{{Short description|Norwegian politician (1930–1997)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Jan P. Syse | image = Jan P. Syse.JPG | caption = Jan Peder Syse in the late 1980s or early 1990s | office = Prime Minister of Norway | monarch = Olav V | term_start = 16 October 1989 | term_end = 3 November 1990 | predecessor = Gro Harlem Brundtland | successor = Gro Harlem Brundtland | office1 = President of the Nordic Council | term_start1 = 1 January 1988 | term_end1 = 31 December 1988 | predecessor1 = Elsi Hetemäki-Olander | successor1 = Karin Söder | term_start2 = 1 January 1993 | term_end2 = 31 December 1993 | predecessor2 = Ilkka Suominen | successor2 = Sten Andersson | office3 = Leader of the Conservative Party | term_start3 = 22 January 1988 | term_end3 = 20 April 1991 | 1blankname3 = First Deputies | 1namedata3 = Wenche Frogn Sellæg <br> Astrid Nøklebye Heiberg | 2blankname3 = Second Deputies | 2namedata3 = Petter Thomassen <br> Svein Ludvigsen | predecessor3 = Kaci Kullmann Five | successor3 = Kaci Kullmann Five | office4 = Minister of Trade and Energy | prime_minister4 = Kåre Willoch | term_start4 = 16 September 1983 | term_end4 = 4 October 1985 | predecessor4 = Jens-Halvard Bratz | successor4 = Petter Thomassen | office5 = Conservative Parliamentary Leader | term_start5 = 4 October 1985 | term_end5 = 30 September 1989 | leader5 = Erling Norvik<br>Rolf Presthus<br>Himself | predecessor5 = Jo Benkow | successor5 = Anders Talleraas | office6 = Member of the Norwegian Parliament | term_start6 = 1 October 1973 | term_end6 = 17 September 1997 | constituency6 = Oslo | office7 = President of the Lagting | term_start7 = 11 October 1993 | term_end7 = 17 September 1997 | predecessor7 = Hans J. Røsjorde | successor7 = Odd Holten | office8 = State Secretary for the Ministry of Justice and the Police | term_start8 = 1 November 1970 | term_end8 = 17 March 1971 | prime_minister8 = Per Borten | minister8 = Egil Endresen | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1930|11|25}} | birth_place = Nøtterøy, Vestfold, Norway | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1997|09|17|1930|11|25}} | death_place = Uranienborg, Oslo, Norway | party = Conservative | spouse = {{marriage|Else Walstad|1959}} | children = {{ubl | *Christian Syse *Henrik Syse }} | parents = Peter Syse <br>Magnhild Bjønnes | alma_mater = University of Oslo | signature = Jan P Syse Signature.svg }} {{Audio|Jan P. Syse.ogg|'''Jan Peder Syse'''}} (25 November 1930 – 17 September 1997) was a Norwegian lawyer and politician from the Conservative Party. He was the prime minister of Norway from 1989 to 1990. He also served as the minister of Industry from 1983 to 1985. Syse was the president of the Lagting 1993–1997. Syse was the president of the Nordic Council in 1988 and 1993. He served in the Norwegian parliament for over 25 years until his sudden death from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1997.<ref name=nbl>{{cite web|url=https://nbl.snl.no/Jan_P_Syse |title= Jan P Syse|website=Norsk Biografisk Leksikon |access-date=October 1, 2020}}</ref><ref name=snl>{{cite web|url= https://snl.no/Jan_P._Syse|title= Jan P. Syse|website= Store norske leksikon|access-date=October 1, 2020}}</ref>
== Early life and career == Syse was born in Nøtterøy in the county of Vestfold. He was the son of Peter Syse (1888–1965) and Magnhild Bjønnes (1898–1985). His father was a local politician and dental surgeon. He earned his examen artium in 1949 and his degree in law in 1957. He was politically active as a student, serving as chair of Den Konservative Studenterforening, Det Norske Studentersamfund, and the construction committee for Chateau Neuf.<ref name=nbl/>
His initial professional experience was as an attorney and manager for the deep sea shipping company Wilh. Wilhelmsen. He worked for Wilhelmsen at various times throughout his career, and was also employed as the editor for Wilhelmsen's newsletter, ''Skib-rederi''.
Jan P. Syse met Else Walstad (1936–2021)<ref name=nbl/> while they both were students at the University of Oslo in 1955,{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} and they were married in 1959.<ref name=nbl/> They had two sons, philosopher Henrik Syse and diplomat Christian Syse.<ref name=snl-Christian-Syse/>
==Political career== After being a member of the national council for the Conservative Party since 1957, he started his elected political career in 1963 when he was elected to the Oslo city council, where he served two terms.<ref name="snl"/>
He was elected into the Storting as a deputy representative in 1965. He started his term as a full voting member in 1969 to replace Kåre Willoch who was a member of Borten's Cabinet. Syse served on the Judiciary, Administration, Finance, extended Foreign Affairs and Constitution, and Constitutional committees throughout his parliamentary career. He was also sent as a parliamentary delegate to the United Nations General Assembly, Nordic Council, Inter-Parliamentary Union, and other international bodies. Syse was State Secretary to the Ministry of Justice from 1 November 1970 to 17 March 1971 in the non-Socialist coalition government led by Per Borten. He was Minister of Industry in the second cabinet Willoch from 16 September 1983 to 4 October 1985, and prime minister with the Syse Cabinet from 16 October 1989 to 3 November 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.regjeringen.no/en/the-government/previous-governments/historiske-artikler/offices/prime-minister-since-1814/jan-p-syse/id463464/ |title= Jan P. Syse, Prime Minister 1989 - 1990|website= regjeringen.no |date= 31 May 2011|access-date=October 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.regjeringen.no/no/om-regjeringa/tidligere-regjeringer-og-historie/sok-i-regjeringer-siden-1814/historiske-regjeringer/regjeringer/per-bortens-regjering-1965-1971/id438722/ |title= Per Bortens regjering, 12. oktober 1965–17. mars 1971 |website= regjeringen.no |date= 12 December 2006 |access-date=October 1, 2020}}</ref>
==Political legacy== Syse was well liked and respected among political allies and adversaries alike. He worked for cooperation within the Nordic region and also to strengthen the cooperation with the Baltic states, although he opposed their wish to join the Nordic council.<ref>"Nordisk råd forblir nordisk" [The Nordic Council remains Nordic], ''Norwegian News Agency'', 28 August 1991</ref> His sons Christian Syse and Henrik Syse published ''Ta ikke den ironiske tonen - tanker og taler av Jan P. Syse'' (Oslo, Forlaget Press, 2003), a book that describes Syse's speeches and style.<ref name="nbl"/><ref name=snl-Christian-Syse>{{cite web|url= https://snl.no/Christian_Syse|title= Christian Syse|website= Store norske leksikon|access-date=October 1, 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==Other sources== *Borgen, Per Otto (1999) ''Norges statsministre'' (Oslo: Aschehoug) {{ISBN|82-03-22389-3}}
==External links== * {{stortingetbio|JPS}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070928212540/http://www.viover60.no/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=71 Interview with Else Syse] ''Vi over 60'' * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070716151601/http://www.hoyre.no/artikler/2000/4/minneord_over_jan_p._syse Obituary issued by Høyre]
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box | before=Gro Harlem Brundtland| title=Prime Minister of Norway | years=1989–1990 | after=Gro Harlem Brundtland}} {{succession box | before= Jens-Halvard Bratz | title= Minister of Trade and Industry | after= Petter Thomassen | years=1983–1985}} {{succession box | before= Hans J. Røsjorde | years=1993–1997 | title= President of the Lagting | after= Odd Holten}} {{succession box | before= Kaci Kullmann Five | years=1988–1991 | title= Leader of the Conservative Party | after= Kaci Kullmann Five}} {{s-end}}
{{NorwegianPrimeMinisters}} {{Conservative Party (Norway)}} {{Presidents of the Lagting}} {{Presidents of the Nordic Council}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Syse, Jan P.}} Category:1930 births Category:1997 deaths Category:Norwegian state secretaries Category:Government ministers of Norway Category:Prime ministers of Norway Category:Politicians from Oslo Category:University of Oslo alumni Category:Leaders of the Conservative Party (Norway) Category:People from Færder Category:Ministers of trade and shipping of Norway Category:Members of the Storting 1993–1997 Category:Members of the Storting 1989–1993 Category:Members of the Storting 1985–1989 Category:Members of the Storting 1981–1985 Category:Members of the Storting 1977–1981 Category:Members of the Storting 1973–1977 Category:Members of the Storting 1969–1973