Henriksson
05-15-2008, 08:54 AM
1# Louis De Geer Jr, 1920-21
Baron, County Governor (b. 27.11 1854; d. 25.2 1935)
Independent
When Branting resigned nobody wanted to take office so close to the general election in the autumn. The King picked a former Member of Parliament and the son of the great PM with the same name. But De Geer Jr was not suitable for the job, and the other cabinet members told the King that either the PM had to resign or they would all do so. De Geer Jr was fired.
2# Johan Ramstedt, 1905 (April to August)
Supreme Court Judge (b. 7.11 1862; d. 1935)
Independent
Norway had arbitrarily decided to put an end to the Union with Sweden. In this time of constitutional crisis the King didn’t want a parliamentarian breakthrough. The PM appointed was one (of only two in history) who had never been a Member of Parliament. Ramstedt had to resign after only 108 days when he lost the Parliaments trust in vote of confidence over his (in)action against Norway.
3# Karl Staaff, 1905-06 and 1911-14
Solicitor (b. 21.1 1860; d. 4.10 1915)
Liberal Party leader
The King accepted the most powerful and radical politician of his time, Karl Staaff, as PM when he had learnt to know him as a prominent member of Lundeberg’s cabinet. Staaff wanted universal suffrage and disarmament. He pursued this goal vigorously. The relationship with the King deteriorated. During Staaff’s second term in office the King brought him down in an exceptional way: the King attacked his own cabinet in a speech outside the Palace, where tens of thousands of farmers were demonstrating thier support for the King and rearmament. The King wanted to restore the autocratic monarchy, but the First World War prevented this. The demand for national unity put an end to his policy, but also to Staaff.
4# Fredrik von Otter, 1900-02
Baron, Admiral in the Navy (b. 11.4 1833; d. 9.3 1910)
Independent
A personal friend to the King took office when Bostrom resign for private reasons. The new government was called “The Bostrom Cabinet without Bostrom”. Even if the King could appoint a PM without political experience, the appointee couldn’t achieve anything important. When Bostrom was ready to return, von Otter resign. Fredrik von Otter is the only Swedish PM who has been in active service in a war (in British naval service against China 1857-60).
5# Gustaf Akerhielm af Mariannelund, 1889-91
Baron, Diplomat, Landowner (b. 24.6 1833; d. 2.4 1900)
Protectionist Party
For a diplomat, Akerhielm was uncommonly hot tempered. He left that career to become a landowner and politician. He was Minister of Finance in Carleson’s cabinet. When Bildt resigned, the King, who trusted Akerhielm, turned to him since he wanted a lojal friend as PM. Akerhielm resiged after a scandal when, at a private dinner, he threatened to "talk Swedish with the Norwegians". He had recently proposed a new war organisation to keep Norway united to Sweden in the union of 1814.
6# Oscar von Sydow, 1921 (Feb to Oct)
County Governor (b. 1873; d. 1936)
Independent
Together with Ramstedt (No 11) von Sydow is the only PM who never was Member of Parliament, though he had bin cabinet member during Hammarskjold and Swartz. He presented the bill that abolished the death-penalty in Sweden. After the general election he resign according to plan.
7#Robert Themptander, 1884-88
Civil servant, Minister of Finance (b. 14.2 1844; d. 30.1 1897)
Liberal (independent)
Only 40 years old he become the ideological heir to De Geer in the office of PM. He caused, in 1887, the first politicized General Election in Sweden when he persisted in keeping the free trade policy even though the protectionist opinion was growing stronger. He won the election, but an error of form by the liberals resulted in the disqualification of several Members of Parliament, which gave the protectionists the majority also in the Second Chamber. Themptander continued to push for his policy, but was voted down.
8# Carl Ekman, 1926-28 and 1930-32
Editor in Chief (b. 6.10 1872; d. 15.6 1945)
Nonconformist Liberal Party leader
As the first PM from a working class home he competed with the Social Democrats about the working class votes. He recommended a Liberal-Christian policy rather then Socialism. He tried to draft a policy above class struggle. His party, which was his own creation, was a fraction that breaked out of the Liberal Party. It held the balance of power between left and right in Parliament during the 1920’s. He held in the axe when three leftist cabinets fell. His many enemies got their revenge: he was forced to resign under humiliating conditions when it was discovered that his party had received money from the Kreuger group. Much later it was known that other parties also had received contributions from Kreuger.
9# Fredrik Reinfeldt, 2006--
Politician (b. 4.8 1963)
Conservative Party leader
He decided early on that the only way to win elections was to move his party to the centre ground. In Sweden that means not challenging the basis of the welfare state but promising to run it better. During only three years as leader he has turned his Party from one who proposed radical freedom reforms and big tax cuts, to a Party which put it's focus on joblessness in Sweden. To save the Swedish model, some reforms is necessary.
10# Ola Ullsten, 1978-79
Politician (b. 23.6 1931)
Liberal Party leader
When the Falldin majority government resign, the small Liberal Party got the chance to establish a cabinet until the next general election. In the opinion polls the unexpected PM Ullsten, who had been deputy Foreign Minister, first got high support, but on the election day his party lost almost half of its seates in Parliament. He was Foreign Minister in Falldin’s second cabinet. After that he was appointed ambassador in Ottawa and then in Rome.
Baron, County Governor (b. 27.11 1854; d. 25.2 1935)
Independent
When Branting resigned nobody wanted to take office so close to the general election in the autumn. The King picked a former Member of Parliament and the son of the great PM with the same name. But De Geer Jr was not suitable for the job, and the other cabinet members told the King that either the PM had to resign or they would all do so. De Geer Jr was fired.
2# Johan Ramstedt, 1905 (April to August)
Supreme Court Judge (b. 7.11 1862; d. 1935)
Independent
Norway had arbitrarily decided to put an end to the Union with Sweden. In this time of constitutional crisis the King didn’t want a parliamentarian breakthrough. The PM appointed was one (of only two in history) who had never been a Member of Parliament. Ramstedt had to resign after only 108 days when he lost the Parliaments trust in vote of confidence over his (in)action against Norway.
3# Karl Staaff, 1905-06 and 1911-14
Solicitor (b. 21.1 1860; d. 4.10 1915)
Liberal Party leader
The King accepted the most powerful and radical politician of his time, Karl Staaff, as PM when he had learnt to know him as a prominent member of Lundeberg’s cabinet. Staaff wanted universal suffrage and disarmament. He pursued this goal vigorously. The relationship with the King deteriorated. During Staaff’s second term in office the King brought him down in an exceptional way: the King attacked his own cabinet in a speech outside the Palace, where tens of thousands of farmers were demonstrating thier support for the King and rearmament. The King wanted to restore the autocratic monarchy, but the First World War prevented this. The demand for national unity put an end to his policy, but also to Staaff.
4# Fredrik von Otter, 1900-02
Baron, Admiral in the Navy (b. 11.4 1833; d. 9.3 1910)
Independent
A personal friend to the King took office when Bostrom resign for private reasons. The new government was called “The Bostrom Cabinet without Bostrom”. Even if the King could appoint a PM without political experience, the appointee couldn’t achieve anything important. When Bostrom was ready to return, von Otter resign. Fredrik von Otter is the only Swedish PM who has been in active service in a war (in British naval service against China 1857-60).
5# Gustaf Akerhielm af Mariannelund, 1889-91
Baron, Diplomat, Landowner (b. 24.6 1833; d. 2.4 1900)
Protectionist Party
For a diplomat, Akerhielm was uncommonly hot tempered. He left that career to become a landowner and politician. He was Minister of Finance in Carleson’s cabinet. When Bildt resigned, the King, who trusted Akerhielm, turned to him since he wanted a lojal friend as PM. Akerhielm resiged after a scandal when, at a private dinner, he threatened to "talk Swedish with the Norwegians". He had recently proposed a new war organisation to keep Norway united to Sweden in the union of 1814.
6# Oscar von Sydow, 1921 (Feb to Oct)
County Governor (b. 1873; d. 1936)
Independent
Together with Ramstedt (No 11) von Sydow is the only PM who never was Member of Parliament, though he had bin cabinet member during Hammarskjold and Swartz. He presented the bill that abolished the death-penalty in Sweden. After the general election he resign according to plan.
7#Robert Themptander, 1884-88
Civil servant, Minister of Finance (b. 14.2 1844; d. 30.1 1897)
Liberal (independent)
Only 40 years old he become the ideological heir to De Geer in the office of PM. He caused, in 1887, the first politicized General Election in Sweden when he persisted in keeping the free trade policy even though the protectionist opinion was growing stronger. He won the election, but an error of form by the liberals resulted in the disqualification of several Members of Parliament, which gave the protectionists the majority also in the Second Chamber. Themptander continued to push for his policy, but was voted down.
8# Carl Ekman, 1926-28 and 1930-32
Editor in Chief (b. 6.10 1872; d. 15.6 1945)
Nonconformist Liberal Party leader
As the first PM from a working class home he competed with the Social Democrats about the working class votes. He recommended a Liberal-Christian policy rather then Socialism. He tried to draft a policy above class struggle. His party, which was his own creation, was a fraction that breaked out of the Liberal Party. It held the balance of power between left and right in Parliament during the 1920’s. He held in the axe when three leftist cabinets fell. His many enemies got their revenge: he was forced to resign under humiliating conditions when it was discovered that his party had received money from the Kreuger group. Much later it was known that other parties also had received contributions from Kreuger.
9# Fredrik Reinfeldt, 2006--
Politician (b. 4.8 1963)
Conservative Party leader
He decided early on that the only way to win elections was to move his party to the centre ground. In Sweden that means not challenging the basis of the welfare state but promising to run it better. During only three years as leader he has turned his Party from one who proposed radical freedom reforms and big tax cuts, to a Party which put it's focus on joblessness in Sweden. To save the Swedish model, some reforms is necessary.
10# Ola Ullsten, 1978-79
Politician (b. 23.6 1931)
Liberal Party leader
When the Falldin majority government resign, the small Liberal Party got the chance to establish a cabinet until the next general election. In the opinion polls the unexpected PM Ullsten, who had been deputy Foreign Minister, first got high support, but on the election day his party lost almost half of its seates in Parliament. He was Foreign Minister in Falldin’s second cabinet. After that he was appointed ambassador in Ottawa and then in Rome.