Carl Gustaf Ekman
Encyclopedia
Carl Gustaf Ekman was a Swedish
politician
, Member of Parliament
1911-1932 (both lower and upper houses), leader of the Freeminded People's Party
1924-1932 and Prime Minister
from 1926 to 1928 and again from 1930 to 1932.
He was married to Laura Ekman (née Widlund), with whom he had four children.
) in Västmanland County
to farmer and soldier Carl Ekman and Josefina Säfström. He began working at the age of twelve as a farmhand, read everything he could get his hands on, and was entrusted with duties inside the temperance movement, where he became a functionary. He was promoted to director of the Friends of the Temperance Movement's disability and burial fund in Eskilstuna
. He was appointed in 1908 to chief editor of the liberal newspaper Eskiltuna-Kuriren. His attempt to be elected to Parliament (the Riksdag
) failed because of the domination of the Social Democrats in the industrial town of Eskiltuna, but in 1911 the Liberal Party gave him a seat in the upper house for the county of Gävleborg. He quickly established himself as the country's leading proponent of total prohibition on alcohol. In 1913 he moved to Stockholm
and quickly captured a seat in the Riksdag representing Stockholm.
Ekman became the most influential and controversial politician of the 1920s. Among Social Democrats he was regarded as a "class traitor
", having come from a working-class background but becoming a member of a non-socialist party. He was in fact the architect behind the downfall of several Social Democrat governments: Hjalmar Branting
's in 1923, Rickard Sandler
's in 1926, but also of the conservative government of Arvid Lindman
in 1930. In 1924 Ekman became the leader of the newly formed Freeminded People's Party
(Frisinnade folkpartiet).
As party leader he worked to strengthen the party's influence by cooperating with both the right and left. He who controls the Center controls the game, went his political power strategy, which was based upon no one block having a clear majority in the Riksdag
.
After Sandler
's fall from power in 1926, Ekman became Prime Minister for the first time. He was able to play back and forth between the right and the left and by doing so he became more successful than expected. He resolved an old debate on local taxes with a law on proportional taxation, which is still in effect to this day. He also concluded a sweeping reform of the school system. In 1928 the conservatives won in the polls and he was forced to give up power to Arvid Lindman
.
Ekman returned in 1930 when he and Per Albin Hansson
defeated the government's proposal to raise tariffs on grain. His second period as Prime Minister was difficult; the international depression after the Wall Street Crash of 1929
reached Sweden
, affecting both industry and agriculture. Ekman's traditional attitude of thriftiness made it difficult for him to accept the costly economic-stimulation programs which involved heavy economic measures.
On top of this, a debate began after the Kreuger Crash about political contributions from Ivar Kreuger
which Ekman personally accepted on behalf of his party. At first Ekman denied having received any such money, but in the end the public debate forced him to resign from office a month before the Riksdag
election in 1932, a great defeat for the Freeminded People's Party
. Ekman never returned to politics. Less than two years after his resignation his party was also gone—joined together with the Liberals to form the Liberal People's Party
(Folkpartiet). Not even his enemies thought that he had actually taken money for himself, nevertheless his conflicting statements on the matter were used to cast suspicion on him so that a formidable political opponent could be disposed of.
Ekman's legacy has been colored to a great extent by his political maneuvering as well as the scandal leading to his resignation, which do not do justice to his result-oriented policies during an anxious period when no lasting political majority could be formed. He died in Stockholm
on June 15, 1945.
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....
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, Member of Parliament
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...
1911-1932 (both lower and upper houses), leader of the Freeminded People's Party
Freeminded People's Party (Sweden)
The Freeminded People's Party was a political party in Sweden represented in the Riksdag from 1924 to 1935. It was formed in 1924 by the pro-ban majority of the Liberal Coalition Party as a consequence of the split over the issue on alcohol prohibition...
1924-1932 and Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
from 1926 to 1928 and again from 1930 to 1932.
He was married to Laura Ekman (née Widlund), with whom he had four children.
Biography
Carl Gustaf Ekamn was born in Munktorp (now Köping MunicipalityKöping Municipality
Köping Municipality is a municipality in Västmanland County in central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Köping.The municipality was created in 1971, when the former City of Köping was merged with the municipalities of Kolsva, Medåker and Munktorp forming a new municipality of unitary...
) in Västmanland County
Västmanland County
Västmanland County is a county or län in central Sweden. It borders to the counties of Södermanland, Örebro, Gävleborg, Dalarna and Uppsala...
to farmer and soldier Carl Ekman and Josefina Säfström. He began working at the age of twelve as a farmhand, read everything he could get his hands on, and was entrusted with duties inside the temperance movement, where he became a functionary. He was promoted to director of the Friends of the Temperance Movement's disability and burial fund in Eskilstuna
Eskilstuna
Eskilstuna is a city and the seat of Eskilstuna Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 60,185 inhabitants in 2005. Eskilstuna has a large Sweden Finn population....
. He was appointed in 1908 to chief editor of the liberal newspaper Eskiltuna-Kuriren. His attempt to be elected to Parliament (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...
) failed because of the domination of the Social Democrats in the industrial town of Eskiltuna, but in 1911 the Liberal Party gave him a seat in the upper house for the county of Gävleborg. He quickly established himself as the country's leading proponent of total prohibition on alcohol. In 1913 he moved to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
and quickly captured a seat in the Riksdag representing Stockholm.
Ekman became the most influential and controversial politician of the 1920s. Among Social Democrats he was regarded as a "class traitor
Class traitor
Class traitor is a term used by many Socialist organizations to refer to a member of the proletariat class who works directly or indirectly against their class interest, or what is against their economic benefit as opposed to that of the bourgeoisie...
", having come from a working-class background but becoming a member of a non-socialist party. He was in fact the architect behind the downfall of several Social Democrat governments: Hjalmar Branting
Hjalmar Branting
was a Swedish politician. He was the leader of the Swedish Social Democratic Party , and Prime Minister during three separate periods . When Branting came to power in 1920, he was the first Social Democratic Prime Minister of Sweden...
's in 1923, Rickard Sandler
Rickard Sandler
Rickard Johannes Sandler was a Swedish Social Democratic politician. He served asMinister without Portfolio in the Swedish government from 10 March 1920 to 30 June 1920, Minister for Finance from 1 July 1920 to 27 October 1920, Minister without Portfolio from 13 October 1921 to 19 April 1923,...
's in 1926, but also of the conservative government of Arvid Lindman
Arvid Lindman
Salomon Arvid Achates Lindman was a Swedish Rear Admiral, Industrialist and conservative politician...
in 1930. In 1924 Ekman became the leader of the newly formed Freeminded People's Party
Freeminded People's Party (Sweden)
The Freeminded People's Party was a political party in Sweden represented in the Riksdag from 1924 to 1935. It was formed in 1924 by the pro-ban majority of the Liberal Coalition Party as a consequence of the split over the issue on alcohol prohibition...
(Frisinnade folkpartiet).
As party leader he worked to strengthen the party's influence by cooperating with both the right and left. He who controls the Center controls the game, went his political power strategy, which was based upon no one block having a clear majority in 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...
.
After Sandler
Rickard Sandler
Rickard Johannes Sandler was a Swedish Social Democratic politician. He served asMinister without Portfolio in the Swedish government from 10 March 1920 to 30 June 1920, Minister for Finance from 1 July 1920 to 27 October 1920, Minister without Portfolio from 13 October 1921 to 19 April 1923,...
's fall from power in 1926, Ekman became Prime Minister for the first time. He was able to play back and forth between the right and the left and by doing so he became more successful than expected. He resolved an old debate on local taxes with a law on proportional taxation, which is still in effect to this day. He also concluded a sweeping reform of the school system. In 1928 the conservatives won in the polls and he was forced to give up power to Arvid Lindman
Arvid Lindman
Salomon Arvid Achates Lindman was a Swedish Rear Admiral, Industrialist and conservative politician...
.
Ekman returned in 1930 when he and 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...
defeated the government's proposal to raise tariffs on grain. His second period as Prime Minister was difficult; the international depression after the Wall Street Crash of 1929
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
reached 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....
, affecting both industry and agriculture. Ekman's traditional attitude of thriftiness made it difficult for him to accept the costly economic-stimulation programs which involved heavy economic measures.
Ivar Kreuger
Ivar Kreuger was a Swedish civil engineer, financier, entrepreneur and industrialist. In 1908 Kreuger co-founded the construction company Kreuger & Toll Byggnads AB which specialized in new building techniques. By aggressive investments and innovative financial instruments he built a global match...
which Ekman personally accepted on behalf of his party. At first Ekman denied having received any such money, but in the end the public debate forced him to resign from office a month before 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...
election in 1932, a great defeat for the Freeminded People's Party
Freeminded People's Party (Sweden)
The Freeminded People's Party was a political party in Sweden represented in the Riksdag from 1924 to 1935. It was formed in 1924 by the pro-ban majority of the Liberal Coalition Party as a consequence of the split over the issue on alcohol prohibition...
. Ekman never returned to politics. Less than two years after his resignation his party was also gone—joined together with the Liberals to form the Liberal People's Party
Liberal People's Party (Sweden)
The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006...
(Folkpartiet). Not even his enemies thought that he had actually taken money for himself, nevertheless his conflicting statements on the matter were used to cast suspicion on him so that a formidable political opponent could be disposed of.
Ekman's legacy has been colored to a great extent by his political maneuvering as well as the scandal leading to his resignation, which do not do justice to his result-oriented policies during an anxious period when no lasting political majority could be formed. He died in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
on June 15, 1945.