Carlsson, Ingvar Gösta

Swedish socialist politician. Leader of the Social Democratic Labour Party (SDAP) 1986–96, he was deputy prime minister 1982–86 and prime minister 1986–91 and 1994–96.

After studying in Sweden and the USA, Carlsson became president of the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League in 1961. He was elected to the Riksdag (parliament) in 1964 and served in the governments of Olof Palme 1969–75, as education and housing ministers, and 1982–86, becoming deputy prime minister in 1982. On Palme's assassination in February 1986, Carlsson replaced him as SDAP leader and prime minister. His party lost its majority in the September 1991 parliamentary elections and he resigned as prime minister, but he was returned to power after the September 1994 elections at the head of a minority SDAP government. In March 1996 he resigned as party leader and prime minister, citing personal reasons. He was replaced as party leader and prime minister by Goran Persson.