Tage Erlander

Tage Fritjof Erlander (; 13 June 1901 – 21 June 1985) was a Swedish politician and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Sweden and leader of the Social Democratic Party from 1946 to 1969. During his record-long premiership, Erlander was an architect of the "Swedish Model" and oversaw a major expansion of the welfare state (Folkhemmet), marked by social equality, economic growth, and the development of extensive public services. Referred to as "Sweden’s longest prime minister" for both his towering height and his unprecedented 23-year tenure as head of government, he was known for his moderation, pragmatism, self-ironic humour, and modesty.

Born into poverty in Ransäter, Erlander later studied at Lund University. He was elected to Lund's municipal council in 1930 and, in 1932, was elected as a Member of the Riksdag. Appointed as 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 and pragmatism, 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. For most of his time in office, the Social Democrats held a majority of seats in the upper house (Swedish: Första Kammaren), allowing Erlander to remain in power following 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 (Andra Kammaren). Erlander resigned the following year during a process of major constitutional reform, and was succeeded by his long-time protégé and friend Olof Palme. He continued to serve as a member of the Riksdag until he resigned in 1973. Afterwards, Erlander continued to speak on political matters and published his memoirs. He died in 1985. He was considered one of 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

thumb|left|[[:sv:Erlandergården|Erlandergården, Erlander's childhood home and schoolhouse, now a museum]]

Tage Fritjof Erlander was born in Ransäter, Värmland County on June 13, 1901, His parents were Alma Erlander (née Nilsson) and Erik Gustaf Erlander.

According to Erlander, his father 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.

thumb|right|Erlander in 1925, photographed by [[:sv:Per Bagge|Per Bagge]]

The Erlander family was initially poor, Beginning in autumn of 1923, Erlander read the writings of Karl Marx. 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 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. for Fyrstadskretsen, which he would represent until 1944. After Erlander became a state secretary, he and Aina, with their children, moved to Stockholm. He served as its chairman, 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, Erlander and Möller initiated a nationwide census of the Swedish Travelers, a branch of the Romani people.

In Hansson's government

Erlander ascended to Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson's World War II coalition cabinet in 1944 as a minister without portfolio, a post he held until the next year. Following the 1944 general election, he began representing the Malmöhus County. 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. In 1946, Möller introduced a new pension proposal, a uniform one which would lift all pensioners above the poverty line, which Erlander and Minister for Finance Ernst Wigforss opposed, but it passed in the Riksdag.

At the 1945 Social Democratic party conference, Per Nyström presented a motion to update Swedish schooling. The conference was split on how much schooling should be mandatory, with some arguing it should only extend to elementary school. Despite 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.

Succeeding Hansson

thumb|right|188px|The death of [[Per Albin Hansson unexpectedly led to the selection of Erlander as prime minister]]

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 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 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, 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.

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 and 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 the party.

First cabinet

thumb|left|Erlander with [[Karin Kock (left) in 1947]]

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 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. 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,

Weijne died in office in 1951, and Erlander appointed Hildur Nygren to succeed him, making her the second woman in Sweden to become a cabinet minister.

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. The Liberal People's Party was becoming a major opposition party with their new leader, Bertil Ohlin. During the World War II coalition government, Ohlin had served as Hansson's minister of commerce, 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. 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." Their political rivalry is considered one of the most notable in modern Swedish history. 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 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. Also previously known as the Agrarian Union or Agrarian Party. They declined, but this had no impact on Erlander's ability to form a government on time, as the talks were public but informal.

Coalition government: 1951–1957

Socialist–Centrist cabinet

thumb|right|170px|[[Centre Party (Sweden)|Centrist leader Gunnar Hedlund, Minister for Home Affairs in the coalition government.]]

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. Under the coalition, Hedlund became minister for home affairs. The Centrists obtained 10.7%, which was also a decrease for them. Gustaf, aged 88 upon Erlander's ascension to the premiership, was not very politically active. 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". One of the only copies that got out was read by Erlander. He reportedly believed the allegations. According to journalist , Erlander later told her of how he was tormented for decades by the "Haijbyskiten" ().

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." Their coalition partners, the Centrists, garnered 9.45%.

Pension referendum and coalition collapse

160px|thumb|right|Balots from the 1957 pension referendum

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 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%. with the Centre Party withdrawing on October 24. Following this, the king facilitated inter-party dialogue, specifically asking about 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 a coalition, and the plans failed. On October 29, Erlander was asked to form a minority government, to which he agreed.

Final government: 1957–1969

Third cabinet and "the boys"

thumb|right|Erlander (left) in 1968, with three of "the boys": [[Olof Palme (far left), Sten Andersson (right), and Ingvar Carlsson (far right).]]

On October 31, 1957, Erlander's all-Social Democratic government was sworn in. Three additional ministries were created, with Erlander's final cabinet having twelve ministries by 1968. 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, Ingvar Carlsson, and Bengt K. Å. Johansson. In the 1960s, Erlander began to call his group of young aides "the boys". Erlander frequently consulted the boys on speeches he planned to make, although according to , he was rarely satisfied with the speeches they wrote.

Election of 1958 and ATP

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 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.

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. 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, 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 became a political issue. The entire arrest, trial, investigation, and scandal took up much of Erlander's energy for almost a year.

Election of 1964

thumb|right|Erlander and Aina with their ballot papers during the 1964 election

In the 1964 general election, the Social Democrats won 47.27% of the vote, a slight decrease overall from 1960, but the party now obtained a majority in the second chamber. The Social Democratic campaign slogan was, "You never had it so good". The Left Party made larger gains that year, as they won 3 new seats in the second chamber (in addition to the 5 they previously won) and were the only party to increase their percentage from the previous election.

Traffic change

In a 1955 referendum, a proposal was put forward to switch Sweden from left-handed driving to right-handed driving. The referendum results overwhelmingly rejecting the proposal, with 82.9 percent of voters voting no to the switch and only 15.5% in support, although the voter turnout was considered low. Despite the general lack of support, efforts continued well into the next decade. In 1963, 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." 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. The final cost was expected to exceed 800 million Swedish krona.

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 unicameral in 1971, after Erlander had retired from the premiership. In 1967, Erlander invited Gamlin to Harpsund. However, when discussions did not go the way he hoped they would, Gamlin stole the plug from Erlander's boat, . and he was often seen as being in Hansson's shadow politically during the early years of his premiership. 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. 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. 192 centimeters technically falls between the two inches, and other figures of the same height, such as Lyndon B. Johnson, are often cited as 6 feet 3 1/2 inches. This article uses 6 feet 4 inches for consistency with sources. – and his record tenure of 23 years (the Swedish word meaning both 'long' and 'tall'). Political cartoons often mocked Erlander by exaggerating his height. at 68, 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, 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".

Domestic policy

Million programme

thumb|right|A housing complex in [[Rosengård created as part of the Million Programme]]

Following World War II, Sweden increasingly developed a housing shortage in larger cities. In response, at the 1964 Social Democratic Party conference, the party adopted the Million Programme, a plan to build one million homes in the span of ten years. The proposal successfully passed through the Riksdag in 1965.

In 1966, during the early period of the project, during a debate he was asked what a young couple should do if they wanted to buy an apartment and start a family in Stockholm. Erlander answered, "stand in the housing queue." It was intended as an honest answer, with more recent evidence indicating that creating uniformity and separating this housing from more high-quality housing was part of the plan. Critics also argued that the new housing was somewhat ugly

In 1959, Erlander's government proposed raising the previously lowed income taxes, partially to provide funding for recent welfare programs. Conservative parties opposed the proposal, and the Left Party abstained from voting in the Second Chamber, allowing the proposal to go into law.

On average, during Erlander's premiership, Sweden's GNP increased roughly 2.5% a year. It rose 5% in 1963 and 6% in 1964. along with free lunches, school books and writing materials for all primary and elementary school children. In 1947, housing allowances for families with children were introduced, and later for pensioners in 1954. In 1956, the Social Democrats sponsored a law on "social help" which further extended social services. 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.

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. Following a 1954 report by Supreme Commander Nils Swedlund, who advocated for Sweden acquiring nuclear weapons to maintain neutrality, Erlander sought to avoid public debate on the issue so his party could develop a unified position and then collaborate with the opposition. However, the Social Democrats became split on the issue while the Moderates publicly pushed for nuclear weapons. The largest opposition within Erlander's party came from the Social Democrat Women's Organization (SSKF).

The first government meeting on the issue occurred in November 1955, and the Social Democratic Party held a discussion in February 1956. Erlander had his anti-nuclear foreign minister Östen Undén discuss ongoing UN nuclear disarmament talks. Erlander also proposed delaying the decision until 1958, because, according to him, the government lacked sufficient knowledge about the technical prerequisites to have nuclear weapons, and that he did not want to complicate the disarmament talks by producing nuclear weapons at that time. After Undén's presentation, SSKF chair Inga Thorsson declared that her organization publicly opposed nuclear weapons, but the board ultimately followed Erlander's proposed postponement.

During a March 1959 debate in the Riksdag, Erlander implied that he did not want to add to the "limited number of countries" with atomic weapons, pending the results of a nuclear summit. 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.

Foreign policy

Cold War neutrality and international alliances

Under Erlander, Sweden had to navigate the challenges of the Cold War. Sweden did not officially side with either the United States or the Soviet Union, although Sweden's official position has been described as a "non-alliance", rather than "neutral", and Erlander once stated that Sweden shared an "ideological affinity with the Western democracies." Sweden's firm stance on neutrality was supported by Erlander and his foreign minister Undén, who were seen as the two leading figures of the Social Democratic Party.

Erlander represented Sweden at the funerals of several foreign heads of state, such as those of United States President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer in 1967.

Negotiations for a Scandinavian defence union began in 1948, with Erlander and Danish Prime Minister Hans Hedtoft being its strongest proponents. The proposal fell apart and was shelved in January 1949 due to Norwegian resistance and the country's acceptance of membership in NATO, with Denmark and Iceland following suit. In Erlander's 1952 United States tour, he stated that Sweden would not join 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.

In 1961, Erlander and President John F. Kennedy advocated for the West to strengthen the United Nations and its Secretary General, Swedish politician Dag Hammarskjöld. Erlander was a strong supporter of the proposed Nordic economic community Nordek, and held meetings on the subject with Finnish President Urho Kekkonen and Prime Minister Mauno Koivisto in 1969.

United States and Vietnam War

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.

thumb|right|[[Olof Palme (second from left) marching against the Vietnam War with the North Vietnamese ambassador Nguyễn Thọ Chân (left) in Stockholm, on February 21, 1968. This event was controversial domestically and abroad, and fractured Sweden-U.S. relations.

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, and led to Heath being recalled for "consultations", with no immediate successor appointed. Moderate 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 and Warsaw Pact

In 1950, Erlander condemned the aggression of North Korea that began the Korean War, deeming it, "a deed of violence calculated to imperil world peace". Sweden then dispatched a field hospital in South Korea. In June 1952, during the war, the Soviet Union shot down two Swedish military aircraft, an event known as the Catalina affair. However, Erlander was willing to cancel the trip should the Soviet government have refused to accept the information the Swedish government had collected on Raoul Wallenberg, a businessman and humanitarian who had served as Sweden's special envoy in Budapest. Wallenberg disappeared during the Siege of Budapest after his arrest by Soviet forces in 1945. Since 1952, the Swedish government had demanded Wallenberg's return, but the Soviet Union insisted it was unfamiliar with him. During 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. 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

In 1968, tensions rose between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union due to the former's implementation of political reforms. The Swedish public expected their government to support Czechoslovakia given its opposition to the Vietnam War, but the government wished to maintain neutrality. In July, Soviet politician Alexei Kosygin visited Stockholm, which caused the Liberal leader Sven Wedén to give a speech rebuking Erlander's perceived neglect of Czechoslovak self-determination. In response, Erlander and Foreign Minister Torsten Nilsson cited as a reason for their caution a secret report by Agda Rössel, the ambassador in Belgrade, who stated that Czechoslovak leaders desired Western silence. Although the government's response was not as strong as it had been to the Vietnam War, when the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia began, Erlander, the Social Democrats, and all opposition parties condemned it. The Social Democrats' opposition to the invasion likely helped them electorally in 1968.

South Africa and Apartheid

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. Erlander and Palme were among the sponsors of the committee.

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. 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.

Erlander remained in the Riksdag for several years after it became unicameral. Following the 1970 general election, he once again changed constituencies, now representing Gothenburg, which followed 22 years as a Stockholm representative.

thumb|right|The Erlander family graves in 2011, including Tage and Aina Erlander's headstone (right)

After leaving leadership roles, Erlander began sorting through his personal papers, and chose to use them to help write his political memoirs. He wrote an article for Svenska Dagbladet in 1972 explaining his motives for doing so. The memoirs were published in six volumes from 1972 to 1982.

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. 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.

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."

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 had a good relationship with Moderate Party leader Jarl Hjalmarson, although he viewed Hjalmarson as a "political lightweight." Erlander hoped in 1968 that later Moderate leader Yngve Holmberg would remain in office due to the disorganization of the opposition parties and Holmberg's perceived "clunkiness". Erlander admired the writings of Adlai Stevenson II, because Stevenson "expressed his views more deftly than he could himself". 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. Erlander and his wife often spent Christmases, Easters, weekends, and summers at vacationing at Harpsund. 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. 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. 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 thought 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 exaggerations.

Erlander was often described as a "fatherly" or "avuncular". Ingvar Carlsson stated that to him, Erlander became like a second father or a guide. 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.

Legacy

Erlander served as prime minister for 23 years, making him the longest-serving one in Swedish history. His uninterrupted tenure as head of the government is also the longest ever in any modern Western democracy. Biographer Dick Harrison and journalist Per Olov Enquist have described Erlander as a "father of the country" (). During his premiership, despite disagreements between parties, particularly the Liberals and Moderates supporting lower taxes, Sweden's major political parties began to increasingly agree on the goal of developing Sweden as a welfare state.

Some conservative and liberal analysts have argued that during Erlander's premiership an air of Sweden becoming a de facto one-party state developed. Critics of Olof Palme have also criticized Erlander for his role in Palme's ascension to the premiership.

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.

Works

Gallery

File:Tage Erlander 1952b.jpg|Erlander in 1952

File:Tage Erlander 1956.webp|Erlander in 1956

File:Tage Erlander & Bertil Ohlin 1954.jpg|Erlander (left) in 1954 with People's Party leader Bertil Ohlin (right)

File:Tage Erlander, Olof Palme och Ingvar Carlsson på Studentafton i Lund.jpg|Erlander (left) in 1959 with two of "the boys", Olof Palme (center) and Ingvar Carlsson (right)

File:President John F. Kennedy with Swedish Dignitaries 29 March 1961.jpg|Erlander (third from left) and his wife Aina (second from right) with Gunnar Jarring (left), Jarring's wife Agnes Charlier (second from left), and President John F. Kennedy (right) in 1961

File:Tage Erlander and Olof Palme 1964.jpg|Erlander (right, standing) answering journalists' questions in 1964 with Olof Palme (left, seated)

File:Aina and Tage Erlander 1966b.jpg|Erlander (right) in 1966 with his wife Aina during a state visit to Cairo

File:Tage Erlander 1966.jpg|Erlander during the 1966 municipal elections

File:Tage Erlander 1968b.jpg|Erlander in 1968

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Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

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