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Kåre Isaachsen Willoch (; 3 October 1928 – 6 December 2021) was a Norwegian politician who served as the
prime minister of Norway The prime minister of Norway (, which directly translates to "minister of state") is the head of government and chief executive of Norway. The prime minister and Cabinet of Norway, Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government departme ...
from 1981 to 1986 and as leader of the Conservative Party from 1970 to 1974. He previously served as the minister of trade and shipping from August to September 1963 and 1965 to 1970, and as the president of the
Nordic Council The Nordic Council is the official body for formal inter-parliamentary Nordic cooperation among the Nordic countries. Formed in 1952, it has 87 representatives from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden as well as from the autonomo ...
in 1973. After stepping down as prime minister, he later served as Governor of both
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
as well as
Akershus Akershus () is a county in Norway, with Oslo as its administrative centre, though Oslo is not located within Akershus. Akershus has been a region in Eastern Norway with Oslo as its main city since the Middle Ages, and is named after the Akers ...
counties from 1990 to 1998 and as chairman of Norway's state broadcasting company NRK from 1998 to 2000. Following his retirement from politics he became an outspoken advocate of the environment and human rights and was widely respected for his activism including amongst Norway's political left. He also wrote several books.


Early life

Willoch was born on 3 October 1928 in
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
, to Haakon Isaachsen Willoch (1898–1956) and his wife, Agnes Christine Saure (1896–1994). He grew up in the West End of Oslo, and took the examen artium in 1948. After that, he studied economics at the
University of Oslo The University of Oslo (; ) is a public university, public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation#Europe, oldest university in Norway. Originally named the Royal Frederick Univ ...
, where he was taught by the
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
winners Trygve Haavelmo and
Ragnar Frisch Ragnar Anton Kittil Frisch (3 March 1895 – 31 January 1973) was an influential Norwegian economist and econometrician known for being one of the major contributors to establishing economics as a quantitative and statistically informed science ...
. He graduated with the cand.oecon. degree in 1953. From 1951 onwards, Willoch was a member of the Oslo city council, and later in 1953, he became a deputy in the
Parliament of Norway The Storting ( ; ) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years based on party-list proportional represe ...
. He became a member of parliament after the 1957 parliamentary election, and was at 29 years then the youngest MP. On 1 May 1954, he married Anne Marie Jørgensen (born 9 March 1930). Willoch graduated as an economist (cand. oecon.) from the
University of Oslo The University of Oslo (; ) is a public university, public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation#Europe, oldest university in Norway. Originally named the Royal Frederick Univ ...
. He served in the Norwegian Brigade that formed part of the Allied occupation in
Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; ; ; ; ; occasionally in English ''Sleswick-Holsatia'') is the Northern Germany, northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical Duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of S ...
, Germany, after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, and became a dedicated friend of Germany during that time. He spoke Norwegian, English, German and French fluently.


Political life

An economist (characterized in 1981 as being "supply side") by education and profession, Willoch made an early mark in national politics on issues related to economic development. He expressed deep skepticism about social democratic reforms throughout most of the
post-World War II The aftermath of World War II saw the rise of two global superpowers, the United States (U.S.) and the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.). The aftermath of World War II was also defined by the rising threat of nuclear warfare, the creation and implementati ...
era and advocated a larger role for market mechanisms to solve economic problems. Within the Conservative Party, Willoch was respected for his command of the issues and consistent ideological platform. In spite of friendly rivalries with Erling Norvik, Rolf Presthus, and Jan P. Syse, these and other party members led a political shift in Norway away from the nation's social democratic legacy.


Parliamentary and ministerial posts

Willoch's first political post was as a member of the Oslo City Council from 1952 to 1959. Willoch was first elected to the Norwegian parliament at the age of 29 in 1957, representing
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
. Thereafter he was elected in every parliamentary election until 1989. He was appointed Minister of Trade in the short-lived but notable John Lyng cabinet from August to September 1963, following the Kings Bay Affair that brought to an end the uninterrupted chain of Labor governments after World War II, headed by Einar Gerhardsen and Oscar Torp. He was appointed to the same ministerial post in the government of
Per Borten (3 April 1913 – 20 January 2005) was a Norway, Norwegian politician from the Centre Party (Norway), Centre Party and the prime minister of Norway from 1965 to 1971. Per Borten is credited for leading the modernization of what was then named Bo ...
from 1965 to 1970. He stepped down from this post to become first the Parliamentary leader, and then the chairman of the Conservative Party from 1970 to 1974. In 1973, he unified his party in opposition to the newly introduced restrictions on use of land. This formed a watershed in Norwegian politics, in that the party adopted a stronger ideological alternative to the social democratic establishment that had dominated post-World War II politics. Some historians, notably Francis Sejersted attribute this in large part to the
Norwegian Labour Party The Labour Party (; , A or Ap; ), formerly The Norwegian Labour Party (, DNA), is a Social democracy, social democratic List of political parties in Norway, political party in Norway. It is positioned on the centre-left of the political spectru ...
's exuberant continuation of social democratic efforts. Willoch served as the leader of the Foreign Affairs committee in the coalition government and from then until he retired from parliament in 1989. As a member of the Borten government he faced the constitutional question of the marriage of the then Crown Prince Harald to a commoner, Sonja Haraldsen (they married in 1968 and since 1991 have been the king and queen of Norway ). Willoch is reported to have never considered opposing the union. Most of Willoch's political career was spent in opposition to various Labour governments. His rhetorical style was characterized by a use of
language Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...
and carefully articulated viewpoints that many considered cold or even sarcastic. His debates with long-time adversary
Gro Harlem Brundtland Gro Brundtland (; née Harlem, 20 April 1939) is a Norwegian politician in the Labour Party, who served three terms as the prime minister of Norway (1981, 1986–1989, and 1990–1996), as the leader of her party from 1981 to 1992, and as the d ...
became legendary in Norway and were by several accounts based on personal as well as political differences. Brundtland wrote in her memoirs that she learned from Willoch "how not to treat people, or parties."


Premiership

Willoch was asked to form a Conservative party government when a non-socialist coalition gained a majority in the parliamentary elections of 1981. The cabinet depended on the support of the Christian Democrats and Centre Party, and in 1983 these joined the cabinet to become a coalition government. When Braathens SAFE Flight 139 was hijacked, the hijacker demanded to speak with Willoch. By the parliamentary elections of 1985, Willoch's cabinet had lost much of its parliamentary basis and was dependent on the Progress party for support. The cabinet lost a vote of no-confidence over Willoch's proposal to increase surcharges on gasoline, when the Socialist Left Party, Labour Party, and Progress party joined forces. A minority government led by
Gro Harlem Brundtland Gro Brundtland (; née Harlem, 20 April 1939) is a Norwegian politician in the Labour Party, who served three terms as the prime minister of Norway (1981, 1986–1989, and 1990–1996), as the leader of her party from 1981 to 1992, and as the d ...
took over through the rest of the parliamentary period. In spite of difficult parliamentary conditions, the Willoch cabinet embarked on a series of reforms that to many seemed like reversals of long-standing social democratic reforms, and to others changes that reflected new and emerging economic realities. Often cited changes included: * Dissolution of the governmental monopoly on radio and television broadcasting, including allowing the introduction of commercially funded content. * Ending government intervention in credit markets, which in turn led to freer access to credit by both consumers and businesses. * Reducing restrictions on ownership and sale of real estate * Reducing restrictions on retail trade, especially with respect to opening hours * Several efforts at strengthening the non-petroleum related Norwegian economy The Willoch government's foreign policy was largely consistent with those of prior Labour party cabinets in terms of Norwegian commitments under the
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
treaty, but deviated sharply on the issue of non-proliferation. Where the Labour Party promoted a policy of "reduction of tensions" in the Nordic region, which marginalized Norway in NATO, the Willoch cabinet approved forward logistical bases for U.S. rapid deployment forces and lent full support to the NATO double track decision of 1979. Willoch earned a reputation as a sharp-witted, sometimes acerbic politician. During his years in parliament and in various governments, he was respected by his political allies and opponents alike, but never gained the popularity of other prime ministers in his time in office.


Later life

Willoch served as county governor (''fylkesmann'') of
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
and
Akershus Akershus () is a county in Norway, with Oslo as its administrative centre, though Oslo is not located within Akershus. Akershus has been a region in Eastern Norway with Oslo as its main city since the Middle Ages, and is named after the Akers ...
from 1990 to 1998. From 1998 to 2000 he was chairman of NRK, the
Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (), commonly known by its initialism NRK, is a Norwegian state-run, government-influenced radio and television public broadcasting company. The NRK broadcasts three national TV channels and thirteen nat ...
. He was also director of the Nansen Institute. From 1986 on, he was deputy chairman of the
International Democrat Union The International Democracy Union (IDU; known as the International Democrat Union until September 2023) is an international alliance of centre-right to right-wing political parties. Headquartered in Munich, Germany, the IDU consists of 84 fu ...
(IDU). He was President of the Deutsch-Norwegische Gesellschaft (German-Norwegian Society) from 1987 to 1991. Considered one of the most pronounced conservative Norwegian politicians in his time, in later years he shifted his position in many areas and became known for his advocacy of human rights and environmental issues. He took issue with the "culture of greed", "tax paradises', the environment, and criticised
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
's policies toward
Palestinians Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenou ...
, stating that the occupation of and settlement on Palestinian land (outside the 1967 borders) is unlawful. The extent of the political left's newfound respect for Willoch after he left office was summarised by social democrat former government minister Hallvard Bakke, who when criticising Willoch's defense of some of his policies regarding the surveillance of communists in the 1980s noted that Willoch had become the most important voice on the Middle East conflict and many other issues, but that "Willoch isn't ''always'' right". Hallvard Bakke:
Willoch på villstrå
. ''
Klassekampen (Lit. translation: ''"The Class Struggle"'') is a Norwegian daily newspaper in print and online. Its tagline is "The daily newspaper of the Left". The paper's net circulation was 33,265 in 2022, and it has around 111,000 daily readers on paper ...
'', 19 November 2010
Widely respected for his activism and argumentative style, he accused Israel of "ethnic cleansing" stated that it is "creating terror" by cultivating extremism "as if in a greenhouse in the Palestinian areas". Supporters of Israel such as Jo Benkow criticised his views as partisan and unapologetically pro-Palestinian. Willoch also stated that, though "there are strong reasons to warn against the new antisemitism, it will not strengthen Israel's cause to accuse critics of Israeli politics of antisemitism". He also claimed that Israel indirectly contributes to
antisemitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
stating that "It would be naïve to ignore that Israel's politics towards the Palestinians has become a new source of negative attitudes." In May 2006, Willoch invited
Atef Adwan Atef Ibrahim Mohammad Adwan (), also spelled Odwan, Udwan or Edwan (Kunya (Arabic), nom de Guerre Abu Sharif), is the Minister of Refugees in the Palestinian Authority, having been named to this position following the Hamas victory in the 2006 P ...
, an official in
Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...
to a private luncheon at Det Norske Selskab, commenting that "A dialogue with Hamas is very useful." In an op-ed in the newspaper ''
Aftenposten (; ; stylized as in the masthead) is Norway's largest printed newspaper by circulation as well as Norway's newspaper of record. It is based in Oslo. It sold 211,769 daily copies in 2015 (172,029 printed copies according to University of Bergen ...
'', Willoch summarized his views on Israel's policies towards the Palestinians. He warned that "those who defend the Israeli policies towards the Palestinians support a policy that generates a hatred that may lead to a disaster for Israel" and concluded that "Friends of Israel should seek to make Israel accept the Arab peace proposal. It demands, amongst other things, borders as before the war of 1967, only with such adjustments that the parties reach agreement upon, and guarantees for Israel's security." Willoch said the appointment of
Rahm Emanuel Rahm Israel Emanuel (; born November 29, 1959) is an American politician, advisor, diplomat, and former investment banker who most recently served as List of ambassadors of the United States to Japan, United States ambassador to Japan from 2022 ...
, who had once volunteered for the Israeli military despite being a U.S. citizen and who had criticised the
George W. Bush administration George W. Bush's tenure as the 43rd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2001, and ended on January 20, 2009. Bush, a Republican from Texas, took office following his narrow electoral college vict ...
for not being supportive enough of Israel, was probably not an indication that President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
would significantly change U.S. policy on the Middle East, referencing then-ongoing U.S. debate on the appointment, in which Emanuel's father Benjamin Emanuel, a former
Irgun The Irgun (), officially the National Military Organization in the Land of Israel, often abbreviated as Etzel or IZL (), was a Zionist paramilitary organization that operated in Mandatory Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of th ...
member, had said that "obviously he will influence the president to be pro-Israel. Why wouldn’t he be? What is he, an Arab? He’s not going to clean the floors of the White House", a comment that Rahm Emanuel later apologised for. Willoch's comment was later taken out of context by the anti-immigration Progress Party; liberal daily ''
Dagbladet () is one of Norway's largest newspapers and is published in the Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid format. It has 1,400,000 daily readers on mobile, web and paper. Traditionally it was considered the main liberal newspaper of Norway, with a ...
'' described the accusations against Willoch by the far-right as "unreasonable, unfair, and at worst harmful."Urimelig beskyldning mot Kåre Willoch
/ref> Regarding Cablegate, he stated that "the problem is that the Western world is violating Human rights, not that someone is uncovering those violations". In 1996, Willoch was decorated as a Commander with Star of the
Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II, known to posterity as St. Olav. Just be ...
. Kåre Willoch died in his home in Oslo, on 6 December 2021, at the age of 93.


Bibliography

* Willoch, Kåre: ''Minner og meninger'', Chr. Schibsteds Forlag, Oslo 1988, * Willoch, Kåre: ''Statsminister'', Chr. Schibsteds Forlag, Oslo 1990, * Willoch, Kåre: ''Tanker i tiden'' Cappelen, 1999, * Willoch, Kåre: ''Myter og virkelighet'', Cappelen, 2002, * Willoch, Kåre: ''Utfordringer'', Cappelen, 2004, * Willoch, Kåre: "Strid og samarbeid", Cappelen Damm, 2016,


References


Further reading

* Wilsford, David, ed. ''Political leaders of contemporary Western Europe: a biographical dictionary'' (Greenwood, 1995) pp. 475–81.


In Norwegian

* * *


External links


Homage to a true conservative
Profile of Kåre Willoch, written in the HumanBeams magazine, by Gisle Tangenes. {{DEFAULTSORT:Willoch, Kare 1928 births 2021 deaths Norwegian Army personnel Prime ministers of Norway Ministers of trade and shipping of Norway County governors of Norway University of Oslo alumni Norwegian autobiographers Chairs of NRK Leaders of the Conservative Party (Norway) Politicians from Oslo Members of the Storting 1985–1989 Members of the Storting 1981–1985 Members of the Storting 1977–1981 Members of the Storting 1973–1977 Members of the Storting 1969–1973 Members of the Storting 1965–1969 Members of the Storting 1961–1965 Members of the Storting 1958–1961