Göran Persson
Encyclopedia
Hans Göran Persson (ˈʝœːran ˈpæːʂɔn) (born 20 January 1949) was the Prime Minister of Sweden
from 1996 to 2006 and the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party
from 1996 to 2007. Conceding defeat in the September 2006 general election
, he announced that he would resign as party leader, and Mona Sahlin
was elected to succeed him as party leader in March 2007. Since August 2007 he has worked as a part time corporate lobbyist for the JKL Group.
in Södermanland
, Sweden
, in a working-class home. He has in recent years revealed that he wanted to become a priest as a young man; however, he applied to the college in Örebro
where he took courses in social science. He completed 80 college credits (120 ECTS
credits) in the subject before he gave them up in 1971 without graduating. According to himself he had at the time almost completed an education in social and political sciences. As the college later received credentials as a full university, the renamed Örebro University
gave him an honorary PhD in medicine in February 2005, an award that provoked some controversy.
He first married Gunnel (née Claesson) in 1978, with whom he has two daughters. They divorced in 1995. On 10 March 1995, he married Annika Barthine, whom he divorced in December 2002. On 6 December 2003, Persson married Anitra Steen
, who became his third wife.
In 2004 Persson and Steen purchased the 190 hectare agricultural property Övre Torp by Lake Båven
in Södermanland
. During 2006 the couple started the construction of a large house on the property.
He has maintained his Christian faith and is a member of Swedish Association of Christian Social Democrats
.
at Harpsund
and broke his left clavicle
. Following this accident he was unable to lift his left arm for some time and almost fainted
during a speech in Almedalen
on 10 July 2002 and after a meeting with then British Prime Minister Tony Blair
on 15 July 2002. Present with him during the accident was Pär Nuder
, then Minister of Finance, and Sten Olsson, then State Secretary. Pär Nuder wrote in his book Stolt men inte nöjd ("proud but not satisfied"), released in 2008, that Persson had fallen while riding his bicycle because he was drunk
after consuming large amounts of alcoholic beverage
s. Persson said in response to these claims: "I can't exactly recapitulate the event but I can say as much that I'm surprised that Pär Nuder remembers anything".
In September 2003 Persson was diagonosed with hip osteoarthritis
and surgery was recommended. He chose to go through Sweden's public health-care system instead of seeking private treatment; he was put on a waiting list, and finally received a hip replacement
operation in June 2004. During that 9-month period he walked with a limp and reportedly was on strong painkillers; he had to cancel several official trips due to the pain he was in.
Persson was in office for more than ten years, making him the second-longest continuously-governing prime minister of Sweden second to Tage Erlander
. He is known for his oratorical prowess, often dispensing with prepared speeches or preparing them without the aid of his staff. During his time, he has faced several shocking incidents, such as the Gothenburg riots in 2001
, the 2003 murder of the minister of foreign affairs
, Anna Lindh
, the tsunami disaster
in 2004, and the conflict over the publication of satirical Muhammed cartoons in Danish newspapers, leading to threats of violence against Scandinavians and burning of embassies in the Middle East and the resignation of Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds
.
In the early seventies he worked for the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League
(SSU), and was a member of the national board from 1972 to 1975. Later, he served as a city council politician at the small municipality
of Katrineholm
. In 1979 he was elected Member of Parliament, but went back to local politics to serve as Municipal Commissioner
(kommunalråd) of Katrineholm from 1985 to 1989.
cabinet, until the election
in 1991 when the Social Democrats were voted out of office. Persson was one of the brains behind the "Persson-plan" which was presented in 1994 targeting the prevailing economic situation. Sweden at the time still suffered from the recession which began during the early nineties, high unemployment rates and a huge budget deficit. Prime minister Carl Bildt
relied at the time on a fragile coalition between the Moderate Party
and three other liberal or conservative parties with a strained degree of cooperation. The outcome of the 1994 election proved a success for the Social Democrats when they gained more than 45% of the votes.
Upon returning to government in 1994, Persson was made Minister for Finance, a post he held until 1996. As Minister of Finance much of his job was focused on attaining a sound financial balance in the economy. Persson often emphasizes that he "cleaned up" after the Bildt government.
, the Deputy Prime Minister, to lead the country after Carlsson retired. Persson began where he left off as finance minister - by continuing to spearhead government efforts to alleviate Sweden's chronic budget deficit. In 1994, the annual shortfall was about 13% of GDP. But, after implementing welfare cuts and tax increases, it fell to a projected 2.6% of GDP in 1997, which put Sweden in a position to qualify for the European economic and monetary union. However, the cost was high: unemployment
rose, hovering persistently around 13%, then suddenly fell to about 6.5% the same year.
and Left
parties, he managed to retain office but had to rely on support from at least two parties in the parliament. Two weeks after the election, one of the most sweeping cabinet reshuffle
s in Swedish history took place, with eight ministers leaving their posts. Later the same year, the government announced proposals for far-reaching cutbacks in Sweden's military spending.
The year 1999 was seen by the Social Democrats as the vindication for the tough fiscal policies pursued since they came to office in 1994: GDP growth was estimated at about 3.6%, well above the European average, inflation remained subdued, and the budget was in surplus for the first time in the 1990s. The party proposed income tax cuts for 2000.
In 2000 a strong economy, falling unemployment, and the impact of the Internet appeared to breathe new life into the “Swedish model” of a welfare society, one that had seemed dead and buried during the deep recession of the early 1990s: growth reached 4%, and unemployment fell to the lowest level in years. The Social Democrats, however, failed to capitalize on the economic boom. Opinion polls showed the party struggling to return to its post-election 36% approval level. Instead, the smaller Left Party, a Social Democrat ally, picked up support with its program of increased public spending and opposition to Swedish membership in the European single currency.
Economically, the bursting of the dot-com boom by 2001 had marked implications for Sweden. Ericsson, the world's largest producer of mobile telecommunications equipment, shed thousands of jobs, as did the country's once fast-expanding Internet consulting firms and dot-com start-ups.
Gross domestic product growth of 3.6% in 2000 was expected to have fallen to around 1.5% in 2001, and only a minor recovery was forecast for 2002. The government was hoping that tax cuts, subsidies on child-care expenses, and wage increases would boost consumer confidence with real disposable income to increase by 5.4%. Exports were also expected to pick up in 2002, helped by the weakness of the Swedish krona, which hit record lows against both the dollar and the Euro in 2001.
of 17 September 2006, Persson immediately filed a request for resignation, and declared his intentions to resign as party leader after a special party congress in March 2007.
On 13 April 2007, Persson also announced his resignation from the Riksdag
(where he had served 1979–1985 and from 1991) to be succeeded by Caroline Helmersson Olsson
from his native Vingåker
.
In foreign policy Persson belongs to the right-wing of the Social Democrats. Among other things, he supported the 2001 United States invasion of Afghanistan
, because it was in line with the UN Security Council's decision and because only military centers were to be targeted. However he protested against the 2003 invasion of Iraq
, because it was not accepted by the UN and was seen as unnecessary aggression with a risk of high civilian casualties. Despite his differences with George W. Bush
, Persson has admitted that he is a "truly underestimated politician" in Europe, referring to Bush's abilities as a politician rather than his political views, and the fact that many Europeans see Bush as a less than intelligent leader.
Regarding Sweden's membership in the European Union
, Persson has been an advocate of an expanded Swedish role in the organization. During Sweden's presidency of the EU in the first half of 2001, Persson with assistance from foreign minister Anna Lindh
presided over the organization and contributed towards the enlargement which took place in 2004. He advocated for a Swedish entry into the Economic and Monetary Union
(EMU), however in a 2003 referendum a majority of Swedes voted against joining the EMU.
In March 2007 a documentary series consisting of four one-hour episodes aired on SVT
, chronicling Persson's time in office. The documentary became controversial due to Persson's negative comments about both his party members and staff and against his political opponents.
Persson left his seat in the Riksdag in April 2007. In May 2007 he announced that he would be working as a consultant for the Stockholm-based PR firm JKL in the future. In April 2008 he was installed as chairman of the board of Sveaskog, a forestry business group owned by the Swedish government.
In late 2008 he became member of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
, a not-for-profit organization established to monitor tolerance
in Europe
and prepare recommendations on fighting xenophobia
and intolerance on the continent.
(ITF). The ITF now has 27 Member States.
He had already raised the issue of Holocaust education within the Swedish Parliament, initiating a national information campaign with the aim for 'facts about the Holocaust to form the platform for a discussion on democracy, tolerance and the fact that every human was of equal value.' The Campaign was entitled Living History, or Levande Historia.
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...
from 1996 to 2006 and the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party
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...
from 1996 to 2007. Conceding defeat in the September 2006 general election
Swedish general election, 2006
A general election was held in Sweden on 17 September 2006, to elect members to the Swedish parliament. All 349 seats were up for election: 310 "fixed seats" in 29 constituencies and 39 members at a national level for what are called "adjustment seats", used to ensure that parties have...
, he announced that he would resign as party leader, and Mona Sahlin
Mona Sahlin
Mona Ingeborg Sahlin is a Swedish politician and the former leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party.Sahlin has been a Member of Parliament, representing Stockholm County, from 1982 to 1996 and again since 2002. She has also held various ministerial posts in the Swedish government from 1990...
was elected to succeed him as party leader in March 2007. Since August 2007 he has worked as a part time corporate lobbyist for the JKL Group.
Personal life
Persson was born in VingåkerVingåker
Vingåker is a locality and the seat of Vingåker Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 4,362 inhabitants in 2005.It was partly built in the English garden of Säfstaholm, a large estate which up until 1855 was home to philanthropist and art collector Gustaf Trolle-Bonde...
in Södermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
, Sweden
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....
, in a working-class home. He has in recent years revealed that he wanted to become a priest as a young man; however, he applied to the college in Örebro
Örebro
-Sites of interest:Örebro's old town Wadköping is located on the banks of Svartån . It contains many 18th and 19th century wooden houses, along with museums and exhibitions....
where he took courses in social science. He completed 80 college credits (120 ECTS
ECTS
ECTS may refer to:* Elementary cognitive tasks, from psychometrics* Engine coolant temperature sensor* European Calcified Tissue Society* European Computer Trade Show* European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System...
credits) in the subject before he gave them up in 1971 without graduating. According to himself he had at the time almost completed an education in social and political sciences. As the college later received credentials as a full university, the renamed Örebro University
Örebro University
Örebro University is a state university in Örebro, Sweden.University-level education in Örebro started in 1960s, when Uppsala University started to give some courses in Örebro. On the basis of these activities, an independent högskola was created in 1977 under the name Högskolan i Örebro...
gave him an honorary PhD in medicine in February 2005, an award that provoked some controversy.
He first married Gunnel (née Claesson) in 1978, with whom he has two daughters. They divorced in 1995. On 10 March 1995, he married Annika Barthine, whom he divorced in December 2002. On 6 December 2003, Persson married Anitra Steen
Anitra Steen
Anitra Linnéa Steen is a Swedish politician and civil servant. Between 1999 and May 2009, when she retired, she was the manager of Systembolaget, the Swedish state alcohol retailing monopoly...
, who became his third wife.
In 2004 Persson and Steen purchased the 190 hectare agricultural property Övre Torp by Lake Båven
Båven
Båven is a lake of Södermanland, Sweden....
in Södermanland
Södermanland
', sometimes referred to under its Latin form Sudermannia or Sudermania, is a historical province or landskap on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanland and Uppland. It is also bounded by lake Mälaren and the Baltic sea.In Swedish, the province name is...
. During 2006 the couple started the construction of a large house on the property.
He has maintained his Christian faith and is a member of Swedish Association of Christian Social Democrats
Swedish Association of Christian Social Democrats
The Swedish Association of Christian Social Democrats organizes Christian members of the Swedish Social Democratic Party. The organization was founded in 1929...
.
Health problems
On 8 July 2002, Persson fell while riding his bicycleBicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
at Harpsund
Harpsund
Harpsund is a manor house located in Flen Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden. Since May 22, 1953 Harpsund has been used as a country residence for the Prime Minister of Sweden.-History:...
and broke his left clavicle
Clavicle
In human anatomy, the clavicle or collar bone is a long bone of short length that serves as a strut between the scapula and the sternum. It is the only long bone in body that lies horizontally...
. Following this accident he was unable to lift his left arm for some time and almost fainted
Syncope (medicine)
Syncope , the medical term for fainting, is precisely defined as a transient loss of consciousness and postural tone characterized by rapid onset, short duration, and spontaneous recovery due to global cerebral hypoperfusion that most often results from hypotension.Many forms of syncope are...
during a speech in Almedalen
Almedalen
Almedalen is a park in the Swedish city Visby on the island of Gotland. It is well known in Sweden as the central site of the annual Almedalen Week....
on 10 July 2002 and after a meeting with then British Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
on 15 July 2002. Present with him during the accident was Pär Nuder
Pär Nuder
Pär Anders Nuder is a Swedish Social Democratic politician. He was the Minister of Finance between November 1, 2004 and October 6, 2006.Pär Nuder was born in Täby north of Stockholm, but grew up in Österåker, where he still resides...
, then Minister of Finance, and Sten Olsson, then State Secretary. Pär Nuder wrote in his book Stolt men inte nöjd ("proud but not satisfied"), released in 2008, that Persson had fallen while riding his bicycle because he was drunk
Drunkenness
Alcohol intoxication is a physiological state that occurs when a person has a high level of ethanol in his or her blood....
after consuming large amounts of alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
s. Persson said in response to these claims: "I can't exactly recapitulate the event but I can say as much that I'm surprised that Pär Nuder remembers anything".
In September 2003 Persson was diagonosed with hip osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis also known as degenerative arthritis or degenerative joint disease, is a group of mechanical abnormalities involving degradation of joints, including articular cartilage and subchondral bone. Symptoms may include joint pain, tenderness, stiffness, locking, and sometimes an effusion...
and surgery was recommended. He chose to go through Sweden's public health-care system instead of seeking private treatment; he was put on a waiting list, and finally received a hip replacement
Hip replacement
Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi replacement. Such joint replacement orthopaedic surgery generally is conducted to relieve arthritis pain or fix severe...
operation in June 2004. During that 9-month period he walked with a limp and reportedly was on strong painkillers; he had to cancel several official trips due to the pain he was in.
Political career
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...
. He is known for his oratorical prowess, often dispensing with prepared speeches or preparing them without the aid of his staff. During his time, he has faced several shocking incidents, such as the Gothenburg riots in 2001
Protests during the EU summit in Gothenburg 2001
The protests during the EU summit in Gothenburg 2001, parts of which are often called the Gothenburg Riots , took place in the Swedish city of Gothenburg during the three days of the EU summit and EU–US Summit, June 14–16, 2001...
, the 2003 murder of the minister of foreign affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs is the foreign minister of Sweden and the head of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.The office was instituted in 1809 as a result of the constitutional Instrument of Government promulgated in the same year. Until 1876 the office was called Prime Minister for Foreign...
, Anna Lindh
Anna Lindh
Ylva Anna Maria Lindh was a Swedish Social Democratic politician, Chairman of the Social Democratic Youth League 1984-1990, Member of Parliament 1982-1985 and 1998-2003...
, the tsunami disaster
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
in 2004, and the conflict over the publication of satirical Muhammed cartoons in Danish newspapers, leading to threats of violence against Scandinavians and burning of embassies in the Middle East and the resignation of Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds
Laila Freivalds
Laila Ligita Freivalds is a Swedish Social Democratic politician and a former Swedish Minister for Justice, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister....
.
In the early seventies he worked for the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League
Swedish Social Democratic Youth League
The Swedish Social Democratic Youth League is a branch of the Swedish social democratic party Socialdemokraterna and the Swedish Trade Union Confederation...
(SSU), and was a member of the national board from 1972 to 1975. Later, he served as a city council politician at the small municipality
Municipalities of Sweden
The municipalities of Sweden are the local government entities of Sweden. The current 290 municipalities are organized into 21 counties...
of Katrineholm
Katrineholm Municipality
Katrineholm Municipality is a municipality in Södermanland County in southeast Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Katrineholm....
. In 1979 he was elected Member of Parliament, but went back to local politics to serve as Municipal Commissioner
Municipal Commissioner
Municipal Commissioner is an office and political title in the municipalities of Sweden for councillors with executive responsibilities. The Commissioners are the only full-time employed office-holders outside the municipal civil service...
(kommunalråd) of Katrineholm from 1985 to 1989.
National politics
In 1989 he was made Minister of Schools in the Ministry of Education during the first Ingvar CarlssonIngvar Carlsson
Gösta Ingvar Carlsson is a Swedish politician, Prime Minister of Sweden and leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party ....
cabinet, until the election
Elections in Sweden
Elections in the Kingdom of Sweden are held every four years, and determine the makeup of the legislative bodies on the three levels of administrative division in the country. At the highest level, these elections determine the allocation of seats in the Riksdag, the national legislative body of...
in 1991 when the Social Democrats were voted out of office. Persson was one of the brains behind the "Persson-plan" which was presented in 1994 targeting the prevailing economic situation. Sweden at the time still suffered from the recession which began during the early nineties, high unemployment rates and a huge budget deficit. Prime minister Carl Bildt
Carl Bildt
, Honorary KCMG is a Swedish politician, diplomat and nobleman. Formerly Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994 and leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, Bildt has served as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs since 6 October 2006...
relied at the time on a fragile coalition between the Moderate Party
Moderate Party
The Moderate Party is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1904 as the General Electoral League by a group of conservatives in the Swedish parliament...
and three other liberal or conservative parties with a strained degree of cooperation. The outcome of the 1994 election proved a success for the Social Democrats when they gained more than 45% of the votes.
Upon returning to government in 1994, Persson was made Minister for Finance, a post he held until 1996. As Minister of Finance much of his job was focused on attaining a sound financial balance in the economy. Persson often emphasizes that he "cleaned up" after the Bildt government.
Party leader and Prime Minister
In 1996 Persson was chosen over Mona SahlinMona Sahlin
Mona Ingeborg Sahlin is a Swedish politician and the former leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party.Sahlin has been a Member of Parliament, representing Stockholm County, from 1982 to 1996 and again since 2002. She has also held various ministerial posts in the Swedish government from 1990...
, the Deputy Prime Minister, to lead the country after Carlsson retired. Persson began where he left off as finance minister - by continuing to spearhead government efforts to alleviate Sweden's chronic budget deficit. In 1994, the annual shortfall was about 13% of GDP. But, after implementing welfare cuts and tax increases, it fell to a projected 2.6% of GDP in 1997, which put Sweden in a position to qualify for the European economic and monetary union. However, the cost was high: unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
rose, hovering persistently around 13%, then suddenly fell to about 6.5% the same year.
1998 election
In the 1998 election the Social Democrats gained even fewer votes than in the 1991 election, when they got voted out of office. Thanks to support that came primarily from the GreenGreen Party (Sweden)
-External links:**...
and Left
Left Party (Sweden)
The Left Party is a socialist and feminist political party in Sweden, from 1967 to 1990 known as the Left Party – The Communists .On welfare issues, the party opposes privatizations...
parties, he managed to retain office but had to rely on support from at least two parties in the parliament. Two weeks after the election, one of the most sweeping cabinet reshuffle
Cabinet shuffle
In the parliamentary system a cabinet shuffle or reshuffle is an informal term for an event that occurs when a head of government rotates or changes the composition of ministers in their cabinet....
s in Swedish history took place, with eight ministers leaving their posts. Later the same year, the government announced proposals for far-reaching cutbacks in Sweden's military spending.
The year 1999 was seen by the Social Democrats as the vindication for the tough fiscal policies pursued since they came to office in 1994: GDP growth was estimated at about 3.6%, well above the European average, inflation remained subdued, and the budget was in surplus for the first time in the 1990s. The party proposed income tax cuts for 2000.
In 2000 a strong economy, falling unemployment, and the impact of the Internet appeared to breathe new life into the “Swedish model” of a welfare society, one that had seemed dead and buried during the deep recession of the early 1990s: growth reached 4%, and unemployment fell to the lowest level in years. The Social Democrats, however, failed to capitalize on the economic boom. Opinion polls showed the party struggling to return to its post-election 36% approval level. Instead, the smaller Left Party, a Social Democrat ally, picked up support with its program of increased public spending and opposition to Swedish membership in the European single currency.
Economically, the bursting of the dot-com boom by 2001 had marked implications for Sweden. Ericsson, the world's largest producer of mobile telecommunications equipment, shed thousands of jobs, as did the country's once fast-expanding Internet consulting firms and dot-com start-ups.
Gross domestic product growth of 3.6% in 2000 was expected to have fallen to around 1.5% in 2001, and only a minor recovery was forecast for 2002. The government was hoping that tax cuts, subsidies on child-care expenses, and wage increases would boost consumer confidence with real disposable income to increase by 5.4%. Exports were also expected to pick up in 2002, helped by the weakness of the Swedish krona, which hit record lows against both the dollar and the Euro in 2001.
2002 election
In the 2002 election the Social Democrats increased their number of seats in the parliament primarily at the expense of the Left Party. Persson continued to lead a minority government instead of forming a coalition, despite earlier demands from his supporting parties to participate in the government.2006 election
After the defeat at the general electionsSwedish general election, 2006
A general election was held in Sweden on 17 September 2006, to elect members to the Swedish parliament. All 349 seats were up for election: 310 "fixed seats" in 29 constituencies and 39 members at a national level for what are called "adjustment seats", used to ensure that parties have...
of 17 September 2006, Persson immediately filed a request for resignation, and declared his intentions to resign as party leader after a special party congress in March 2007.
On 13 April 2007, Persson also announced his resignation from the Riksdag
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
(where he had served 1979–1985 and from 1991) to be succeeded by Caroline Helmersson Olsson
Caroline Helmersson Olsson
Caroline Helmersson-Olsson is a Swedish social democratic politician. She has been a member of the Riksdag since 2007.-External links:* at the Riksdag website...
from his native Vingåker
Vingåker
Vingåker is a locality and the seat of Vingåker Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 4,362 inhabitants in 2005.It was partly built in the English garden of Säfstaholm, a large estate which up until 1855 was home to philanthropist and art collector Gustaf Trolle-Bonde...
.
1996 - 2006 Foreign policy
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
, because it was in line with the UN Security Council's decision and because only military centers were to be targeted. However he protested against the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, because it was not accepted by the UN and was seen as unnecessary aggression with a risk of high civilian casualties. Despite his differences with George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, Persson has admitted that he is a "truly underestimated politician" in Europe, referring to Bush's abilities as a politician rather than his political views, and the fact that many Europeans see Bush as a less than intelligent leader.
Regarding Sweden's membership in the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, Persson has been an advocate of an expanded Swedish role in the organization. During Sweden's presidency of the EU in the first half of 2001, Persson with assistance from foreign minister Anna Lindh
Anna Lindh
Ylva Anna Maria Lindh was a Swedish Social Democratic politician, Chairman of the Social Democratic Youth League 1984-1990, Member of Parliament 1982-1985 and 1998-2003...
presided over the organization and contributed towards the enlargement which took place in 2004. He advocated for a Swedish entry into the Economic and Monetary Union
Economic and monetary union
An economic and monetary union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of an economic union with a monetary union. It is to be distinguished from a mere monetary union , which does not involve a common market. This is the fifth stage of economic integration...
(EMU), however in a 2003 referendum a majority of Swedes voted against joining the EMU.
After leaving office
In October 2007, Persson released his memoirs, "Min väg, mina val" (My path, my choices). http://www.svd.se/dynamiskt/inrikes/did_14387555.aspIn March 2007 a documentary series consisting of four one-hour episodes aired on SVT
Sveriges Television
Sveriges Television AB , Sweden's Television, is a national television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by a compulsory fee to be paid by all television owners...
, chronicling Persson's time in office. The documentary became controversial due to Persson's negative comments about both his party members and staff and against his political opponents.
Persson left his seat in the Riksdag in April 2007. In May 2007 he announced that he would be working as a consultant for the Stockholm-based PR firm JKL in the future. In April 2008 he was installed as chairman of the board of Sveaskog, a forestry business group owned by the Swedish government.
In late 2008 he became member of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation was established in Paris, France on October 7, 2008 to monitor tolerance in Europe...
, a not-for-profit organization established to monitor tolerance
Toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and prepare recommendations on fighting xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
and intolerance on the continent.
Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research
In 1998 then Prime Minister Persson initiated international talks on the establishment of an inter-governmental organisation for Holocaust education, which resulted in the founding of the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and ResearchTask Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research
The Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research is an inter-governmental organization established in 1998. The organisation's mandate is founded upon the principles laid out by the Declaration of the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust...
(ITF). The ITF now has 27 Member States.
He had already raised the issue of Holocaust education within the Swedish Parliament, initiating a national information campaign with the aim for 'facts about the Holocaust to form the platform for a discussion on democracy, tolerance and the fact that every human was of equal value.' The Campaign was entitled Living History, or Levande Historia.
Honours and awards
- Raoul Wallenberg Award (2001)
- Honorary doctorate from Dankook UniversityDankook UniversityDankook University is a private university in South Korea. Dankook University has been constantly recognized as one of top universities in Asia ranked 148th in Asia by QS Asian Universities Ranking in 2010...
in SeoulSeoulSeoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea (2004) - Honorary doctorate from the University of Örebro (2004)
- Sophie PrizeSophie PrizeThe Sophie Prize is an international environment and development prize and is awarded annually. It was established in 1997 by the Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder and his wife Siri Dannevig, and it is named after Gaarder's novel Sophie's World. An award ceremony is set for June 22 in Oslo, Norway...
of the Norwegian Sophie Foundation for his environmental work, particularly on climate issues (2007) - Order of the Cross of Terra MarianaOrder of the Cross of Terra MarianaThe Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana was instituted in 1995 to honour the independence of the Estonian state. The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana is bestowed upon the President of the Republic. Presidents of the Republic who have ceased to hold office shall keep the Order of the Cross of...
, First Class (Estonia, 2011)