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90-507: The road was inaugurated on 21 August 1966 by Tage Erlander with two temporary lanes in each direction on the western half of the road, as Sweden was about to switch over to right-hand sided traffic the next year. The road was fully operational in September 1967 after Sweden had switched over to right-hand side traffic , and Essingeleden became the first six-lane motorway in Sweden. During

180-589: 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

270-608: 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

360-722: A desire for political influence in international institutions, an interest in collective milieu shaping, and a concern to improve the interoperability and effectiveness of the Swedish military." Sweden joined the European Union as a full member on 1 January 1995. Sweden joined NATO as a full member on 7 March 2024. List of countries which Sweden maintains diplomatic relations with: Relations with Canada are close, positive and constructive. Both countries have strong commitments to peacekeeping, UN reform, development assistance, environmental protection, sustainable development, and

450-619: 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

540-670: 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

630-511: A member of 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

720-495: 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

810-581: A military alliance for the first time since the end of the War of the Sixth Coalition by joining NATO . The foreign policy of Sweden encompasses a range of themes over the centuries. Some of the main issues include: Sweden has been a member of the United Nations since November 19, 1946, and participates actively in the activities of the organization, including as an elected member of

900-505: A nationwide referendum in November 1994, 52.3 percent of participants voted in favour of EU membership. Voter turnout was high, 83.3 percent of the eligible voters voted. The main Swedish concerns included winning popular support for EU cooperation, EU enlargement, and strengthening the EU in areas such as economic growth, job promotion, and environmental issues. In polls taken a few years after

990-524: 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 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

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1080-491: 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

1170-557: 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 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,

1260-539: 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

1350-711: A state secretary, he and Aina, with their children, moved to Stockholm . In 1941, Sweden's Population Commission 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

1440-468: 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

1530-447: 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 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

1620-484: 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

1710-569: Is a recurrent important theme of 20th-century history, although maybe by most Swedes considered to be an issue of purely historical relevance now that both countries have been members of the European Union since 1995. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 24 January 1833 when Carl Peter von Heidenstam (until then Consul General) was appointed as Chargé d'Affaires of the Kingdom of Sweden and Norway in Greece. Diplomacy relations between

1800-898: Is an ethnic group of Walloons living in Sweden making up the 8,000 Belgians living in Sweden and 5,000 Swedes living in Belgium. Today, both countries are separated by the Øresund , which links the Baltic Sea and the North Sea . Both countries are full members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States , of the Council of Europe , and of the European Union . There are around 21,000 Swedes living in Denmark and there are around 42,000 Danes living in Sweden. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 August 1991. Estonia

1890-581: Is expected to cost around 25 billion SEK. The Stockholm congestion tax (gross tax amount 800 MSEK/year) is supposed to be used for this and other road and public transit projects in Stockholm. The construction started in 2014 after several years of debating and planning. 59°20′42″N 18°00′40″E  /  59.34500°N 18.01111°E  / 59.34500; 18.01111 Tage Erlander Tage Fritjof Erlander ( Swedish: [ˈtɑ̂ːgɛ ɛˈɭǎnːdɛr] ; 13 June 1901 – 21 June 1985)

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1980-424: 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

2070-503: Is not an active member of NATO 's Partnership for Peace and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council . Sweden's engagement with NATO was especially strengthened during the term of Anders Fogh Rasmussen . Sweden's nonalignment policy has led it to serve as the protecting power for a number of nations who don't have formal diplomatic relations with each other for various reasons. It currently represents

2160-524: Is one of Moldova's top donors. From 1996, Sweden provided Moldova with technical assistance worth 30 million dollars, which significantly helped strengthen sectors such as: protection of human rights, democracy, good governance , public health , education, agriculture, energy, infrastructure, transport and the private sector. Much of the aid is delivered through the Swedish International Development Agency . In 2007,

2250-880: Is permanently closed after attacks by protesters over Quran Burning on the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad . Iraq severed ties with Sweden since July 2023, after Swedish authorities allowed a man to burn the Iraqi flag and the Quran in front of the Iraqi Embassy , Stockholm . Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1949. Israel has an embassy in Stockholm . Sweden has an embassy in Tel Aviv . Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1868 by signing

2340-441: 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 the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 1968). Erlander's mandate coincided with

2430-787: The French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars until the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine . In 2002, Sweden revised its security doctrine. The security doctrine at that point still stated that "Sweden pursues a policy of non-participation in military alliances," but permitted cooperation in response to threats against peace and security. The government also seeks to maintain Sweden's high standard of living . These two objectives required heavy expenditures for social welfare, defence spending at rates considered low by Western European standards (around 1.2% of GNP prior to 2022), and close attention to foreign trade opportunities and world economic cooperation. In 2024, Sweden formally became part of

2520-487: The Malmöhus County . In 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

2610-669: The NATO alliance. The public opinion in the Nordic region had changed in favour of joining NATO since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24 of the same year. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in March 2022 that her government would have to respond if Sweden became a NATO member. However, in June 2022 President Vladimir Putin contradicted the statement, claiming that Sweden and Finland can "join whatever they want" on

2700-647: The Security Council (1957–1958, 1975–1976, 1997–1998 and 2017–2018), providing Dag Hammarskjöld as the second elected Secretary-General of the UN , etc. The strong interest of the Swedish Government and people in international cooperation and peacemaking has been supplemented in the early 1980s by renewed attention to Nordic and European security questions. Sweden decided not to sign the Treaty on

2790-781: The Swedish-Japanese Treaty in 1868. Diplomatic relations were established in 1958. Sweden has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur , and Malaysia has an embassy in Stockholm. As of 2009, 90 Swedish companies are present in Malaysia and about 450 Swedish citizens live in Malaysia. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1957. The establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Sweden began on March 11, 1959. There are 3,000 Belarusian living in Sweden and above 1,000 Swedes living in Belarus. There

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2880-452: 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 the popular vote and seats in the lower chamber. Erlander resigned

2970-444: 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 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,

3060-500: The 1990s, the road was repainted from six lanes to eight lanes to increase the capacity. Essingeleden has on several occasions been included in plans to create a ring road around Stockholm . Southern Link opened in 2004 and the Northern Link opened 2015. No eastern link has been planned to date (August 2024). A new parallel motorway is under construction further west, " Förbifart Stockholm ". It will have several tunnels and

3150-671: The Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons . After the then Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson had submitted Sweden's application in July 1991 the negotiations began in February 1993. Finally, on January 1, 1995, Sweden became a member of the European Union . While some argued that it went against Sweden's historic policy of neutrality, where Sweden had not joined during the Cold War because it was seen as incompatible with neutrality, others viewed

3240-520: 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,

3330-539: The Social Democrat executive committee met, and the executive committee scheduled a full board party meeting for October 9, as did 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

3420-412: 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

3510-499: 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

3600-472: The Swedish Government established the 2007–2010 strategy of cooperation with Moldova, which sees 11 million euros in financial assistance annually for three important sectors: good governance, strengthening of com petitiveness in the rural area and reduction of vulnerability in the energy sector. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 13 January 1992. A Ukrainian information bureau

3690-923: The UN ambassadors from 22 nations, including Sweden, signed a joint letter to the UNHRC condemning China's mistreatment of the Uyghurs as well as its mistreatment of other minority groups, urging the Chinese government to close the Xinjiang internment camps . Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 September 1992. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 5 September 1897 when has been accredited first Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Persia to Sweden with residence in St. Peterbourg Mirza Reza Khan Ar Faed-Doouleh. The Swedish Embassy in Iraq

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3780-807: The United States, Canada, and several Western European nations in North Korea for consular matters. On several occasions when the United Kingdom broke off relations with Iran (including the 1979 Iranian Revolution , the Salman Rushdie affair , and the 2011 storming of the British embassy in Tehran), Sweden served as the protecting power for the UK. In May 2022, Sweden formally applied to join

3870-548: 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 the upper house for most of this time and this allowed Erlander to remain in power after

3960-423: 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

4050-463: 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

4140-475: 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 ,

4230-457: The condition that there will be no NATO military deployment in either country. Sweden has employed its military on numerous occasions since the end of the Cold War, from Bosnia and Congo to Afghanistan and Libya. According to one study, "this military activism is driven both by the Swedish internationalist tradition of "doing good" in the world, but also for instrumental purposes. These include

4320-483: The country could stay out of wars since 1814. Swedish governments have not defined nonalignment as precluding outspoken positions in international affairs. Government leaders have favored national liberation movements that enjoy broad support among developing world countries, with notable attention to Africa. During the Cold War , Sweden was suspicious of the superpowers, which it saw as making decisions affecting small countries without always consulting those countries. With

4410-458: 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

4500-704: The embassy in Skopje , North Macedonia . On March 8, 2008, the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt became the first foreign minister to officially visit Kosovo since it declared its independence. Sweden currently has 243 troops serving in Kosovo as peacekeepers in the NATO led Kosovo Force . Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 August 1991. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 28 August 1991. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 12 June 1992. Sweden

4590-631: The end of the Cold War, that suspicion has lessened somewhat, although Sweden still chooses to remain nonaligned. Sweden has devoted particular attention to issues of disarmament, arms control, and nuclear nonproliferation and has contributed importantly to UN and other international peacekeeping efforts, including the NATO-led peacekeeping forces in the Balkans. It sat as an observer in the Western European Union from 1995 to 2011, but it

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4680-465: 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

4770-416: 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 the most popular leaders in the world by the end of the 1960s, and one of

4860-642: 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 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

4950-431: 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

5040-441: 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

5130-503: 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

5220-458: The move as a natural extension of the economic cooperation that had been going on since 1972 with the EU. Sweden addressed this controversy by reserving the right not to participate in any future EU defence alliance. In membership negotiations in 1993–1994, Sweden also had reserved the right to make the final decision on whether to join the third stage of the EMU "in light of continued developments." In

5310-402: The next decade. In 1963, 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

5400-403: 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

5490-451: The only party to increase their percentage from 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

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5580-471: 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

5670-487: 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

5760-448: 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 a growing public sector, although stopping short of raising tax levels above

5850-412: 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

5940-413: The project, which was often seen as a way to bring Sweden in line with the driving standards of most of Europe. Swedish foreign policy The foreign policy of Sweden was formerly based on the premise that national security is best served by staying free of alliances in peacetime in order to remain a neutral country in the event of war, with this policy lasting from 1814 in the context of

6030-422: The promotion and protection of human rights. In addition, there are more than 300,000 Canadians of Swedish descent . Both countries established diplomatic relations on 16 June 1975. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 11 February 1938. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 29 April 1818. Sweden and the United States have had strong ties since the 18th century. In July 2019,

6120-512: The referendum, many Swedes indicated that they were unhappy with Sweden's membership in the EU. However, after Sweden successfully hosted its first presidency of the EU in the first half of 2001, most Swedes today have a more positive attitude towards the EU. The government, with the support of the Center Party , decided in spring 1997 to remain outside of the EMU, at least until 2002. A referendum

6210-457: The role, but he eventually grew accustomed to it, despite not holding 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

6300-520: 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 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

6390-599: 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

6480-412: 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

6570-465: 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

6660-465: The two countries started on December 28, 1945. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 18 July 1946. Ireland has an embassy in Stockholm. Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 December 1859 when the first interim Chargé d'Affaires, Giov. Antonio Migliorati, was appointed. Sweden recognized Kosovo on March 4, 2008. Liaison Office of Sweden in Pristina , subordinated to

6750-492: 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

6840-459: 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

6930-558: 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 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

7020-517: 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 ,

7110-554: 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

7200-473: 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

7290-505: 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

7380-419: 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

7470-530: Was held on September 14, 2003. The results were 55.9% for no , 42.0% yes and 2.1% giving no answer ("blank vote"). Swedish foreign policy has been the result of a wide consensus. Sweden cooperates closely with its Nordic neighbors, formally in economic and social matters through the Nordic Council of Ministers and informally in political matters through direct consultation. Swedish neutrality and nonalignment policy in peacetime may partly explain how

7560-623: 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

7650-520: 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

7740-702: 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

7830-444: 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 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

7920-632: Was under Swedish occupation between 1561 and 1721. Sweden re-recognized Estonia on August 27, 1991. Finnish–Swedish relations have a long history (Sweden and Finland were the same country for several hundred years), due to the close relationship between Finland and Sweden. Particularly in Finland, the issue emerges in frequent exposés of Finnish history , and in motives for governmental proposals and actions as reported in Finnish news broadcasts in English or other foreign languages. In Sweden, this relationship

8010-487: 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

8100-410: Was visited by Austro-Swedish nuclear physicist Lise Meitner , to discuss Sweden investing in nuclear physics and technology following 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

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