Gunnar Hedlund
Gunnar Hedlund | |
|---|---|
Hedlund in 1966 | |
| Minister of the Interior | |
| In office 1 October 1951 – 31 October 1957 | |
| Prime Minister | Tage Erlander |
| Preceded by | Eije Mossberg |
| Succeeded by | Rune B. Johansson |
| Leader of the Centre Party | |
| In office 20 June 1949 – 21 June 1971 | |
| Preceded by | Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp |
| Succeeded by | Thorbjörn Fälldin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 October 1900 |
| Died | 26 November 1989 (aged 89) |
| Party | Centre Party |
Gunnar Hedlund (1 September 1900 – 26 November 1989) was a Swedish politician and jurist who served as Minister of the Interior from 1951 to 1957. From 1949 to 1971, he led the Centre Party (C), playing a crucial role in transforming the rural-focused interest group into a broader center-right party.[1]
Biography
Hedlund was born in Helgum, Sollefteå Municipality, Ångermanland.[2] In 1926, he became a member of the municipal council of Helgum, and became its chairman in 1930. He was very active in associations connected with silviculture. In 1938, he defended a dissertation at Uppsala University and became Juris Doctor.[3]
In 1942, he was elected to the Riksdag’s Second Chamber, representing Västernorrland as a member of The Farmers’ League, (Swedish: Bondeförbundet), later known as the Centre Party after 1957.[2] In 1948, long-time party leader Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and, as newly-elected vice party chairman, Hedlund became acting party leader before being formally elected chairman the following year.[4]
In 1951, the Centre Party entered into a coalition government with the Social Democrats, with Hedlund becoming Minister of the Interior, succeeding Eije Mossberg.[5]
The Social Democrats, led by Prime Minister Tage Erlander, wanted a new, compulsory contributory pension plan to be superimposed on the existing basic "people's pension". The Centre Party opposed this compulsory approach, favoring voluntary solutions or other alternatives, as the measure was highly controversial and created a deep divide between the coalition partners.
As the dispute over the pension reform escalated, continued cooperation in the government proved impossible. The Centre Party decided to leave the coalition, leading to a government crisis and the resignation of the cabinet in October 1957. The crisis eventually resulted in a snap election in 1958, which was largely dominated by the pension issue.[6]
The Centre Party grew steadily from 1958 and, in 1968, it became the second-largest party in Sweden.
In the 1970 general election, Hedlund was initially open to the idea of forming another coalition with the Social Democrats in order for them to stay in power. However, he became an opponent of Social Democratic leader and prime minister Olof Palme during the election campaign, and the coalition never happened.[7]
In 1971, Hedlund resigned as chairman and was succeeded by Thorbjörn Fälldin. Hedlund retained a seat in the Riksdag until 1976.
In retirement, he met for dinners and political talks with his former political rival, Liberal leader Bertil Ohlin.[8]
Awards and decorations
- Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star (23 November 1955)[9]
- Illis quorum (1984)[10]
References
- ^ "Gunnar Hedlund, Swedish Politician, 89". The New York Times. 29 November 1989. p. B 12. Retrieved 1 April 2022.
- ^ a b Giverholt, Helge (2021-03-22), "Gunnar Hedlund", Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian Bokmål), retrieved 2022-05-20
- ^ "LAGRÅDET". Svensk Juristtidning (in Swedish). Retrieved 2022-05-22.
- ^ "Gunnar Hedlund". Nationalencyklopedin. Retrieved 2022-05-22.
- ^ "Svensk regeringssamverkan mellan arbetare-bonder". Vestkusten (in Swedish). 4 October 1951. p. 4. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
- ^ Åsling, Nils G. (1999). Gunnar Hedlund, politikern och industrimannen (in Swedish). Stockholm: Ekerlids förlag. ISBN 9789188595454. OCLC 44446562.
- ^ Appelbom, Richard (2016-10-31). "23 år (!) vid makten fick räcka för Tage Erlander" (in Swedish). Fagersta-Posten. Retrieved 2024-03-14.
- ^ Findlay, Jonung & Lundahl 1999, p. 37
- ^ Sköldenberg, Bengt, ed. (1969). Sveriges statskalender. 1969 (PDF) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Fritzes offentliga publikationer. p. 151. SELIBR 3682754.
- ^ "Regeringens belöningsmedaljer och regeringens utmärkelse: Professors namn". Regeringskansliet (in Swedish). January 2006. Archived from the original on 2021-11-02. Retrieved 2022-05-18.
Bibliography
- Findlay, Roland; Jonung, Lars; Lundahl, Mats (1999). Bertil Ohlin: A Centennial Celebration (1899-1999). MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-2620-6-2282.