Sven Andersson (politician)

Sven Andersson
Sven Andersson in 1964
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office
3 November 1973 – 8 October 1976
Prime MinisterOlof Palme
Preceded byKrister Wickman
Succeeded byKarin Söder
Minister for Defence
In office
22 March 1957 – 31 October 1973
Prime MinisterTage Erlander
Olof Palme
Preceded byTorsten Nilsson
Succeeded byEric Holmquist
Minister for Communications (Transport)
In office
1 October 1951 – 22 March 1957
Prime MinisterTage Erlander
Preceded byTorsten Nilsson
Succeeded bySture Henriksson
Personal details
Born
Sven Olof Morgan Andersson

(1910-04-05)5 April 1910
Gothenburg, Sweden
Died21 September 1987(1987-09-21) (aged 77)
Stockholm, Sweden
Political partySwedish Social Democratic Party
AwardsIllis quorum (1987)

Sven Olof Morgan Andersson (5 April 1910 – 21 September 1987) was a Swedish Social Democratic politician.[1] He served as Minister for Defence from 1957 to 1973, and as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1973 to 1976. Andersson also served as Minister for Communications (Transport) from 1951 to 1957.

Biography

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Andersson was born in Gothenburg. Prior to his political career, he held various jobs as a bookshop clerk, bookbinder's apprentice and carpenter. From 1929 to 1937 he was on the leadership of the Gothenburg branch of the Social Democratic Youth League, and from 1934 to 1940 on the national leadership.[2] After studies at the Nordic Folk High School in Geneva, he worked as an instructor with the Workers' Educational Association (ABF) in Gothenburg from 1932 to 1935, and as an ombudsman for the Social Democratic labour commune there from 1935 to 1945.[3] Andersson was also an editor of Stockholms-Tidningen, a Social Democratic newspaper.[4]

From 1945 until 1948, Andersson was party secretary of the Social Democratic Party, and remained in the leadership of the party until 1975. He served as a minister without portfolio in the government of Tage Erlander from 1948 to 1951, and then became Minister for Communications (Transport). Andersson was appointed Minister for Defence in 1957; he would serve in this position for 16 years until 1973, making him the longest-serving Minister of Defence in Swedish history.[3] During his time as cabinet minister, Andersson became known as a staunch anti-communist and a defence hawk.[5] He was implicated in the so-called IB affair in 1973, when an illegal surveillance agency focused on monitoring Swedish left-wing organizations and activists became public knowledge.[6]

After leaving his position as Minister of Defence, he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs until 1976. He continued to head several government investigations and serve on special government committees after his ministerial career ended.[3]

Awards and honours

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References

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  1. ^ "Sven Andersson". Nationalencyklopedin (in Swedish). Retrieved 19 May 2011.
  2. ^ Svensson, Stina, ed. (1953). Vem är det: Svensk biografisk handbok 1953. Stockholm: Norstedts. p. 36. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Sven Andersson (S)" (in Swedish). Sveriges riksdag. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
  4. ^ Sellström, Tor (1999). Sweden and national liberation in Southern Africa. Vol. 1, Formation of a popular opinion (1950–1970). Uppsala: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet. p. 94. ISBN 91-7106-430-3. OCLC 41157147.
  5. ^ Brodin, Gunnar, ed. (2002). Det grå brödraskapet. En berättelse om IB (in Swedish). Stockholm: Government of Sweden. SOU 2002:92. p. 68. Retrieved 22 February 2025.
  6. ^ Brodin 2002, p. 27–38.
  7. ^ "Regeringens belöningsmedaljer och regeringens utmärkelse: Professors namn". Regeringskansliet (in Swedish). January 2006. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  8. ^ Sveriges statskalender 1972. Stockholm: Kungl. Vetenskapsakademien. 1972. p. 53. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
Government offices
Preceded by Minister of Communications (Transport)
1951–1957
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Defence
1957–1973
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Foreign Affairs
1973–1976
Succeeded by