Ola Ullsten | |
|---|---|
 Ullsten,c. 1966 | |
| Prime Minister of Sweden | |
| In office 18 October 1978 – 12 October 1979 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Prime Minister | Thorbjörn Fälldin |
| Preceded by | Ingemar Mundebo |
| Succeeded by | Ingvar Carlsson |
| In office 7 March 1978 – 18 October 1978 | |
| Prime Minister | Thorbjörn Fälldin |
| Preceded by | Per Ahlmark |
| Succeeded by | Sven Romanus |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Stig Kjell Olof Ullsten (1931-06-23)23 June 1931 Teg, Sweden |
| Died | 28 May 2018(2018-05-28) (aged 86) Öja, Sweden |
| Political party | Liberal People's Party |
| Spouse(s) | Evi Esko Louise Beaudoin |
| Children | With Evi Esko: Maria Ullsten Katarina Ullsten With Louise Beaudoin: Nicolas Beaudoin-Ullsten Christian Beaudoin-Ullsten |
| Cabinet | Ullsten’s cabinet |
Stig Kjell Olof "Ola" Ullsten (23 June 1931 – 28 May 2018) was a Swedishpolitician anddiplomat who wasPrime Minister of Sweden from 1978 to 1979 and leader of theLiberal People's Party from 1978 to 1983.[1] He also served asDeputy Prime Minister briefly in 1978 and then again from 1980 to 1982 and served asMinister for Foreign Affairs from 1979 to 1982. Ullsten is Sweden's only Liberal prime minister since the 1930s.[2]
Stig Kjell Olof Ullsten[3] was born inTeg,Västerbotten, a small town that would ultimately be annexed as a part ofcounty capitalUmeå. He was the son of forestry inspector Carl Augustin Ullsten (14 August 1892 – 27 March 1977) and schoolteacher Kristina Ullsten (née Röström; 27 February 1900 – 23 March 1993).[4] Ullsten joined theLiberal Youth of Sweden and thePeople's Party in the spring of 1958.[5]
In his youth he made several travels to theUnited States, and in 1959 took an active part in the successful campaign to electliberal RepublicanNelson Rockefeller governor ofNew York. He served as the head of theLiberal Youth of Sweden between 1962 and 1964 and was elected to parliament in 1964.
Upon the formation in 1976 of the first non-socialist government in Sweden in 40 years, he was appointed Minister for International Development. When Liberal Party leaderPer Ahlmark resigned in 1978, Ullsten was elected party leader.
Sweden'scenter-right coalition government broke up later in 1978, mainly owing to disagreements over energy policy. Ullsten then succeeded to the post ofPrime Minister of Sweden, heading a minority government consisting of Liberal Party and independent ministers. After the successful survival of the coalition in the1979 parliamentary elections, he resigned as prime minister in favor ofThorbjörn Fälldin, his predecessor.
He then went on to serve asMinister for Foreign Affairs under the new three-party government of Thorbjörn Fälldin from 1979 to 1982. He has later served as the Swedish Ambassador toCanada, also accredited toThe Bahamas from 1984 to 1989 andItaly, also accredited toAlbania from 1989 to 1995.[6]
In 1961 he married Evi Esko (29 October 1931 – 2 January 1992),[7] daughter of the teachers Roman Esko and Elsa Tammik.[8] They divorced in 1981 and in 1989 Ullsten married Louise Beaudoin (born 1954).[6]
Ullsten died on 28 May 2018 at the age of 86 of natural causes.[9][10] At the time of his death, he had four children and three grandchildren.[11]
Ullsten was awarded theIllis quorum by the government of Sweden in 2001.[12]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Leader of the Swedish Liberal People's Party 1978–1983 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Prime Minister of Sweden 1978–1979 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Foreign Affairs 1979–1982 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by | Ambassador of Sweden to Canada 1984–1989 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ambassador of Sweden to The Bahamas 1985–1989 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ambassador of Sweden to Italy 1989–1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ambassador of Sweden to Albania 1992–1995 | Succeeded by |
