Gunnar Hedlund

Gunnar Hedlund (1 October 1900 – 26 November 1989) was a Swedish politician who served as chairman of the Centre Party from 1949 to 1971. He served as Minister of the Interior 1951 from 1957 and was a member of the Riksdag (parliament) from 1942 to 1976.

Biography
Hedlund was born in Helgum, Sollefteå Municipality, Ångermanland, and in 1926 Hedlund became a member of the municipal council of Helgum and in 1930 he became its chairman. He was very active in associations connected with silviculture. In 1938 he defended a dissertation at Uppsala University and became Juris Doctor.

In 1942 he was elected to the lower chamber of the Riksdag (parliament), representing the Centre Party, or Bondeförbundet (The Farmers' League) as it was known until 1957. In 1948 he took over the leadership of the party temporarily (when the former leader Axel Pehrsson-Bramstorp had suffered a stroke) and was formally elected to the post in 1949.

In 1951 the Centre Party entered into a coalition government with the Social Democrats, and Hedlund became Minister of the Interior, succeeding Eije Mossberg. In the end, the parties could not agree on a new pension system, and after a referendum in 1957 on the matter the Centre Party and the Social Democrats went their separate ways.

The Centre Party grew steadily from 1958 and in 1968 they had become the second largest party in Sweden.

In the 1970 general election, Hedlund was initially open to the idea of forming another coalition with the Social Democrats, feeling that they might another coalition to stay in power. However, he became an opponent of Social Democratic leader and prime minister Olof Palme during this election, and the second coalition never formed.

In 1971 Hedlund resigned as chairman and was succeeded by Thorbjörn Fälldin. Hedlund retained a seat in the Riksdag until 1976.

In retirement, he met for dinners and political talks with his former political rival, Liberal leader Bertil Ohlin.

Awards and decorations

 * Order_of_the_Polar_Star_-_Ribbon_bar,_pre_1975.svg 🇸🇪 Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star (23 November 1955)
 * Illis quorum (1984)