Former Centre Party parliamentary leader Johan Buttedahl dies at age 90

Johan Buttedahl, a former parliamentary leader and deputy leader of Norway’s Centre Party, died at the age of 90. He represented the Buskerud constituency in the Storting from 1981 until 1989. After a brief stint on the Social Committee, he transferred to the Foreign Affairs Committee, serving there for the rest of his parliamentary career.

During that period he helped shape the Centre Party’s position in the EU/EF debate that emerged after the Willoch government fell in 1986. Party leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum praised Buttedahl’s lasting impact on the party and Norwegian politics, sending condolences to his family. The party described him as a cherished ally of the Centre Youth and an inspiring guest speaker.