List of longest serving G8 leaders

This is a list of the longest serving heads of government or heads of state in the G8. The G8 leaders are the Prime Minister of Canada, the President of France, the Chancellor of Germany, the Prime Minister of Italy, the Prime Minister of Japan, the President of Russia, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the President of the United States.

Contents

Current longest serving G8 leader

Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel became the senior G8 leader when Silvio Berlusconi left office as Prime Minister of Italy on 16 November 2011.

Upon Merkel's retirement, Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper will become the senior G8 Leader, if he is still in office then (next elections in 2015). Harper has served as Prime Minister since 6 February 2006.

After Harper in seniority is Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France, who assumed office on 16 May 2007 and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who became President on 7 May 2008. Behind Medvedev is President of the United States Barack Obama, who assumed office on 20 January 2009, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron, who assumed office on 11 May 2010, Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihiko Noda, who took office on 2 September 2011, and last is Prime Minister of Italy Mario Monti, who took office on 16 November 2011.

Chronology of longest serving G8 Leaders

The following is a chronology of senior G8 leaders from the founding of the G6 (a precursor organization to the G8) to the present.[1]

Entered office as
Head of State
or Government		 Began time as
senior G8 leader		 Ended time as
senior G8 leader		 Person Office
16 October 1964[2] 15 November 1975 5 April 1976 Harold Wilson Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
16 May 1974 5 April 1976 27 June 1976 Helmut Schmidt Chancellor of West Germany
20 April 1968 27 June 1976[3] 4 June 1979 Pierre Trudeau Prime Minister of Canada
16 May 1974 4 June 1979 1 October 1982 Helmut Schmidt Chancellor of West Germany
4 May 1979 1 October 1982 28 November 1990 Margaret Thatcher Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
10 May 1981 28 November 1990 17 May 1995 François Mitterrand President of France
1 October 1982 17 May 1995 27 October 1998 Helmut Kohl Chancellor of Germany
10 July 1991 27 October 1998 31 December 1999 Boris Yeltsin President of Russia
20 January 1993 31 December 1999 20 January 2001 Bill Clinton President of the United States
4 November 1993 20 January 2001 12 December 2003 Jean Chrétien Prime Minister of Canada
17 May 1995 12 December 2003 16 May 2007 Jacques Chirac President of France
2 May 1997 16 May 2007 27 June 2007 Tony Blair Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
31 December 1999 27 June 2007 7 May 2008 Vladimir Putin President of Russia
20 January 2001 7 May 2008 20 January 2009 George W. Bush President of the United States
10 May 1994[4] 20 January 2009 16 November 2011 Silvio Berlusconi Prime Minister of Italy
22 November 2005 16 November 2011 Incumbent Angela Merkel Chancellor of Germany

G8 tenure

Notes

  1. ^ Canada did not join the organization until 1976 while Russia did not join until 1997. Therefore, Canadian leaders prior to 1976 and Russian leaders before 1997 are not included in this list.
  2. ^ Wilson first served as Prime Minister from 16 October 1964 to 19 June 1970, and then again from 4 March 1974 to 5 April 1976.
  3. ^ Canada joined the organization on this date. Trudeau had been in office longer than any of the other leaders and so took the title of senior G8 leader from Schmidt.
  4. ^ Berlusconi first served as Prime Minister from 10 May 1994 to 17 January 1995, then again from 11 June 2001 to 17 May 2006, and then again from 8 May 2008 to 16 November 2011. Berlusconi currently holds the record of G8 Summit hosting, having hosted it in Italy three times.
Members
Representative