party's youth camp (ages 11-25), killing 69 people.
Party leaders
- Anders Andersen
Anders Andersen was a saw mill worker who participated in forming the Norwegian Labour Party. He lived in Arendal when he became the first party leader in 1887....
(1887–88)
- Hans G. Jensen
Hans G. Jensen was a Norwegian trade unionist, politician, and tailor.Jensen was born in Horsens, Denmark in 1856. He moved to Sandefjord, Norway in 1879, before settling in Kristiania in 1883. He became involved in the Norwegian labour movement, and was the leader of the Norwegian Labour Party...
(1888–89)
- Christian Holtermann Knudsen
Christian Holtermann Knudsen was a Norwegian typographer, newspaper editor, publisher, trade unionist and politician for the Norwegian Labour Party. He is known as chairman of his party in three non-consecutive periods, and also founded what would become the main party newspaper...
(1889–90)
- Carl Jeppesen
Carl Jeppesen was a Danish-born Norwegian worker, newspaper editor and politician. He edited the newspaper Social-Demokraten from 1887 to 1892, and from 1906 to 1912. He was among the founders of the Norwegian Labour Party, and served as chairman for two periods, from 1890 to 1892, and from 1894...
(1890–92)
- Ole Georg Gjøsteen
Ole Georg Gjøsteen was a Norwegian educator and politician for the Norwegian Labour Party.-Personal life:He was born in Stord, and was the older brother of politician and educationalist Johan David Haslund Gjøstein....
(1892–93)
- Gustav A. Olsen-Berg
Gustav A. Olsen-Berg was a Norwegian typographer and politician . He was the chairman of the Norwegian Labour Party 1893-1894.- Work :*1891: Editor-in-chief of Typografiske Meddelelser...
(1893–94)
- Carl Jeppesen
Carl Jeppesen was a Danish-born Norwegian worker, newspaper editor and politician. He edited the newspaper Social-Demokraten from 1887 to 1892, and from 1906 to 1912. He was among the founders of the Norwegian Labour Party, and served as chairman for two periods, from 1890 to 1892, and from 1894...
(1894–97)
- Ludvig Meyer
Ludvig Meyer was a Norwegian barrister, newspaper editor and politician. He belonged to the Norwegian Labour Party 1891 to 1903, and was both party leader,party secretary as well as editor of the party organ Social-Demokraten for a period...
(1897–1900)
- Christian Holtermann Knudsen
Christian Holtermann Knudsen was a Norwegian typographer, newspaper editor, publisher, trade unionist and politician for the Norwegian Labour Party. He is known as chairman of his party in three non-consecutive periods, and also founded what would become the main party newspaper...
(1900–03)
- Christopher Hornsrud
Christopher Andersen Hornsrud served as Prime Minister of Norway from January to February 1928. He combined the post of prime minister with that of minister of finance. Although his tenure as Prime Minister was brief, his list of political accomplishments is not...
(1903–06)
- Oscar Nissen
Elias Gottlieb Oscar Egede Nissen was a Norwegian physician, newspaper editor and politician. He belonged to the Norwegian Labour Party from 1889 to his death, and was both party leader, party secretary as well as editor of the party organ Social-Demokraten for a period...
(1906–11)
- Christian Holtermann Knudsen
Christian Holtermann Knudsen was a Norwegian typographer, newspaper editor, publisher, trade unionist and politician for the Norwegian Labour Party. He is known as chairman of his party in three non-consecutive periods, and also founded what would become the main party newspaper...
(1911–18)
- Kyrre Grepp
Kyrre Grepp Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party. Grepp became a Communist by the end of his life and was active in the Comintern.A street is named after Grepp in the Sagene borough of Oslo....
(1918–22)
- Emil Stang jr. (1922–23)
- Oscar Torp
was a Norwegian politician for the Norwegian Labour Party. He was party leader from 1923 to 1945, and mayor of Oslo in 1935 and 1936. In 1935 he became acting Minister of Defence in the government of Johan Nygaardsvold. He was also Minister of Social Affairs from 1936 to 1939, and then Minister of...
(1923–45)
- Einar Gerhardsen
was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party of Norway. He was Prime Minister for three periods, 1945–1951, 1955–1963 and 1963–1965. With 17 years in office, he is the longest serving Prime Minister in Norway since the introduction of parliamentarism...
(1945–65)
- Trygve Bratteli
was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party and Prime Minister of Norway in 1971–1972 and 1973–1976.-Early life and career:...
(1965–75)
- Reiulf Steen
Reiulf Steen is a Norwegian politician for the Norwegian Labour Party. He was active in the Norwegian Labour Party from 1958 to 1990, serving as deputy party chairman from 1965 to 1975 and chairman from 1975 to 1981....
(1975–81)
- Gro Harlem Brundtland
Gro Harlem Brundtland is a Norwegian Social democratic politician, diplomat, and physician, and an international leader in sustainable development and public health. She served three terms as Prime Minister of Norway , and has served as the Director General of the World Health Organization...
(1981–92)
- Thorbjørn Jagland
is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party, currently serving as the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe...
(1992–2002)
- 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....
(2002–present)
Labour Prime Ministers
- Christopher Hornsrud
Christopher Andersen Hornsrud served as Prime Minister of Norway from January to February 1928. He combined the post of prime minister with that of minister of finance. Although his tenure as Prime Minister was brief, his list of political accomplishments is not...
(1928: 26 January – 15 February)
- Johan Nygaardsvold
Johan Nygaardsvold was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1935 to 1945 , as head of the cabinet Nygaardsvold.-Political career:...
(1935–1945)
- Einar Gerhardsen
was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party of Norway. He was Prime Minister for three periods, 1945–1951, 1955–1963 and 1963–1965. With 17 years in office, he is the longest serving Prime Minister in Norway since the introduction of parliamentarism...
(1945–1951)
- Oscar Torp
was a Norwegian politician for the Norwegian Labour Party. He was party leader from 1923 to 1945, and mayor of Oslo in 1935 and 1936. In 1935 he became acting Minister of Defence in the government of Johan Nygaardsvold. He was also Minister of Social Affairs from 1936 to 1939, and then Minister of...
(1951–1955)
- Einar Gerhardsen
was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party of Norway. He was Prime Minister for three periods, 1945–1951, 1955–1963 and 1963–1965. With 17 years in office, he is the longest serving Prime Minister in Norway since the introduction of parliamentarism...
(1955–1963)
- Einar Gerhardsen
was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party of Norway. He was Prime Minister for three periods, 1945–1951, 1955–1963 and 1963–1965. With 17 years in office, he is the longest serving Prime Minister in Norway since the introduction of parliamentarism...
(1963–1965)
- Trygve Bratteli
was a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party and Prime Minister of Norway in 1971–1972 and 1973–1976.-Early life and career:...
(1971–1972, 1973–1976)
- Odvar Nordli
is a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. He was Prime Minister of Norway from 1976 to 1981.Nordli grew up in Tangen in Stange, Hedmark. After World War II he served in the Independent Norwegian Brigade Group in Germany, part of the Allied forces occupying post-war Germany...
(1976–1981)
- Gro Harlem Brundtland
Gro Harlem Brundtland is a Norwegian Social democratic politician, diplomat, and physician, and an international leader in sustainable development and public health. She served three terms as Prime Minister of Norway , and has served as the Director General of the World Health Organization...
(4 February – 14 October 1981, 1986–1989, 1990–1996)
- Thorbjørn Jagland
is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party, currently serving as the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe...
(1996–1997)
- 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....
(2000–2001, 2005 – present)
Parliamentary election results
| Year |
% of votes |
Members of the Storting |
| 1894 |
0.3 |
0 out of 114 |
| 1897 |
0.6 |
0 out of 114 |
| 1900 |
5.2 |
0 out of 114 |
| 1903 |
12.1 |
4 out of 117 |
| 1906 |
15.9 |
11 out of 123 |
| 1909 |
21.5 |
11 out of 123 |
| 1912 |
26.2 |
23 out of 123 |
| 1915 |
32.0 |
19 out of 123 |
| 1918 |
31.6 |
18 out of 126 |
| 1921 |
21.3 |
29 out of 150 |
| 1924 |
18.4 |
24 out of 150 |
| 1927 |
36.8 |
59 out of 150 |
| 1930 |
31.4 |
47 out of 150 |
| 1933 |
40.1 |
69 out of 150 |
| 1936 |
42.5 |
70 out of 150 |
| 1945 |
41.0 |
76 out of 150 |
| 1949 |
45.7 |
85 out of 150 |
| 1953 |
46.7 |
77 out of 150 |
| 1957 |
48.3 |
78 out of 150 |
| 1961 |
46.8 |
74 out of 150 |
| 1965 |
43.1 |
68 out of 150 |
| 1969 |
46.5 |
74 out of 150 |
| 1973 |
35.3 |
62 out of 155 |
| 1977 |
42.3 |
76 out of 155 |
| 1981 |
37.1 |
65 out of 155 |
| 1985 |
40.8 |
71 out of 157 |
| 1989 |
34.3 |
63 out of 165 |
| 1993 |
36.9 |
67 out of 165 |
| 1997 |
35.0 |
65 out of 165 |
| 2001 |
24.3 |
43 out of 165 |
| 2005 |
32.7 |
61 out of 169 |
| 2009 |
35.4 |
64 out of 169 |
External links
Arbeiderpartiet - Official site
http://www.arbeiderpartiet.no/Kontakt/Information-in-English - Information in English