Ola Ullsten | |
---|---|
28th Prime Minister of Sweden | |
In office 18 October 1978 – 12 October 1979 ( 359 days) |
|
Monarch | Carl XVI Gustaf |
Deputy | Sven Romanus |
Preceded by | Thorbjörn Fälldin |
Succeeded by | Thorbjörn Fälldin |
Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
In office 12 October 1979 – 8 October 1982 ( 2 years, 361 days) |
|
Prime Minister | Thorbjörn Fälldin |
Preceded by | Hans Blix |
Succeeded by | Lennart Bodström |
Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden | |
In office 1 August 1980 – 8 October 1982 ( 2 years, 68 days) |
|
Prime Minister | Thorbjörn Fälldin |
Preceded by | Ingemar Mundebo |
Succeeded by | Ingvar Carlsson |
In office 7 March 1978 – 18 October 1978 ( 225 days) |
|
Prime Minister | Thorbjörn Fälldin |
Preceded by | Per Ahlmark |
Succeeded by | Sven Romanus |
Personal details | |
Born |
Umeå, Västerbotten County |
23 June 1931
Political party | Liberal People's Party |
Spouse(s) | Evi Esko (m. 1961; div. 1981) Louise Beaudoin (m. 1989) |
Children |
With Evi Esko: Maria Ullsten Katarina Ullsten With Louise Beaudoin: Nicolas Beaudoin-Ullsten Christian Beaudoin-Ullsten |
Stig Kjell Olof (Ola) Ullsten (born 23 June 1931) is a Swedish politician and diplomat who was Prime Minister of Sweden from 1978 to 1979 and leader of the Liberal People's Party from 1978 to 1983. He also served as Deputy Prime Minister briefly in 1978 and then again from 1980 to 1982 and served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1979 to 1982.
Ullsten was born in Teg, Västerbotten, a small town that would ultimately be annexed as a part of county capital Umeå. He is the son of forestry inspector Carl Augustinus Ullsten and schoolteacher Stina (née Rörström). Ullsten joined the Liberal Youth of Sweden and the People's Party in the spring of 1958.
In his youth he made several travels to the United States, and in 1959 took an active part in the successful campaign to elect liberal republican Nelson Rockefeller governor of New York. He served as the head of the Liberal Youth of Sweden between 1962 and 1964 and was elected to parliament in 1964.
Upon the formation of the first non-socialist government in Sweden in 40 years, 1976, he was appointed Minister for International Development. Upon the resignation of Liberal Party leader Per Ahlmark in 1978, Ullsten was elected party leader.
Upon the downfall of the center-right government the same year, he succeeded to the post of Prime Minister of Sweden the same year, heading a minority government consisting of Liberal party and independent ministers. The breakup mainly consisted of disagreements over energy policy. After the successful survival of the coalition in the 1979 parliamentary elections he resigned as prime minister in favor of Thorbjörn Fälldin, his predecessor.