The Norwegian Labour Party (Det norske Arbeiderparti, Arbeiderpartiet or DNA) is a left-wing political party in Norway. It was founded in 1887, and has been Norway's largest political party since 1927 (a position challenged by a couple of other parties in polls during recent years, however).

The party experienced a split in 1921 caused by a decision made two years earlier to join the Communist International. In 1923 the party left the Communist International and in 1927 Labour was once again united. The first labour government was formed in 1928, lasting only two weeks. During the early 1930s Labour abandoned its revolutionary profile and set for a reformist course. Labour then returned to government in 1935 and remained in power until 1965 (except for the exile period between 1940-1945 and one month in 1963). Other periods in government have been 1971-1972, 1973-1981, 1986-1989 ,1990-1997 and 2000-2001. It has been in power most of this time and is largely to be credited for building the modern welfare state in Norway.

DNA is still officially a social democratic party committed to liberty, democracy and social justice. During the last 20 years however, the party has shifted significantly toward a market liberalist approach, privatizing publicly owned services and businesses, giving taxcuts primarily to the wealthy, reducing the public sectors' relative proportion of the total economy, deregulating markets etc. This shift towards right-winged economics is similar to that of New Labour lead by Tony Blair in Britain. It is a reformist party that believes in partnership and cooperation on a national as well as international level. Since the elections in 2001 the party is the largest opposition party, with 43 seats in the Parliament.

Former party leader and Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland is now stepping down from the position as chairman of the WHO after 5 years. She is one of Norway's most renowned politicians, both at home and abroad.

The party's youth organization is known as the AUF (Arbeidernes ungdomsfylking).

Contents

1 Party leaders 2 Labour Prime Ministers 3 Election results 4 External link

Party leaders

• Anders Andersen (1887-1888)
• Hans G. Jensen (1888-1889)
• Christian Holtermann Knudsen (1889-1890)
• Carl Jeppesen (1890-1892)
• Ole Georg Gjøsteen (1892-1893)
• Gustav A. Olsen Berg (1893-1894)
• Carl Jeppesen (1894-1897)
• Ludvig Meyer (1897-1900)
• Christian Holtermann Knudsen (1900-1903)
• Christopher Hornsrud (1903-1906)
• Oscar Nissen (1906-1911)
• Christian Holtermann Knudsen (1911-1918)
• Kyrre Grepp (1918-1922)
• Emil Stang (1922-1923)
• Oscar Torp (1923-1945)
• Einar Gerhardsen (1945-1965)
• Trygve Bratteli (1965-1975)
• Reiulf Steen (1975-1981)
• Gro Harlem Brundtland (1981-1992)
• Thorbjørn Jagland (1992-2002)
• Jens Stoltenberg (2002-present)

Labour Prime Ministers

• Christopher Hornsrud (1928: 26 January – 15 February)
• Johan Nygaardsvold (1935–1945)
• Einar Gerhardsen (1945–1951)
• Oscar Torp (1951–1955)
• Einar Gerhardsen (1955–1965)
• Trygve Bratteli (1971–1972)
• Trygve Bratteli (1973–1976)
• Odvar Nordli (1976–1981)
• Gro Harlem Brundtland (1981: 4 February – 14 October)
• Gro Harlem Brundtland (1986–1989)
• Gro Harlem Brundtland (1990–1996)
• Thorbjørn Jagland (1996–1997)
• Jens Stoltenberg (2000–2001)

Election results

Year     %        Seats
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

External link

• Arbeiderpartiet (http://www.dna.no/index.gan?id=13570)

et:Norra Tööpartei nn:Det norske Arbeidarpartiet no:Det norske Arbeiderparti sv:Arbeiderpartiet