Trygve Bratteli

Trygve Bratteli was a Norwegian newspaper editor, a politician with the Norwegian Labour Party, and Nazi concentration camp survivor. He served as the 26th prime minister of Norway from 1971 to 1972 and again from 1973 to 1976. He was president of the Nordic Council in 1978. He entered the Labour Party’s youth organization in 1928 and became editor of the newspaper Arbeiderungdommen in the 1930s. He participated in the resistance movement during the German occupation of Norway in World War II and was arrested and sent to various concentration camps. After the war, he rose in the Labour Party hierarchy and served as vice chairman and chairman. He was elected to the parliament in 1950 and held various ministerial positions, including finance and transport. He led the Labour parliamentary opposition from 1965 to 1971 and became prime minister after the collapse of the centre-right coalition. He resigned in 1972 when the proposal that Norway join the European Communities was defeated in a referendum. He returned to power in 1973 after winning the general election, but resigned again in 1976 due to health problems. He remained a member of the parliament until 1981. He was known for his pragmatic and conciliatory style of leadership and his commitment to social democracy and international cooperation. He died of cancer in 1984.