Ingvar Carlsson Facts for Kids

Positions held under Palme


Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden
In office 8 October 1982 – 28 February 1986
Prime Minister	Olof Palme
Preceded by	Ola Ullsten
Succeeded by	Svante Lundkvist (Acting)
Minister for Housing
In office 1 January 1974 – 8 October 1976
Prime Minister	Olof Palme
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Elvy Olsson
Minister for Education
In office 14 October 1969 – 2 November 1973
Prime Minister	Olof Palme
Preceded by	Olof Palme
Succeeded by	Bertil Zachrisson

Personal details

Born

Gösta Ingvar Carlsson

9 November 1934 (age 90)
Borås, Sweden

Political party

Social Democratic

Spouse

Ingrid Carlsson

(m. 1957)

Residences

Tyresö, Sweden

Alma mater

Lund University,
Northwestern University

Profession

Business economist

Signature

Military service

Allegiance

Sweden

Branch/service

Swedish Army

Gösta Ingvar Carlsson (born 9 November 1934) is a Swedish politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Sweden two times. His first term was from 1986 to 1991, and his second was from 1994 to 1996. He was also the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party for ten years, from 1986 to 1996. Ingvar Carlsson played a key role in Sweden joining the European Union.

Carlsson was a member of the Riksdag (the Swedish Parliament) from 1965 to 1996. During his career, he held several important government jobs. He was the Minister of Education (1969–1973) and the Minister of Housing (1973–1976). He also served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1982 to 1986. After Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated in 1986, Ingvar Carlsson became the new Prime Minister.

Early Life
Early Political Career
Prime Minister of Sweden
- First Term as Prime Minister (1986–1991)
- Second Term as Prime Minister (1994–1996)
Later Life and Contributions
Personal Life
Awards and Honours
Images for kids
See also

Early Life

Ingvar Carlsson was born in Borås, Sweden, on November 9, 1934. He was the third son of Olof Karlsson, who worked in a warehouse, and Ida Johansson. Carlsson studied business economics and political science at Lund University. While there, he met Tage Erlander, who was the Swedish Prime Minister at the time, and his assistant Olof Palme. Palme later became Prime Minister himself.

Early Political Career

Carlsson (far right) in 1968, with Olof Palme (left), Tage Erlander (center), and Sten Andersson (right).

After finishing his studies, Carlsson started working for Prime Minister Erlander. He was part of a group of young assistants, including Olof Palme, whom Erlander called "the boys." In 1965, Carlsson went to Northwestern University in the United States as a Fulbright scholar to study economics.

When he returned to Sweden, he was elected to the Swedish Parliament. In the same year, he also became the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League. Before becoming Prime Minister, he held several important roles:

Minister of Education (1969–1973)
Minister of Housing (1973–1976)
Deputy Prime Minister (1982–1986)

He was serving as Deputy Prime Minister when Prime Minister Olof Palme was assassinated in 1986.

Prime Minister of Sweden

First Term as Prime Minister (1986–1991)

Carlsson (right), with his wife Ingrid (far left), First Lady Nancy Reagan (left), and President Ronald Reagan (far right), during a 1987 visit to the White House.

After the assassination of Olof Palme in 1986, Ingvar Carlsson became the new Prime Minister of Sweden and the leader of the Social Democratic Party. His government, along with Finance Minister Kjell-Olof Feldt, managed to change a large government debt into a surplus. This led to more investments and very low unemployment at first.

However, Sweden's economy started to face difficulties in the early 1990s. In 1990, Carlsson's government resigned because they couldn't get enough support for their economic plans. But they were quickly put back in power with a slightly changed plan. In 1987, Carlsson visited U.S. President Ronald Reagan at the White House. He was the first Swedish Prime Minister to visit a U.S. president since 1961.

Second Term as Prime Minister (1994–1996)

The Social Democrats lost the elections in 1991. But Ingvar Carlsson returned to power after winning the elections in 1994. His new government focused on improving Sweden's finances. The new Finance Minister, Göran Persson, was given this important task. This period was challenging, and the government faced criticism for cutting public services and raising taxes.

Carlsson strongly supported Sweden joining the European Union. He believed it was important for Sweden's economy. After four years of talks and a big campaign to encourage support, a national vote was held on October 13, 1994. A large number of people voted, and 52.3% voted to join. Sweden officially joined the EU in January 1995, along with Austria and Finland.

In August 1995, Ingvar Carlsson announced he would step down as party leader and Prime Minister. Mona Sahlin, who was Deputy Prime Minister, was expected to take over. However, due to an issue, she withdrew her candidacy. On December 5, 1995, Göran Persson was suggested as the new party leader. He was elected on March 15, 1996, and became Prime Minister on March 22, 1996.

Later Life and Contributions

After leaving office, Ingvar Carlsson continued to be involved in important work. He led an investigation into the Gothenburg Riots of 2001. His report was given to the government in 2003.

Carlsson also chaired an independent investigation into the United Nations' actions during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. He also became the chairman of the Bergman Foundation Center on Fårö. In 1995, he co-chaired the Commission on Global Governance. This group looked at issues like international development, global security, and how countries work together.

His political journey was greatly influenced by Olof Palme, with whom he worked closely. However, his policies are often seen as continuing the work started by Tage Erlander.

Personal Life

On July 10, 1957, Ingvar Carlsson married Ingrid Melander, who was a librarian. They have two daughters and three grandchildren. Ingrid was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease some years ago. As of 2024, she lives in a nursing home in Tyresö, where Carlsson visits her often. He lives in an apartment in the same area.

Ingvar Carlsson is a big fan of football. He supports the teams IF Elfsborg and Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C..

Awards and Honours

H. M. The King's Medal, a special gold medal (1996)
Commander of the Legion of Honour (2017)
Honorary doctor of philosophy, Lund University (1989)
Honorary degree, Northwestern University (1991)
Honorary doctor of technology, Luleå University of Technology (1996)

Images for kids

Ingvar Carlsson's signature

Ingvar Carlsson facts for kids

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