Olof Palme(1927-1986)

Palme came from an upper class family in Stockholm. While studying at the college of Stockholm he got involved in student politics and got the opportunity to travel through post-war Europe in 1949. He became president of Sweden's United Student Unions in 1952. When prime minister Tage Erlander needed a secretary in 1953 he appointed Palme. Palme had an impressive work capacity and also joined the Young Social Democrat's council in 1955. In 1958 he became member of the Parliament, and during this time he was in favor of a Swedish nuclear bomb. He kept the job as Erlander's secretary until 1963 when he was appointed cabinet minister. He made USA furious when he joined a demonstration against the Vietnam war together with North Vietnam's ambassador to Moscow. In 1969 he became leader of his party and prime minister. His starring in I Am Curious (Yellow) (1967) led to calls for his resignation because of Lena Nyman taking a bath in the nude. The recession during the 1970s and the debate about nuclear power stations made it anything but an envious position to lead the country and the Social Democrats lost the election in 1976. As leader of the opposition, Palme increased his international work: trying to solve the Iran-Iraq war and nuclear disarmament in Europe. He became prime minister again in 1982, having to make cutbacks in the public finances and trying to downplay the trade union's demands for collective ownership of private companies. He was murdered while walking home from a movie theater with his wife, having seen Bröderna Mozart (1986). Although having been in politics for more than 30 years, and dominating it for 15 years, his memory has almost disappeared from the public consciousness.