Gösta Bagge

Who was Gösta Bagge?

Gösta Adolfsson Bagge was a Swedish professor of economics and a conservative politician.

Born on 27 May 1882 in Stockholm, Gösta Bagge was named leader of the National Organization of the Right after the sudden retirement of Arvid Lindman in 1935. He remained its leader until 1944. He was a social conservative politician within the rightist party, but had a liberal view of economics. He was a harsh critic of the economic policies of the social democratic finance minister Ernst Wigforss. Bagge was also minister of ecclesiastical affairs in the coalition government from 1939 to 1944.

In government he was the leading supporter of Finland's fight for survival against the Soviet Union and wanted to give aid to the Nordic neighbor country. He was elected a Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1933.

He died on 3 January 1951 in Högalid, Stockholm.