82-556: Tage Fritjof Erlander ( Swedish: [ˈtɑ̂ːgɛ ɛˈɭǎnːdɛr] ; 13 June 1901 – 21 June 1985) was a Swedish politician and statesman who served as the prime minister of Sweden and leader of the Social Democratic Party from 1946 to 1969. Previously, he served as minister of education from 1945 to 1946, and was a member of the Riksdag from 1932 to 1973. During his premiership, Sweden developed into one of
164-585: A child, Erlander lived on the second floor of Erlandergården, and attended school on the first floor. He later attended schools in Karlstad , living in a boarding house for children of clergymen. He was reportedly a good student in high school. From 1921 to 1922, Erlander carried out his mandatory military service at a machine gun factory in Malmslätt . In September 1920, his father enrolled him at Lund University rather than Uppsala University , as he felt Lund
246-600: A coalition, and the plans failed. Erlander was thus allowed to remain prime minister and formateur, leading a minority government into the next election. Nine of the ten cabinet ministries Erlander inherited from Hansson's cabinet existed by the end of Erlander's premiership. Three additional ministries were created, with Erlander's final cabinet having twelve ministries by 1968. Altogether, 57 people served in Erlander's cabinets. In August 1953, Erlander hired Olof Palme to serve as his personal secretary. In 1963, he ascended to
328-614: A country residence for the prime minister since 1953. The manor is also frequently used for governmental conferences and informal summits between the government, industry and organisations in Sweden. The salaries of the cabinet ministers, including the prime minister, is decided by and is the subject of annual review by the Statsrådsarvodesnämnden 'Cabinet Ministers' Salary Committee' of the Riksdag . Since 1 January 2022
410-615: A fifteen-year credit and a 17% appreciation of the Swedish krona . The former, conceived by his predecessor, was viewed as less economically attractive due to stronger trading partners existing post-war, and the latter worsened Sweden's trade deficit. Due to the backlash, he resigned in 1947, becoming the first minister to leave Erlander's government. Erlander appointed Josef Weijne [ sv ] to replace him as minister of education and ecclesiastical affairs. In 1947, Karin Kock became
492-661: A government on time, as the talks were public but informal. In 1951, Erlander formed a coalition with the Centre Party. He added four Centrists to his cabinet that year. His working relationship with the party's leader, Gunnar Hedlund , is known to have been good. Erlander and Hedlund, while disagreeing on some issues, shared a common desire to outmaneuver the Liberals and the Moderate Party . The voter bases of both parties are also considered to have been similar. Under
574-598: A growing public sector, although stopping short of raising tax levels above the average OECD levels at the time. Until the 1960s, income taxes were lower in Sweden than in the United States . For most of his time in power, Erlander ran a minority government of the Social Democrats. From 1951 to 1957, he instead ran a coalition with the Farmers' League . The Social Democrats held a majority of seats in
656-763: A member of the Riksdag. Becoming a member of the World War II coalition government in 1944, Erlander rose unexpectedly to the leadership upon the death of Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson in October 1946, maintaining the position of the Social Democrats as the dominant party in the country. Known for his moderation, pragmatism and self-irony, Erlander often sought approval from the liberal-conservative opposition for his policies, de facto dropping all pretences of wide-scale nationalizations whilst introducing reforms such as universal health insurance , pension additions and
738-494: A memoir about his experiences, which included previous claims that he had a sexual relationship with Gustaf V. The Stockholm police bought most of the stock to prevent distribution, and the government took charge of the affair. According to Erlander, Minister of the Interior Eije Mossberg opened a cabinet meeting by stating, "The King is homosexual!" to which Wigforss replied, "At his age? How vigorous!" One of
820-409: A new prime minister, the speaker of the Riksdag holds consultations with party leaders to propose a candidate to be submitted for approval to the Riksdag . The speaker's proposed candidate is then elected through negative parliamentarism. In practice, this means that the prime minister nominee is confirmed if fewer than 175 MPs vote 'no', regardless of the number of 'yes' votes or abstentions. This
902-434: A parliamentary investigation, and Bertil Ohlin led the opposition's push for the censure of Sven Andersson and Östen Undén for negligence. In 1964, after two days of debate in the Riksdag, Andersson was not found guilty of gross negligence, and Ohlin dropped plans for a vote of censure. Simultaneously, the lower chamber voted 116 to 105 to clear Undén of negligence charges. Erlander stated that he would regard votes of censure as
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#1732801221992984-534: A question of confidence in his entire cabinet, and that it was "a tragedy" that Wennerström's arrest and trial became a political issue. Also in 1964, Wennerström was found guilty on three counts of gross espionage, was stripped of his rank, and was ordered to pay the government $ 98,000 of the $ 200,000 he was paid by the Soviet government. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. The entire arrest, trial, investigation, and scandal took up much of Erlander's energy for almost
1066-518: A second committee, the Schools Commission, despite the first one being still active. This new committee, chaired by Erlander, was composed mainly of appointed party members. By 1948, after Erlander had become prime minister, the second committee also proposed nine years of mandatory schooling, but the question of when to begin streaming was still debated. Prime Minister Hansson suddenly died on October 6, 1946. Foreign Minister Östen Undén
1148-514: A way to bring Sweden in line with the driving standards of most of Europe. Prime minister of Sweden The prime minister of Sweden ( Swedish : statsminister literally translates as "minister of state") is the head of government of the Kingdom of Sweden . The prime minister and their cabinet (the government) exercise executive authority in the Kingdom of Sweden and are subject to
1230-446: A year. In the 1964 general election, the Social Democrats won 47.27% of the vote, a slight decrease overall from 1960, but the party now obtained a majority in the second chamber. The Social Democratic campaign slogan was, "You never had it so good". The Left Party made larger gains that year, as they won 3 new seats in the second chamber (in addition to the 5 they previously won) and were the only party to increase their percentage from
1312-851: A younger man serving as prime minister was best for Sweden. He also assured Erlander that "things would work out well", and that the two of them would get along as initially he had some disagreements with Per Albin Hansson, who was ideologically a republican . In the two years leading up to the 1948 election, Erlander visited numerous Social Democratic organizations across the country to solidify his support and explain party policies. Within his first 365 days in office, he made between seventy to eighty public appearances outside of Stockholm. Social Democratic newspapers began writing positively about Erlander‘s speaking events. Nonsocialist newspapers became more critical of Erlander, first casting him as an irrelevant figure, then as an unreliable and uninspiring tactician. These perceived attacks made Erlander more popular within
1394-478: A younger sister, Dagmar Erlander (born 1904). Erlander's paternal grandfather, Anders Erlandsson, worked as a smith at an ironworks, and his maternal grandfather was a farmer who held a public office in his home municipality. On his maternal grandmother's side, Erlander descended from Forest Finns , who migrated to Värmland from the Finnish province of Savonia in the 17th century. According to Erlander, his father
1476-518: Is because the Instrument of Government explicitly vests executive power in the government , of which the prime minister is the leader. The prime minister has two official residences; these are the Sager House and Harpsund . Historically, the monarchy of Sweden served as both head of state and head of government. Examples like Kings Gustav I , Charles XI , and Gustav III showcase how
1558-464: Is described as being "tolerated" by a majority of the Riksdag. After approval by the Riksdag, the new prime minister-designate must inform the Riksdag which ministers are chosen to make up the new government. The formal change of government, and thus the start of the term for the new prime minister takes place at a Council of State at the Royal Palace . This is a government meeting chaired by
1640-422: Is impossible for the government to be informed of every person who is under suspicion. We need more proof in a democratic society before we can take action." It later surfaced that twice in 1962, meetings were scheduled with Erlander to discuss Wennerström, but the first was canceled due to the minister of Justice being ill, and the second was canceled due to Erlander's schedule being full. Opposition parties demanded
1722-549: The Parliament of Sweden . The prime minister is nominated by the speaker of the Riksdag and is elected by the chamber by simple majority, using negative parliamentarianism. The Riksdag holds elections every four years, in the even year between leap years. As with several other similar offices in Europe, the office of Prime Minister came into existence in the nineteenth century as a result of Sweden's democratisation. Prior to
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#17328012219921804-552: The Riksdag (parliament) in 1932, representing Fyrstadskretsen , which he would represent until 1944. He began making political connections, and attracted the attention of prominent Social Democratic politician and Minister for Social Affairs Gustav Möller . In 1938, Möller appointed Erlander as a state secretary at the Ministry of Social Affairs . After Erlander became a state secretary, he and Aina, with their children, moved to Stockholm . In 1941, Sweden's Population Commission
1886-526: The article wizard to submit a draft for review, or request a new article . Search for " Erlandergården " in existing articles. Look for pages within Misplaced Pages that link to this title . Other reasons this message may be displayed: If a page was recently created here, it may not be visible yet because of a delay in updating the database; wait a few minutes or try the purge function . Titles on Misplaced Pages are case sensitive except for
1968-517: The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki . In 1946, Möller introduced a new pension proposal, a uniform one which would lift all pensioners above the poverty line, which Erlander and Minister for Finance Ernst Wigforss opposed, but it passed in the Riksdag. At the 1945 Social Democratic party conference, Per Nyström presented a motion to update Swedish schooling. The conference was split on how much schooling should be mandatory, with some arguing it should only extend to elementary school. Despite
2050-470: The king , currently Carl XVI Gustaf . During this meeting, the speaker gives an account of the nomination and election process. The King then announces that a change of government has taken place, finalising the appointment of the new prime minister and their government. The handover of the prime minister's commission has usually taken place in the Riksdag. In 2022 with the appointment of Ulf Kristersson, however, speaker Andreas Norlen handed it over during
2132-467: The nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 1968). Erlander's mandate coincided with the post–World War II economic expansion , in Sweden known as the record years , in which Sweden saw its economy grow to one of the ten strongest in the world, and subsequently joined the G10 . In the 1968 general election , he won his seventh and most successful victory, with the Social Democrats winning an absolute majority of
2214-449: The upper house for most of this time and this allowed Erlander to remain in power after the 1956 general election , when the right-wing parties won a majority. A snap election in 1958 then reversed this result. In foreign policy, he initially sought an alliance of Nordic countries, but without success, instead maintaining strict neutrality while spending heavily on the military (but ultimately rejecting nuclear capability and signing
2296-412: The Riksdag voted in a majority to switch traffic to the right side, despite the public's rejection of the idea in the 1955 referendum. This sparked backlash, and in response, Erlander stated, "The referendum was only advisory, after all." Following the 1963 Riksdag vote, the project began to go underway. Olof Palme, now Minister for Communications (Transport) , oversaw the project, which was often seen as
2378-520: The Riksdag. In the second chamber, the vote was evenly split, 115 for and 115 against. Ture Königson , a Liberal, chose to vote in support of the Socialst's proposal. Königson preferred his party's pension plan, but desired a secure future for Sweden's older workers, and reasoned that the Socialists' plan was better than a permanent political stalemate. Through his vote, the smallest possible margin,
2460-530: The Social Democratic party caucus. Erlander first learned of his possible selection as prime minister and party leader on October 7. Erlander himself was reluctant and had little interest in becoming prime minister, saying he would only do so if the desire from the party was strong enough. At the October 9 meeting, the board voted 15 to 11 in favor of Erlander becoming prime minister, and the caucus voted 94 to 72 to make Erlander party leader. The choice
2542-406: The Social Democrats won 46%, a slight decrease from the previous election. The Centrists obtained 10.7%, which was also a decrease for them. The Liberals gained 24.4%, an increase from their previous percentage. Erlander served under King Gustaf V for 4 years, and the two had a mutual respect. Gustaf, aged 88 upon Erlander's ascension to the premiership, was not very politically active. In 1950, upon
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2624-495: The Social Democrats' policies. Despite this, Erlander, still partially influenced by Ohlin's opposition to the Hansson government, harbored a strong dislike of the Liberals and their leader. In speeches and during Riksdag debates, Erlander frequently attacked the Liberals with accusations including irresponsibility, opportunism, and irreconcilability. Erlander viewed Ohlin as "stiff, self-righteous, arrogant, bossy, and lacking in principles", while Ohiln wrote in his memoirs that Erlander
2706-572: The Swedish government was structured around the monarchy. However, many of these kings had powerful domestic advisors who sometimes took on the role of de facto head of government; the most prominent of these examples is Axel Oxenstierna , who played a pivotal role in the formation of the Swedish Empire . The office of Lord High Chancellor was commonly the closest role to a de jure head of government, and they had similar responsibilities to
2788-473: The advice of the ministers. However, the so-called Torekov Compromise reached in 1971 by the major political parties, codified with the Instrument of Government that went into effect in 1975, stripped the Swedish monarch of even a nominal role in governmental affairs, thus codifying actual practices that had been in place since the definitive establishment of parliamentary government in 1917. To appoint
2870-427: The approval of the Riksdag, but they can be forced to resign by a vote of no confidence. If the prime minister is forced by a vote of no confidence to resign, the entire cabinet falls, and the process of electing a new prime minister starts. The prime minister can dissolve the Riksdag, even after receiving a vote of no confidence, except during the first three months after an election. The government offices, including
2952-422: The boys on speeches he planned to make, although according to Olle Svenning [ sv ] , he was rarely satisfied with the speeches they wrote. Social Democratic efforts for a universal pension system continued. In 1958, a bill was proposed that would provide uniform, state-administered pensions to all Swedes over the age of 67. Left wing parties supported the bill, while right wing parties opposed it. It
3034-459: The cabinet as a minister without portfolio. Palme became Minister of Communications in 1965, and in 1967 became Minister of Education . Beginning with Palme, Erlander began to hire a larger group of personal staff, including typists and stenographers, consisting of young Social Democrats such as Palme, Ingvar Carlsson , and Bengt K. Å. Johansson . In the 1960s, Erlander began to call his group of young aides "the boys". Erlander frequently consulted
3116-472: The coalition, Hedlund became minister for home affairs . One of the positions that the Centrists demanded be given to one of their own was the minister of education, which had been held by Hildur Nygren since earlier that year. Erlander did not get along with Nygren, and used the negotiations as an excuse to remove her. The coalition government was formed on October 1, 1951. In the 1952 general election ,
3198-450: The creation of the office, Sweden had no official head of government separate from the king; the country in periods was an absolute monarchy. However, several figures had formerly attained de facto status as leader of the government. Today, the prime minister holds the most influential political role in Sweden. Unlike most prime ministers in parliamentary systems, the prime minister is both de jure and de facto chief executive. This
3280-454: The death of his father, Crown Prince Gustaf VI Adolf became king. Erlander was also on good terms with Gustaf VI, but at times disapproved of the new king's more hands-on involvement in political matters than his father, and during Gustaf VI's time as Crown Prince, Erlander saw him as a "rather stiff individual who lacked perspective". In 1947, Kurt Haijby , who had previously been arrested multiple times on suspected homosexual acts , wrote
3362-459: The disagreements, the conference requested the party executive create a special committee to develop school programs. The committee was divided on whether students should be separated by abilities, a practice known as streaming. It never reached a consensus, but finished a draft for a new school program requiring nine years of universal mandatory education, although it was never submitted to the party. In 1946, Erlander, as minister of education, created
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3444-401: The duties of the prime minister if the prime minister cannot. However, if a deputy prime minister is absent or has not been appointed, the senior minister in the cabinet becomes acting head of government. If more than one minister has equal tenure, the eldest assumes the position (see Swedish governmental line of succession for the present governmental line of succession). Constitutionally,
3526-459: The first woman in Swedish to hold a cabinet position when she became a minister without portfolio, and in 1948 she became minister of supply . Kock was suggested by Riksdag member Ulla Wohlin , who would serve in Erlander's third cabinet as Sweden's third female cabinet minister. Kock left the post in 1949, and the office was abolished the following year. Weijne died in office in 1951, and Erlander appointed Hildur Nygren to succeed him, making her
3608-433: The heads of their respective ministries. When the office of the prime minister was created in 1876, the prime ministers for justice and foreign affairs were thus subsequently demoted to Minister for Justice and Minister for Foreign Affairs . Unlike the minister for justice, the minister for foreign affairs did, however, continue to be styled as " Excellency ", an honour shared only with the prime minister. After 1917, it
3690-424: The issue in 1957 included three proposals for pensions systems, one by the Social Democrats, another by the Centrists, and the third by the right. The Social Democrats' proposal won with 45.8% of the vote, while the right's garnered 35.3% and the Centrists' 15%. As a result of the pension referendum, the coalition dissolved that year. Following this, the king facilitated inter-party dialogue, specifically asking about
3772-469: The majority coalition. While the provision in the Instrument of Government stating that "the King alone shall govern the realm" remained unchanged, it was now understood that the king was required to exercise his powers through the ministers and act on their advice. Over time, the ministers came to de facto exercise the royal prerogatives . However, the Swedish term used for the government during this period
3854-474: The meeting of the Council of State. Whenever a prime minister resigns, dies, or is forced from office by the Riksdag , the speaker of the Riksdag asks the prime minister (or their deputy) to keep the government as a caretaker government until the new government takes office. With the exception of the prime minister, cabinet ministers ( Swedish : statsråd [ˈstatsroːd] ) do not need
3936-440: The military draft for pro-Soviet Communists and others who were viewed as unreliable and hostile to Sweden's political system; instead of being stationed in the armed forces, they were conscripted to work camps organized to build infrastructure. Writing in his memoirs in the 1970s, Erlander downplayed his knowledge of the camps, as, according to journalist Niclas Sennerteg, Erlander knew about their existence long before he claimed and
4018-415: The modern Prime Minister during the so-called Age of Liberty ; no governmental offices were called Prime Minister at the time. At the adoption of the new Instrument of Government of 1809 , the two offices of Prime Minister for Justice ( Swedish : justitiestatsminister ) and Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs ( Swedish : utrikesstatsminister ) were created, though their roles were no more than just
4100-618: The most popular leaders in the world by the end of the 1960s, and one of the most popular prime ministers in the history of Sweden . Tage Fritjof Erlander was born in Ransäter , Värmland County on June 13, 1901, on the top floor of the house today known as Erlandergården [ sv ] . His parents were Alma Erlander (née Nilsson) and Erik Gustaf Erlander. Erik Gustaf was a teacher and cantor who married Alma Nilsson in 1893. Erlander had an older brother, Janne Gustaf Erlander (born 1893), an older sister, Anna Erlander (born 1894), and
4182-518: The office very long. Erlander largely left ecclesiastical matters to other politicians, instead focusing on tangible educational reforms. Influenced by his experiences at Lund University, he proposed larger investments in research and higher education. He was a major driving force behind successful laws providing free school lunches and textbooks. On October 29, 1945, Erlander was visited by Austro-Swedish nuclear physicist Lise Meitner , to discuss Sweden investing in nuclear physics and technology following
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#17328012219924264-400: The only copies that got out was read by Erlander. He reportedly believed the allegations. According to journalist Maria Schottenius [ sv ] , Erlander later told her of how he was tormented for decades by the "Haijbyskiten" ( Swedish : "Haijby shit" ). In the 1956 general election, the party won 44.58%, a larger decrease than the previous one. Erlander at one point stated that
4346-466: The party. Erlander inherited 14 ministers from Hansson. Overall, Erlander allowed his cabinet ministers a great deal of freedom, as he did not want to become overly involved in coordinating them daily, but he did monitor them. Over his premiership, Hansson's ministers slowly left the government. Minister of Commerce Gunnar Myrdal implemented policies such as selling the Soviet Union machinery on
4428-481: The pension plan passed. The system, called Allmän tilläggspension ( Swedish : "General supplementary pension" ) or ATP for short, was successful implemented in 1960. In the 1960 general election, the Social Democrats' percentage of the vote was up to 47.79%, another increase from the previous election. Erlander described the election as an "ideological breakthrough", which allowed the Social Democrats to pursue further reform. On June 20, 1963, Col. Stig Wennerström
4510-408: The popular vote and seats in the lower chamber. Erlander resigned the following year during a process of major constitutional reform, and was succeeded by his long-time protégé and friend Olof Palme . He continued to serve as a member of the Riksdag until he resigned in 1973. Afterwards, Erlander continued to speak on political matters and published his memoirs. He died in 1985. He was considered one of
4592-412: The possibility of the Social Democrats forming a coalition with the three non-socialist parties. Erlander was appointed formateur/informateur , but was very reluctant to create a four-party government. The king then designated the Liberals and Moderates as formateurs, and asked them to explore creating a non-socialist government. The Centrists stated that they were unwilling to join the other two parties in
4674-422: The previous election. In a 1955 referendum , a proposal was put forward to switch Sweden from left-handed driving to right-handed driving. The referendum results overwhelmingly rejecting the proposal, with 82.9 percent of voters voting no to the switch and only 15.5% in support, although the voter turnout was considered low. Despite the general lack of support, efforts continued well into the next decade. In 1963,
4756-1006: The prime minister's monthly salary is 184,000 SEK . Erlanderg%C3%A5rden Look for Erlandergården on one of Misplaced Pages's sister projects : [REDACTED] Wiktionary (dictionary) [REDACTED] Wikibooks (textbooks) [REDACTED] Wikiquote (quotations) [REDACTED] Wikisource (library) [REDACTED] Wikiversity (learning resources) [REDACTED] Commons (media) [REDACTED] Wikivoyage (travel guide) [REDACTED] Wikinews (news source) [REDACTED] Wikidata (linked database) [REDACTED] Wikispecies (species directory) Misplaced Pages does not have an article with this exact name. Please search for Erlandergården in Misplaced Pages to check for alternative titles or spellings. You need to log in or create an account and be autoconfirmed to create new articles. Alternatively, you can use
4838-479: The prime minister's office, are located at Rosenbad in central Stockholm , straight across the water from the Riksdag building on Helgeandsholmen . In 1991 Sager House (or the "Sager Palace" as it was previously called) was acquired, and since 1995 it has served as the private residence of the prime minister. Harpsund , a manor house in Flen Municipality , Södermanland County , has served as
4920-459: The prime minister's position is stronger than that of his or her counterparts in Denmark and Norway . Since 1975, the prime minister has been both de jure and de facto chief executive, with powers and duties specifically enumerated in the Instrument of Government. In the two neighboring Scandinavian monarchies, the monarch is the nominal chief executive, but is bound by convention to act on
5002-403: The same time, it stripped the monarchy of even nominal political powers, making the cabinet the country's executive authority in both name and in fact. This codified a number of practices dating from the definitive establishment of parliamentary government in 1917. The Instrument of Government requires that the prime minister appoint a member of the cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister , to perform
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#17328012219925084-654: The second woman in Sweden to become a cabinet minister. Going into the 1948 election, Erlander's first as party leader and prime minister, many Social Democrats expected their party to lose, including Erlander's future protégé and later prime minister Ingvar Carlsson. The Liberal People's Party was becoming a major opposition party their new leader, Bertil Ohlin . During the World War II coalition government, Ohlin had served as Hansson's minister of commerce, but he opposed Hansson's various social policy proposals During Erlander's government he generally came to support many of
5166-409: The setback was due to, among other things, "Christian anti-socialist agitation." Their coalition partners, the Centrists, garnered 9.45%. Despite the ideological similarities between the Social Democrats and the Centrists, a major issue was Sweden's proposed pension system. Erlander desired a system that was mandatory for all citizens, while Hedlund wanted the pensions to be voluntary. A referendum on
5248-463: The summer of 1945, as part of Hansson's post-war cabinet , he became minister of education and ecclesiastical affairs . It has been suggested that Erlander was chosen for the position due to his lack of experience with educational policies, as he was not associated with factional divides regarding debates over Sweden's educational system. Erlander was initially skeptical about accepting the role, but he eventually grew accustomed to it, despite not holding
5330-463: The suspicions until the day Wennerström was arrested. Undén's successor, Foreign Minister Torsten Nilsson informed him via telephone the day of the arrest while Erlander was in a restaurant in Italy on vacation with his wife, and asked him to return to Sweden immediately. Upon returning to Sweden, in response to criticism over the lack of government coordination, Erlander stated on television that, "It
5412-487: The vote, one of their largest victories. Erlander himself had now been elected as a representative of Stockholm County , following his four years a Malmöhus representative. Following this election, the Social Democrats remained in power, but desired to maintain a long-term majority, so they offered to form a coalition government with the Centre Party . They declined, but this had no impact on Erlander's ability to form
5494-410: The world's most advanced welfare states , with the "Swedish Model" at the peak of its acclaim and notoriety. His uninterrupted tenure of 23 years as head of the government is the longest ever in Sweden and in any modern Western democracy. Born to a poor family in Ransäter , Erlander later studied at Lund University . He was elected to Lund's municipal council in 1930, and in 1932 he was elected as
5576-454: Was "evasive, ungenerous, uncertain, quick to take offense, and a somewhat unfair debater." Their political rivalry is considered one of the most notable in modern Swedish history. Despite fears, the Social Democrats won 46.13%. In the Andra kammaren ("Second chamber" or lower house) of the Riksdag, the Social Democrats secured 112 out of 230 total seats. The Liberals came in second with 22.8% of
5658-514: Was a member of the editorial staff of the encyclopedia Svensk upplagsbok from 1928 to 1938. In 1930 Tage and Aina married, although in his memoirs he stated that they both opposed the institution. They spent their first few years of marriage apart, as Erlander was working in Lund while Aina was working in Karlshamn , and they only saw each other on holidays. Their first son, Sven Bertil Erlander ,
5740-485: Was able to foster cooperation between people with differing views. After Erlander was chosen as prime minister, Hansson's cabinet all submitted their resignations, as was routine. King Gustaf V met Erlander on October 13, asking him to form a new government. Erlander asked all cabinet members to withdraw their resignations. Upon meeting Erlander at Drottningholm and asking him to form a new government, Gustaf encouragingly told Erlander that times were difficult, and that
5822-550: Was an active member of Wermlands Nation , where he was elected Kurator (head executive) in 1922. In 1926, he led student opposition to celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lund . He graduated with a degree in political science and economics in 1928. From 1928 to 1929 he completed his compulsory military service in the Signal Corps and eventually went on to become a reserve Lieutenant. Erlander's first major job
5904-467: Was arrested on his way to work, and charged with espionage. He soon admitted to spying for the Soviet Union for 15 years, and it was later estimated that had sold around 160 Swedish defense secrets to the Soviet government. Minister of Defence Sven Andersson had been informed of suspicions against Wennerström four years earlier and had become personally suspicious of him two years earlier, as had Foreign Minister Undén. Erlander, however, had not known about
5986-511: Was born on May 25, 1934, in Halmstad , and their second son, Bo Gunnar Erlander, was born in Lund on May 16, 1937. Erlander joined the Social Democratic Party in 1928, and was elected to the Lund municipal council in 1930. He was involved in improving poor city housing, lowering unemployment, and installing a new bathhouse. He served on the council until 1938. He was elected as a member of
6068-547: Was chosen to serve as interim prime minister until a successor could be chosen. Erlander and his wife were in Lund when Hansson died, and when they returned to the Grand Hôtel , they were informed of his death by Minister of Defense Allan Vougt . On October 6, Hansson's cabinet and the Social Democrat executive committee met, and the executive committee scheduled a full board party meeting for October 9, as did
6150-449: Was considered surprising and controversial, and some believed Gustav Möller, who received the 72 remaining votes, was Hansson's obvious successor, including Möller himself. The choice of Erlander has been attributed to younger party members wanting a younger generation to lead and Erlander being viewed as a greater figure of change, as he was experienced in areas seen as important to Social Democrats such as social and educational policies, and
6232-590: Was created under Erlander's leadership. He served as its chairman, and it put forward proposals on grants and regulations of daycare centers and play schools. As a state secretary, Erlander was one of the most senior officials responsible for the establishment of internment camps in Sweden during World War II . Various types of camps were set up, primarily to house and detain refugees and foreigners arriving to Sweden, to house interned German and Allied military personnel (e.g. pilots who had crashed in Sweden), and to replace
6314-414: Was defeated in a vote of 117 against to 111 for. Following this loss, Erlander asked the king to temporarily dissolve the Riksdag and called for a snap election . In the ensuing election , the party won 46.2%, an increase from the 1956 election. This was the third, and, as of 2024, last snap election in Swedish history. In the spring of 1959, the Social Democratic pension system was again being voted on in
6396-608: Was integral to their design and function. In 1942, Erlander and Möller initiated a nationwide census of the Swedish Travelers , a branch of the Romani people . Erlander ascended to Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson 's World War II coalition cabinet in 1944 as a minister without portfolio , a post he held until the next year. Following the 1944 general election , he began representing the Malmöhus County . In
6478-694: Was more affordable. As a student at Lund, Erlander was heavily involved in student politics and met many politically radical students. He was exposed to societal and economic injustices, and began to identify with socialism . Beginning in autumn of 1923, Erlander read the writings of Karl Marx . He met his future wife, fellow student Aina Andersson . They began working together in the chemistry department in 1923. He also met and studied natural sciences with fellow student and future physicist Torsten Gustafson , who would later serve as an advisor on nuclear affairs to Erlander during his premiership. In addition to his scientific studies, Erlander also read some economics, and
6560-407: Was no longer possible for a monarch to appoint the prime minister and the councillors of state (cabinet ministers) at their own discretion, or keep them in office against the will of the Riksdag. From that time onward, while the king still formally appointed the prime minister, in practice he was required to appoint the leader of the majority party in the Riksdag, or the leader of the senior partner in
6642-502: Was still Kungl. Maj:t , an abbreviation of Kunglig Majestät 'Royal Majesty'. Until 1974, the executive authority in Sweden had been exercised through the King in Council . Constitutional reform provided a new Instrument of Government which de jure established the parliamentary system and created a cabinet government with constitutional powers not derived from the Crown. At
6724-482: Was very religious, supportive of universal suffrage , pro- free market , anti- trade union , and liberal . Erlander also said that his father became increasingly anti- socialist as he aged, speculating that his father was unhappy with his son's eventual election to parliament as a member of a socialist party. The Erlander family was initially poor, although Erik Gustaf was able to make money through selling homemade furniture and exporting lingonberries to Germany . As
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