Liberalism and centrism in Sweden

Liberalism
Part of a series on

Schools History of liberalism Contributions to liberal theory
Ideas Cultural liberalism Democratic capitalism Democratic education Economic liberalism Free market Egalitarianism Free trade Harm principle Individualism Laissez-faire Liberal democracy Liberal neutrality Market economy Negative / positive liberty Open society Permissive society Political freedom Popular sovereignty Rights (individual) Secularism Separation of church and state
Variants Anarchist Classical Conservative Democratic Geolibertarianism Green Liberal feminism Liberal internationalism Libertarianism National Neoliberalism Ordoliberalism Paleoliberalism Radical centrism Radicalism Religious Secular Social Socialist
People Frédéric Bastiat Jeremy Bentham Isaiah Berlin Anders Chydenius Adam Ferguson Milton Friedman John Kenneth Galbraith David Lloyd George Henry George William Ewart Gladstone Thomas Hill Green Václav Havel Friedrich Hayek Leonard Hobhouse Wilhelm von Humboldt David Hume Thomas Jefferson Immanuel Kant Adamantios Korais Wilfrid Laurier John Locke Thomas Babington Macaulay Salvador de Madariaga Giuseppe Mazzini James Mill John Stuart Mill Ludwig von Mises Montesquieu Robert Nozick Thomas Paine Lester B. Pearson Ayn Rand John Rawls David Ricardo Franklin D. Roosevelt Jean-Baptiste Say Herbert Spencer Adam Smith Alexis de Tocqueville Pierre Trudeau Mary Wollstonecraft
Organizations Liberal parties Africa Liberal Network (ALN) Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (ALDEP) Arab Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (AAFD) Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) European Democratic Party (EDP) European Liberal Youth (LYMEC) International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) Liberal International Liberal Network for Latin America (RELIAL) Liberal South East European Network (LIBSEEN)
Liberalism portal Politics portal

This article gives an overview of liberalism and centrism in Sweden. It is limited to liberal and centrist parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ denotes another party in that scheme. For inclusion in this scheme it isn't necessary so that parties labeled themselves as a liberal party.

Background

Liberalism has been a major force in Sweden since the 19th century. Nowadays The Liberals (Liberalerna, member LI, ALDE) calls itself a centre-right liberal party. The Centre Party (Centerpartiet, member ALDE) is a historically agrarian party that has gradually developed into a liberal party.

History

From People's Party to The Liberals

1895: The liberal wing of the Old Party of the Gentry (''Gamla Lantmannapartiet) seceded and formed the People's Party (Folkpartiet)
1900: The liberals are reorganised into the Liberal Coalition Party/Freeminded National Association (Liberala Samlingspartiet/Frisinnade Landsföreningen)
1922: The party fell apart into the Freeminded People's Party/Freeminded National Association (Frisinnade Folkpartiet/Frisinnade Landsföreningen) and the ⇒ Liberal Party of Sweden
1934: Both parties re-united into the People's Party (Folkpartiet)
1990: The party is renamed People's Party - The Liberals (Folkpartiet Liberalerna)
2015: The party shortened its name to The Liberals (Liberalerna).

Liberal Party of Sweden

1922: The Liberal Coalition Party fell apart into the ⇒ Freeminded People's Party and the Liberal Party of Sweden (Sveriges Liberala Parti)
1934: Both parties re-united into the ⇒ People's Party

Centre Party

1958: The agrarian Rural Party - Farmers' League (Landbygdspartiet Bondeförbundet) renamed itself into Centre Party (Centerpartiet) and evolved gradually from an agrarian into a more liberal direction.

Liberal leaders

Folkpartiet/Liberalerna: Bertil Ohlin - Gunnar Helén - Per Ahlmark - Ola Ullsten - Bengt Westerberg - Maria Leissner - Lars Leijonborg - Jan Björklund
Centerpartiet: Maud Olofsson - Annie Lööf

Liberal thinkers

In the Contributions to liberal theory the following Swedish thinkers are included:

Anders Chydenius (1729–1803)
Ivan Bratt (1878–1956)
Bertil Ohlin (1899–1979)