Tage Erlander

Tage Erlander
Tage Fritjof Erlander (13 June 1901 – 21 June 1985) was a Swedish politician and statesman who served as the 25th 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 parliament 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. Ideologically a socialist, his uninterrupted tenure of 23 years as head of the government is longest ever in Sweden and in any democracy.
Born to a poor family in Ransäter, Erlander later studied at Lund University. He became active in local politics in 1930, and in 1932 became 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 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 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 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 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 speak on political matters and published his memoirs. He died in 1985, less than a year before Palme's assassination. He was considered one of 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.
Early life and education
Tage Fritjof Erlander was born in Ransäter, Värmland County on June 13, 1901, on the top floor of the house today known as . His parents were Alma Erlander (née Nilsson) and Erik Gustaf Erlander. Erik Gustaf was a teacher and cantor. and he married Alma Nilsson in 1893. According to Erlander, his father was very religious, supportive of universal suffrage, pro-free market, anti-trade union, and a liberal. Erlander had an older brother, Janne Gustaf Erlander (born 1893), an older sister, Anna Erlander (born 1894), and 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.
The Erlander family was initially poor, although Erik Gustaf was able to make money through his teaching job, his role in the church, selling homemade furniture, and exporting lingonberries to Germany. As 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.
In September 1920, his father enrolled him at Lund University rather than Uppsala University, as he felt Lund 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 the 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 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. He graduated 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 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, was born on May 25, 1934, in Halmstad, and their second son, Bo Gunnar Erlander, was born in Lund on May 16, 1937.
Early political career
Local politics
Erlander joined the Swedish Social Democratic Party in 1928, and was elected to the municipal council in Lund in 1930, becoming involved in improving poor city housing, lowering unemployment, and installing a new bathhouse.
He became a member of the Riksdag (parliament) in 1932, and was appointed a state secretary at the Ministry of Social Affairs in 1938. After Erlander became a state secretary, he and Aina, with their children, moved to Stockholm. In 1941, Sweden's Population Commission was created under Erlander's leadership, which 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 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.
In 1942, State Secretary Erlander together with then Minister for Social Affairs Gustav Möller initiated a nationwide census of the Swedish Travelers, a branch of the Romani people.
Cabinet positions
Erlander ascended to Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson's third cabinet in 1944 as a minister without Portfolio, a post he held until the next year. In the summer of 1945, as part of Hansson's fourth 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 the office very long.
Influenced by his experiences at Lund University, he proposed larger investments in research and higher education. On October 29, 1945, Erlander 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.
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 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 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.
Death of Per Albin Hansson and selection as prime minister
Prime Minister Hansson suddenly died on October 6, 1946, and Östen Undén served as interim prime minister until October 11. 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 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 chairman of the party. 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 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.
Prime Minister of Sweden (1946-1969)
Ascension
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. In total, Erlander inherited 14 ministers from Hansson.
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 was ideologically a republican.
Administration
Until 1951, Erlander's first cabinet was similar to Hansson's last. Some new politicians ascended to the cabinet, including Minister of Supply Karin Kock, the first woman in Sweden to hold a ministerial position, as well as the first minister Erlander nominated after he became prime minister. Kock was suggested by Riksdag member Ulla Wohlin, who would serve in Erlander's third cabinet as Sweden's third female cabinet minister. Nine of the ten cabinet ministries Erlander inherited from Hansson's cabinet existed by the end of Erlander's premiership, while the position of Minister of Supply was abolished in 1950. Three additional ministries were created, with Erlander's third cabinet having twelve ministries by 1968. 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.
In total, Erlander had three cabinets. Altogether, 57 people served in Erlander's combined cabinets, and barely a year went by without at least one resignation and one ascension.
In August 1953, Erlander hired Olof Palme to serve as his personal secretary. In 1963, he ascended to 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, future Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson, and Palme II Cabinet member Bengt K. Å. Johansson. In the 1960s, Erlander began to call his group of young aides "the boys".
October 1946-September 1948
In 1947, a tax reform was carried out that reduced income taxes in low-income brackets, introduced an inheritance tax, and raised the marginal tax rate for higher tax brackets. Also in 1947, a special law was passed “setting up principles governing the construction and operation of homes for the aged.”
Election of 1948
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. Despite these 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 Liberal People's Party was becoming a major opposition party their new leader, Bertil Ohlin. The Liberals came in second with 22.8% of the vote, one of their largest victories.
September 1948-September 1952
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. Gustaf is reported to have affectionately called Erlander "that Erlandsson" upon learning that Erlander would become Sweden's next prime minister. In 1950, upon 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 1951, Erlander formed a coalition with the Farmers' League He added four Farmers League members to his second cabinet in 1951. His working relationship with the party's leader, Gunnar Hedlund (Minister for Home Affairs in the coalition government), is known to have been good. The voter bases of both parties are also considered to have been similar. Erlander and Hedlund also realized that, although they disagreed on some issues, they shared a common desire to outmaneuver the Liberals and the Moderates.
Election of 1952
In the 1952 general election, the Social Democrats won 46%, a slight decrease from the previous election. The Liberals gained 24.4%, to date their largest percentage of votes in any election.
September 1952-September 1956
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, although the voter turnout of 52.9 percent was considered low. Despite the general lack of support, efforts continued well into the next decade.
Election of 1956
In the 1956 general election, the party won 44.58%, a larger decrease than the previous one. Erlander at one point stated that the setback was due to, among other things, "Christian anti-socialist agitation."
September 1956-September 1958
In 1957, the Social Democratic-Centrist coalition dissolved.
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 was defeated in a vote of 117 against to 111 for. Following this loss, Erlander asked the king to temporarily dissolve the Riksdag.
Election of 1958
In the 1958 by-election, the party won 46.2%, an increase from the 1956 election.
September 1958-September 1960
In 1959, Erlander's government proposed raising the previously lowed income taxes, partially to provide funding for recent welfare programs. Conservstive parties opposed the proposal, and the Communist Party abstained from voting in the Second Chamber, allowing the proposal to go into law.
Election of 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.
September 1960-September 1964
In 1962, Sweden joined the G10, being one of ten countries that agreed to provide an additional $6 billion each in funding to the International Monetary Fund.
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."
In 1964, Erlander's gorvernment proposed a new budget that would begin on July 1 of that year. The total budget would be $4.858 billion (in 1964), an increase from the previous budget by $475 million. The expected deficit was $180 million, and to prevent it from increasing, Erlander's government proposed ending deductions of old-age pension fees from taxable income. About half the budget was expected to be spent on welfare-related benefits and programs.
Wennerström scandal
On June 20, 1963, Col. Stig Wennerström 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 now-Foreign Minister Östen Undén. Erlander, however, had not known about 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 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 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 a question of confidence in his entire cabinet, and that it was "a tragedy" that Wennerström's arrest and trial has become a political issue.
Meanwhile, also in 1964, Wennerström was found guilty on three counts of gross espionage, stripped of his rank, ordered to pay the government $98,000 of the $200,000 he was paid by the Soviet government, and sentenced to life imprisonment, although would be eligible for parole in ten years (he was pardoned and released in 1974). The entire arrest, trial, investigation, and scandal took up much of Erlander's energy for almost a year.
Election of 1964
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 Communist 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 the previous election.
September 1964-September 1968
Traffic change
Following the 1963 Riksdag vote to switch Sweden to right-handed traffic, the project began to go underway. Olof Palme, now Minister for Communications (Transport), oversaw the project, which was often seen as a way to bring Sweden in line with the driving standards of most of Europe.
Debates were held over the proposed change, with pro-switch politicians arguing the change would reduce the number of traffic accidents. A massive advertising campaign was carried out to shift public opinion. On September 3, 1967, an event known as Dagen H, Sweden began the drastic change, with an estimated 360,000 street signs needing to be changed overnight. The final cost was expected to exceed 800 million Swedish krona. Initially the number of accidents went down, but the number reached pre-1967 levels by 1969.
Unicameral Riksdag
In 1954, Erlander met Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill, and the two discussed different electoral systems. Churchill was surprised to learn that Sweden did not have a system of majority voting in single-member constituencies. Erlander explained the reason was because that system would benefit the Social Democrats. Churchill replied, "A statesman must not hesitate to do the right thing, even if it benefits his own party."
In March 1967, Sweden's political parties finally agreed to replace the bicameral Riksdag with a unicameral chamber that would be directly elected. The Första kammaren ("First chamber" or upper house) voted to abolish itself on May 17 1968, 117 for and 13 against. The Riksdag would fully become bicameral in 1971, after Erlander had retired from the premiership.
Election of 1968
In the 1968 general election, Erlander's final election as prime minister, his party won 50.1%, the Social Democrats' largest victory under his leadership. Voter turnout was a record-breaking 88.7 percent. This would be the last bicameral election in Sweden.
Domestic politics
During World War II, Bertil Ohlin opposed various social policy proposals of the Hansson government, but during Erlander's government he generally came to support many of 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 was "evasive, ungenerous, uncertain, quick to take offense, and a somewhat unfair debater."
Erlander had a good relationship with Jarl Hjalmarson, leader of the Right Party, although Erlander viewed him as a "political lightweight."
Despite disagreements between parties, particularly the Liberals and Right supporting lower taxes, Sweden's major political parties began to increasingly agree on the goal of developing Sweden as a welfare state.
Economic policy
On average, during Erlander's premiership, Sweden's GNP increased roughly 2.5% a year. It rose 5% in 1963 and 6% in 1964.
Social policy
Under Erlander, the central pillars of the Swedish welfare state were enacted between 1946 and 1947, a period known as the Social Democratic "Harvest Time." In 1946 and 1947, three major reforms were enacted that introduced a basic pension, general child allowances and sickness cash benefits. The National Housing Board was set up as the central authority providing subsidized loans and rent controls, while the National Labor Market Board was established to coordinate the nationalized local employment offices and supervise the union-controlled but state-subsidized unemployment insurance funds. From 1946 onwards, an extensive system of scholarships and fellowships was provided for higher education, along with free lunches, school books and writng materials for all primary and elementary school children.
In 1948, a general child allowance was made payable to all persons in Sweden with at least one child under the age of 16. In 1947, housing allowances for families with children were introduced. In 1954, housing allowances were introduced for pensioners. In 1960, the income-test for the children's pension was abolished. In 1950, a ten-year experimental period was established to build up a nine-year compulsory comprehensive school to replace the old parallel system. A law of 1955 provided state subsidies for municipally organized vocational schools, while a law of 1958 provided state subsidies for adult education centers. In 1962, a final decision was made on nine-year comprehensive school; implemented over a ten-year period. A law of 1964 revised upper secondary school; introduced special preparatory vocational school to complement the high school (gymnasium). A law of 1964 expanded higher education; new decentralized universities and colleges. A law of 1967 instituted municipal adult education. In 1955, medical insurance that provided earnings-related benefits was introduced, and the following year the Social Democrats sponsored a law on "social help" which further extended social services. A maternity allowance was introduced in 1962 that provided a six-month period of paid leave to new mothers, and a reform of unemployment benefits in 1968 doubled the maximum duration of such benefits from 30 to 60 weeks. In addition, a number of laws concerning vacations, worker’s safety and working hours were introduced.
Erlander coined the phrase "the strong society", describing a society with a growing public sector taking care of the growing demand on many services that an affluent society creates. The public sector, particularly its welfare state institutions, grew considerably during his tenure as Prime Minister, while nationalizations were rare. In order to maintain employment for his vast electorate and Swedish sovereignty as a non-NATO member, the armed forces was greatly expanded, reaching an impressive level by the 1960s, while nuclear capability was ultimately dropped after outcries, not least from the Social Democratic Women's League.
Foreign Policy
Defense and nuclear weapons
The question of nuclear weapons as a means to deter a possible attack remained a divisive factor in Swedish society and among Social Democrats and prompted diplomatic agreements with the United States, guaranteeing intervention in the case of an invasion. Erlander was initially in favor of acquiring nuclear weapons as a means of defense, but received criticism for this position. Sweden signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 1968, dropping all pretenses of developing a nuclear weapon. However, some nuclear reactors were kept secret from IAEA until 1994, and small teams of theoretical physicists continued researching nuclear weapons after Erlander's premiership. Some international observers speculated that Erlander and future Swedish leaders maintained interest in a hypothetical nuclear system for defense, but did not take action to develop one. According to Erlander's memoirs, Swedish military chiefs believed in limited nuclear war, inspired by Henry Kissinger's advocation of the policy, as it was a "defense strategy that appeared to be made for a small state's defense".
Negotiations for a Scandinavian defense alliance began in 1948, but ended unsuccessfully in 1949, with each country, including Sweden, following separate security policies.
In 1961, Erlander and President John F. Kennedy advocated for the West to strengthen the United Nations and it's Secretary General, Swedish politician Dag Hammarskjöld.
NATO
In Erlander's 1952 United States tour, Erlander stated that Sweden would not join the recently established North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Erlander was generally considered a pro-Western leader despite this, and wrote that America was doing Europe a great service by allowing itself to increase their arms for defense against the Soviet Union.
United States and Vietnam
In 1952, as part of his U.S. tour, Erlander visited United States President Harry S. Truman, which was the first time a Swedish Prime Minister and a U.S. President met. Erlander would later meet Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson.
In 1958, Sweden recognized South Vietnam. They established diplomatic relations in Saigon in 1960, but did not establish an official ambassador there.
In the 1960s, Erlander and the Swedish government became critical of the Vietnam War. Despite Erlander's personal opposition to the war and the uneasy nature of U.S.-Sweden relations at that point, William Womack Heath, the U.S. ambassador to Sweden during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration, found Erlander to be "completely pro-American" from 1967 until early 1968.
On February 21, 1968, Olof Palme participated in a torchlight parade through Stockholm with North Vietnam's ambassador to Moscow, Nguyễn Thọ Chân, to protest the Vietnam War, an event which soured Swedish relations with the United States and stirred controversy worldwide, and led to Heath being recalled for "consultations", with no immediate successor appointed.
Conservative Party leader Yngve Holmberg called for Palme's resignation from the cabinet, but the demand was not met. By March 1968, Sweden had accepted 79 draft-dodgers from the United States, and Erlander, soon followed by opposition party leaders, publicly stated his opposition to the Vietnam War.
Soviet Union
In June 1952, during the Korean War, the Soviet Union shot down two Swedish military aircraft, an event known as the Catalina affair. Erlander and Gunnar Hedlund planned a visit the Soviet Union in 1956 to ease tensions. This would be the first time a Swedish prime minister visited the Soviet Union. Erlander was, however, willing to cancel the trip should the Soviet government have refused to accept the information the Swedish government had collected on Raoul Wallenberg. Wallenberg was a Swedish businessman and humanitarian who had served as Sweden's special envoy in Budapest. Wallenberg disappeared during the Siege of Budapest after he was arrested by Soviet forces in 1945. Since 1952, the Swedish government had demanded Wallenberg'a return, but the Soviet Union insisted it was unfamiliar with him. In the visit, which occurred as expected, Erlander questioned Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev about Wallenberg's status, and presented Khrushchev with a large file of evidence that showed the Soviet Union's connection to Wallenberg's disappearance. Khrushchev examined the evidence, and stated that Swedish-Soviet relations would be positive as long as the Wallenberg affair was dropped. The Soviet Union's documents stated that Wallenberg died in a cell in 1947 of a heart attack, but Erlander, the Swedish government, and international observers were skeptical. Wallenberg biographer Ingrid Carlberg noted that further Soviet documents were declassified after the fall of the Soviet Union about Wallenberg existed that Khrushchev denied, and that on his official Soviet prison card Wallenberg's fingerprints were not taken and the crime he was arrested for was not specified.
In 1964, while receiving Khrushchev at Harpsund, Erlander took Khrushchev and his interpreter in an eka rowing boat called the Harpsundseka across the 300-yard lake nearby. It has since become tradition for Swedish prime ministers and foreign heads of state to row across the lake in the Harpsundseka when they visit Harpsund. In that same visit, Erlander was once again unable to get information out of Khrushchev relating to Raoul Wallenberg. Khrushchev continued denying that Wallenberg was in the Soviet Union, and Erlander and the government expressed "deep disappointment" over the lack of development in the case. There were anti-Khrushchev protests in Sweden from Soviet exiles upon his visit, and the Swedish press criticized him as a liar relating to his discussions over Wallenberg and the stringent security (3000 police officers upon his arrival) around him. Both Khrushchev and Erlander ultimately stated they were pleased with the visit, and Khrushchev left for Norway on June 27 as part of his Scandinavian goodwill tour. Khrushchev did not mention the Wallenberg controversy or the negative press he received in his farewell address. After visiting the Soviet Union in 1965, Erlander stated that the case had to be closed.
In 1968, Erlander, the Social Democrats, and all opposition parties condemned the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia.
South Africa
In the 1960s, after Erlander finished giving a speech to students at Lund University, South African Lund student and anti-apartheid activist Billy Modise personally asked Erlander to impose sanctions on South Africa in response to apartheid. Erlander stated that he did not have the power to do so, but advised Modise to publicly lobby for the policy. Olof Palme was also an advocate for sanctions against South Africa, and became more outspoken on his opposition to aparthied after he joined Erlander's cabinet in 1963.
The Swedish South Africa Committee was created in 1961. In 1963, the National Council of Swedish Youth launched a boycott against South African goods.
Swedish donations to the International Defence and Aid Fund for Southern Africa (IDAF) increased around 140,000 SEK. The number continued to go up when, in 1964, Sweden became the first industrialized Western country to donate public funds to the IDAF, the equivalent of $100,000. In the end, Sweden was the largest donar by far.
Israel
In 1947, Sweden voted in favor of the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine. In 1948, Sweden recognized Israel. Sweden established an embassy in Israel in 1951.
In 1962, Erlander became the first Swedish prime minister to visit Israel. During his visit, Erlander was famously photographed swimming in the Dead Sea. He spoke to Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. According to Erlander, no specific policies were discussed, although he stated he hoped the visit would strengthen Israeli-Swedish relations. Erlander stated that he was "fascinated" by the country, and he invited Premier Ben-Gurion to visit Sweden. Ben-Guiron visited Sweden later that year.
Popularity and public image
Erlander was initially somewhat controversial, paritially because he was not considered an obvious successor to Per Albin Hansson. When he became prime minister and during the early years of his premiership, many Swedes barely knew who he was, and he was often seen as being in Hansson's shadow politically. He was initially both praised and criticized for having been a university graduate. Criticis believed he had not risen as far as Hansson, and he had not been a traditional worker. Liberal newspapers were optimistic, as Erlander had more education and administrative experience than Hansson, which was seen as beneficial to the party. His youth also won him both praise and concern. He was seen as a figure whose youth and stronger left-leaning ideals could bring new energy to the party. However, as he was younger than several members in his cabinet, it was feared that he would be unable to maintain party unity.
Despite initial fears about party instability, throughout his premiership, Erlander became increasingly known as a unifying figure within his party, as he came to be viewed as a centrist who would sometimes utilized both left-leaning and right leaning policies, although overall the party moved more towards the left. Erlander's nationwide support during his premiership was at its strongest in the 1960s. While making radio broadcasts, he was criticized for his "unpleasant" voice. His popularity increased as television began to play an important role in Swedish politics, as Erlander's amiable and humorous personality was more apparent. Historian Dick Harrison cites a 1962 appearance on Lennart Hyland's popular talk show Hylands hörna where Erlander told a humorous story about a priest as the beginning of his growing popularity among the Swedish public. Also attributed to his rise in popularity was an increased emphasis on his poverty-ridden childhood and less emphasis was placed on his time at university, improving his image as a "man of the people".
Erlander's debating style was controversial, and was criticized by many, including writer . During debates, Erlander was often known to change between serious and comical tones, and those he debated were often frustrated as they could not keep pace with him.
In 1967, standard public opinion polls began in Sweden. In February, 65 percent of Social Democrats approved of his party leadership, 25 percent were unsure, and 10 percent thought his leadership was poor. In November of that same year, his approval ratings had reached 77 percent, and reached 84 percent in May 1968. After the 1968 general election, his approval within the party was 95 percent. In 1969, 54% of the general population polled showed approval of him as prime minister, while 80% approved of his leadership of the Social Democratic Party.
Erlander garnered a number of nicknames during his tenure as prime minister. He became known as "Sweden's longest Prime Minister" referring to both his physical stature – – and his record tenure of 23 years (the Swedish word meaning both 'long' and 'tall'). By the 1960s, he become generally affectionately referred to as "Tage" (as opposed to Erlander, Mr. Erlander, Prime Minister Erlander, etc.) within the Social Democratic Party, similar to how Per Albin Hansson had become known more as "Per Albin".
Resignation and succession
Resigning at 68 in 1969, with an absolute majority for the Social Democrats in the second chamber since 1968, Erlander was succeeded by 42-year-old Olof Palme, who, although more radical and more controversial, had in many ways been Erlander's student and protégé, and was endorsed by Erlander. Palme was later asked when Erlander first hinted to him that he wanted him as his successor. Palme stated, "It never happened." Prior to the announcement of Palme, President of Finland Urho Kekkonen asked Erlander who his successor would be, and Erlander did not give a concrete answer. Kekkonen then asked if it would be Palme, to which Erlander responded, "Never, he is far too intelligent for a Prime Minister".
Personal life
Family & living situation
He met his future wife Aina Andersson while they were both students at Lund University. They married in 1930. Their marriage has been described as "deeply harmonious" and "full of mutual trust", and Erlander's family life as "remarkably happy". Their son Sven was a mathematician who published much of the content of his father's diaries from 2001 on. Erlander's mother, Alma, died in 1961, at age 92, during her son's premiership.
Through one Erlander's Finnish ancestors, Simon Larsson (née Kauttoinen) (c.1605-1696), he is a distant relative of Stefan Löfven, the Social Democratic Prime Minister of Sweden from 2014 to 2021.
gave Harpsund to the Swedish government as a country retreat for prime ministers in 1953. Erlander starting using it as a vacation home that year, and all prime ministers since have continued this practice. Erlander and his wife often spent Christmases, Easters, weekends, and summers at vacationing at Harpsund. For most of his career, the Erlander family lived in an apartment in Bromma, Stockholm, until the summer of 1964, when they moved to an apartment in a high-rise complex in Stockholm's Gamla stan (Old Town) district. Earlier in his career, Erlander traveled via subway to and from work rather than use a car, although eventually he and Aina bought one. After getting the car, Aina would usually drive him to work, as he did not have a driver's license, dropping him off and then driving to the school where she worked. When Aina was unable to take him, neighbors in Bromma usually offered him rides. Erlander did not have an official car to travel in, and visiting foreign heads of state were often surprised to see that he usually arrived at events alone.
Personality, interests, & habits
Erlander was known to be a dedicated diarist, often writing daily entries, with his diaries serving as key sources for his memoirs. Erlander wrote on a variety of subjects, and initially wrote to help him remember things related to his work, such as occurrences, arguments, and decisions, going into greater detail on matters he though were controversial. He also wrote about matters including his family, his health at the time, plays he saw and books he read, and his impressions of other people. Erlander would later frequently note that his diaries contained many exaggations. Upon the publication of the diaries, commentators have noted some instances of crass language and slurs, such as "negro," "gypsy," and "lapp" (the latter being a prejorative term for the Sámi people, see lapp (disambiguation)). Erlander also frequently criticized Bertín Ohlin, although he would occasionally complement him.
Erlander was often described as a "father-like figure" or "avuncular".
Erlander was an avid lover of literature and theatre, which often served as a source of recreation. Erlander's favorite novel was John Steinbeck's Cannery Row. Many contemporary Swedish writers were often surprised to learn that their prime minister had read their work.
During his premiership, Erlander often visited his former college Lund University, meeting the Värmland Student Association. At one of these meetings, Student Association members and proposed that Erlander should give annual speeches to Lund students, to which Erlander agreed. In total, he gave fourteen of these student addresses.
Political positions
Despite Erlander being familiar with the writings of Karl Marx and identifying as a socialist, he did not subscribe to full Marxism and did not support nationalization, instead believing in a strong public sector under well-regulated capitalism with social welfare programs. Based on his university studies, Erlander believed that Keynesian economics and Stockholm School economics were compatible with social democracy, and could be useful in ending economic slumps. Unlike many other left-leaning intellectuals, Erlander did not sympathize with the Soviet Union, and did not see it as a positive social experiment, although he did attempt to maintain positive Swedish-Soviet relations.
On the role of politicians, Erlander reportedly stated that, "A politician's job is to build the dance floor, so that everyone can dance as they please."
In 1965, in response to the racial riots in the United States and a controversial Swedish housing project, Erlander stated, "We Swedes live in an infinitely more fortunate situation. The population of our country is homogeneous, not only in regard to race, but also in many other aspects."
Erlander acknowledged the need for women to play a larger role in politics and hold cabinet positions. However, he had disputes or grievances with all the women who actually did serve in his cabinet.
Erlander admired the writings of Adlai Stevenson II, because Stevenson "expressed his views more deftly than he could himself".
Later life and death
After his resignation, Erlander and his wife lived in a house constructed at Bommersvik by the Social Democrats to honor him, and was owned by the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League. Erlander resigned from Parliament in 1973, a position he'd held for over forty years.
From 1972 to 1982, Erlander published his memoirs in six volumes. In the 1980s, Erlander allowed writer unlimited access to his diaries, which would serve as a source for Ruin's biography of Erlander.
Erlander died on 21 June 1985 in Stockholm at the age of 84 from pneumonia and heart failure. Erlander's coffin was covered with a socialist flag and blue and yellow flowers (the colors of the Swedish flag), and was carried through Stockholm. An estimated 45,000 Swedes lined the streets to pay respects to him. A large, secular ceremony was held in Stockholm, wherein Olof Palme delivered Erlander's eulogy. At the end of the service, the audience sang the socialist hymn "The Internationale". After the Stockholm ceremony, his funeral crossed the country and returned to his home town of Ransäter, Värmland, in a triumphant procession for the final rest. His wife, who died in 1990, is buried beside him.
Tributes & legacy
The building that served as Erlander's childhood home and schoolhouse in Ransäter is now a museum named centered around him and his life.
The Tage Erlander Prize, given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, is a prize for research in natural sciences, technology, and mathematics which is named after Erlander.
Awards
Erlander was a nominee for the 1971 Nobel Peace Prize, although he didn't win.
Erlander was awarded the Illis quorum in 1984.
In popular culture
In the 2013 comedy film The Hundred-Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, Erlander was portrayed by Swedish actor Johan Rheborg.
In the 2021 series , which depicted the Haijby scandal, Erlander was portrayed by Swedish actor Emil Almén.
In the 2022 Netflix series Clark, which depicted the life of Swedish criminal Clark Olofsson, Erlander was portrayed by Swedish actor Claes Malmberg.
Bibliography
Gallery
Notes
References
Citations
Sources
Further reading
In English
Ruin, Olof. "Three Swedish Prime Ministers: Tage Erlander, Olof Palme and Ingvar Carlsson." West European Politics 14.3 (1991): 58–82.
In Swedish
External links
1901 births
1985 deaths
People from Munkfors Municipality
Prime Ministers of Sweden
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Swedish Ministers of Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs
Leaders of the Swedish Social Democratic Party
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Swedish memoirists
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