Gunnar Sträng
Encyclopedia
Gunnar Sträng was a Swedish
Social Democratic
politician
, most known for being Sweden's longest serving Minister for Finance.
Sträng grew up in a working-class family in Lövsta, today a part of Stockholm Municipality
. After finishing school he started to work as a gardener. In 1927 he joined the local branch of the garderners' union
and was soon elected to the board as secretary. A few years later, in 1932, he was elected as an official to the national union organisation for agricultural workers, with the task of recruiting new members in order to force the employers to consent to collective bargaining. In 1938, he was elected vice chairman of the trade union and the following year he succeeded the chairman.
Through the Swedish Trade Union Confederation
Sträng was appointed as a representative on various state committees, and July 6, 1945, Prime Minister
Per Albin Hansson
offered him to be Minister for Agriculture. Sträng turned him down, but a few days later he accepted to be a member of the cabinet, although not with the title of minister. In 1947 Sträng was made "Conservation Minister" (folkhushållningsminister) and implemented harsh measures, such as petroleum rationing. The following year he accepted to be Minister for Agriculture, and in 1951 he became Minister for Social Affairs. During this period, health insurance was made mandatory through a state system.
September 12, 1955, Gunnar Sträng was made Minister for Finance. One of the major reforms during his time in office was the introduction of value added tax
. The joint taxation of spouses was abolished, a change that made it more economically attractive for women to seek paid employment. The Social Democrats, together with the Centre Party
also engineered the Swedish newspaper
subsidy system, created to support the smaller newspapers in a region in order to prevent "newspaper death" and preserve multitude.
When the Social Democrats did poorly in the 1966 elections, party leader Tage Erlander
offered to step down and Sträng was offered to take over the leadership - but refused. He remained Minister for Finance until the Social Democrats lost power to the centre-right in the 1976 elections.
Gunnar Sträng was generally regarded as economically prudent. He was known for wearing "both suspenders and a belt", also a striking symbol of his careful general attitude. He was also known to have a photographic memory and was able to quote the figures from the national budget by heart in his annual presentations on television and made this dull subject something of a popular event.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Social Democratic
Swedish Social Democratic Party
The Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party, , contesting elections as 'the Workers' Party – the Social Democrats' , or sometimes referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' and most commonly as Sossarna ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1889...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, most known for being Sweden's longest serving Minister for Finance.
Sträng grew up in a working-class family in Lövsta, today a part of Stockholm Municipality
Stockholm Municipality
Stockholm Municipality or the City of Stockholm is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. It is the largest of the 290 municipalities of the country in terms of population, but one of the smaller in terms of area, making it the most densely populated...
. After finishing school he started to work as a gardener. In 1927 he joined the local branch of the garderners' union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
and was soon elected to the board as secretary. A few years later, in 1932, he was elected as an official to the national union organisation for agricultural workers, with the task of recruiting new members in order to force the employers to consent to collective bargaining. In 1938, he was elected vice chairman of the trade union and the following year he succeeded the chairman.
Through the Swedish Trade Union Confederation
Swedish Trade Union Confederation
The Swedish Trade Union Confederation , commonly referred to as LO, is a national trade union centre, an umbrella organisation for fifteen Swedish trade unions that organise mainly "blue-collar" workers...
Sträng was appointed as a representative on various state committees, and July 6, 1945, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Sweden
The Prime Minister is the head of government in the Kingdom of Sweden. Before the creation of the office of a Prime Minister in 1876, Sweden did not have a head of government separate from its head of state, namely the King, in whom the executive authority was vested...
Per Albin Hansson
Per Albin Hansson
Per Albin Hansson , was a Swedish politician, chairman of the Social Democrats from 1925 and two-time Prime Minister in four governments between 1932 and 1946, governing all that period save for a short-lived crisis in the summer of 1936, which he ended by forming a coalition government with his...
offered him to be Minister for Agriculture. Sträng turned him down, but a few days later he accepted to be a member of the cabinet, although not with the title of minister. In 1947 Sträng was made "Conservation Minister" (folkhushållningsminister) and implemented harsh measures, such as petroleum rationing. The following year he accepted to be Minister for Agriculture, and in 1951 he became Minister for Social Affairs. During this period, health insurance was made mandatory through a state system.
September 12, 1955, Gunnar Sträng was made Minister for Finance. One of the major reforms during his time in office was the introduction of value added tax
Value added tax
A value added tax or value-added tax is a form of consumption tax. From the perspective of the buyer, it is a tax on the purchase price. From that of the seller, it is a tax only on the "value added" to a product, material or service, from an accounting point of view, by this stage of its...
. The joint taxation of spouses was abolished, a change that made it more economically attractive for women to seek paid employment. The Social Democrats, together with the Centre Party
Centre Party (Sweden)
The Centre Party is a centrist political party in Sweden. The party maintains close ties to rural Sweden and describes itself as "a green social liberal party". The ideology is sometimes called agrarian, but in a European context, the Centre Party can perhaps best be characterized as social...
also engineered the Swedish newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
subsidy system, created to support the smaller newspapers in a region in order to prevent "newspaper death" and preserve multitude.
When the Social Democrats did poorly in the 1966 elections, party leader Tage Erlander
Tage Erlander
was a Swedish politician. He was the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party and Prime Minister of Sweden from 1946 to 1969...
offered to step down and Sträng was offered to take over the leadership - but refused. He remained Minister for Finance until the Social Democrats lost power to the centre-right in the 1976 elections.
Gunnar Sträng was generally regarded as economically prudent. He was known for wearing "both suspenders and a belt", also a striking symbol of his careful general attitude. He was also known to have a photographic memory and was able to quote the figures from the national budget by heart in his annual presentations on television and made this dull subject something of a popular event.