Kjell Magne Bondevik, born in Molde, Norway in 1947, embarked on a career that blended politics, religion, and international diplomacy. He began his journey at the Norwegian School of Theology, becoming ordained as a pastor in the Lutheran Church of Norway in 1979.
From 1973 to 2005, Bondevik represented the County of Møre og Romsdal in the Stortinget (Parliament of Norway) as a member of the Christian Democratic Party. Throughout his tenure, he held several key roles including Minister of Church Affairs and Education from 1983 to 1986, and Deputy Prime Minister under Prime Minister Kåre Willoch from 1985 to 1986. He also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1989 to 1990 and held various leadership positions within his party, including party leader and parliamentary leader at different intervals.
Bondevik became Prime Minister of Norway twice; first in 1997 leading a coalition government with the Christian Democratic Party, the Centre Party, and the Liberal Party, and again in 2001, heading a coalition between the Christian Democratic Party, the Conservative Party, and the Liberal Party until 2005.
After retiring from politics, Bondevik founded The Oslo Center in 2006, where he served as President and later as Executive chair before he stepped down in 2023. His dedication to international dialogue and democracy led him to join the Club de Madrid in 2005, an organization of former heads of state and government dedicated to democratic leadership and governance.
