Tage Erlander

Who was Tage Erlander?

Tage Fritiof Erlander was a Swedish politician who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 1946 to 1969. He was the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party and his uninterrupted tenure of 23 years as head of government is a record for parliamentary democracies, with the popular expression "Sweden's longest Prime Minister" referring to both his physical stature and tenure.

Ascending to the World War II coalition government in 1944, Erlander rose unexpectedly to leadership upon the death of Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson in October 1946, cementing the position of the Social Democratic Party as the virtual government of Sweden. Known for his moderation, pragmatism and self-irony, Erlander constantly 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 while 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. Despite a general lack of majority, Erlander's domination of Swedish politics was near-complete. In 1951-1957, he espoused a coalition government with Peasants' League chairman Gunnar Hedlund in order to secure majority and stability, led by himself.