Lars Korvald

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lars Korvald, signed.

Lars Korvald (April 29, 1916 – July 4, 2006) 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.

1 Early life and career
2 Parliamentary career
3 Prime Minister
4 External link

[edit] Early life and career

Lars Korvald was born into a traditional Christian family in Mjøndalen in the municipality of Nedre Eiker. He attended what is now the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, graduating in 1943. He started out at at the faculty of Tomb agrarian college in Råde, where he rose to become dean in 1952.

[edit] Parliamentary career

He was first elected to the Norwegian parliament in 1961 representing the county of Østfold. In 1965, he was appointed parliamentary leader; and in 1967 the party leader. Altogether, Korvald served as a member of parliament for five periods. In 1981, he retired from party politics and became county mayor of Østfold.

[edit] Prime Minister

Korvald's cabinet served from October 18, 1972 to October 16, 1973. Though short-lived, it served as an important milestone in Norwegian politics, both because it marked the conclusion of the bitter and divisive debate over Norway's membership in the European Union, and because it was a centrist non-socialist coalition. He was also the first prime minister from his party. Korvald also proved to be an effective prime minister in a very difficult and transitional political situation. His cabinet commmissioned the negotiations for a trade treaty with the European Union and instituted Norway's first petroleum policy.

It was also Korvald who introduced Kjell Magne Bondevik into the national scene by appointing him political secretary to the prime minister's office.