Tage Erlander

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Template:Audio (June 13, 1901, Ransäter, Sweden - June 21, 1985, Huddinge, near Stockholm, Sweden) was a Swedish politician.

Erlander holds the record as the longest serving Prime Minister of any western democracy, as he held his post for 23 years, from 1946 to 1969. He was the leader of the Swedish Social Democrats.

He was born in Ransäter, Värmland County as son of a school teacher. As a student at University of Lund he was heavily involved in student politics and met many radical students. He graduated in political science and economics in 1928. Erlander was a member of the editorial staff of the encyclopedia Svensk Upplagsbok from 1929 to 1938.

He was elected to the Lund city council in 1930, became a member of parliament in 1932, and was appointed Secretary of State in 1938. He became a member of the cabinet in 1944 as a minister without portfolio, a post he held to the next year, when he became Secretary of Education. When prime minister Per Albin Hansson suddenly died in 1946 Erlander was unexpectedly chosen as the successor and was also chosen as the leader of the party.

He formed a coalition with the Centre Party between 1951 and 1957 and the relation with their party leader, Gunnar Hedlund is known to have been good.

He 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 welfare state grew considerably during his years as prime minister, while nationalizations were rare.

He stepped down in 1969 and was succeeded by Olof Palme, who in many ways had been Erlander's pupil.

From 1972 to 1982 he published his memoirs in six volumes. He died July 21 1985 in Stockholm.

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