Gunnar Sträng

Who was Gunnar Sträng?

Gunnar Georg Emanuel Sträng was a Swedish Social Democratic politician, most known for being Sweden's longest serving Minister for Finance.

Sträng grew up in a working-class family in Lövsta, today a part of Stockholm Municipality. After finishing school he started to work as a gardener. In 1927 he joined the local branch of the garderners' union and was soon elected to the board as secretary. A few years later, in 1932, he was elected as an official to the national union organisation for agricultural workers, with the task of recruiting new members in order to force the employers to consent to collective bargaining. In 1938, he was elected vice chairman of the trade union and the following year he succeeded the chairman.

Through the Swedish Trade Union Confederation Sträng was appointed as a representative on various state committees, and July 6, 1945, Prime Minister Per Albin Hansson offered him to be Minister for Agriculture. Sträng turned him down, but a few days later he accepted to be a member of the cabinet, although not with the title of minister. In 1947 Sträng was made "Conservation Minister" and implemented harsh measures, such as petroleum rationing. The following year he accepted to be Minister for Agriculture, and in 1951 he became Minister for Social Affairs. During this period, health insurance was made mandatory through a state system.