1956 Swedish general election

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1956 Swedish general election
Flag of Sweden.svg
  1952 16 September 1956 1958  

All 231 seats in the Andra kammaren of the Riksdag
116 seats needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Tage Erlander 1952.jpg Bertil Ohlin.jpg Hjalmarson (2).JPG
Leader Tage Erlander Bertil Ohlin Jarl Hjalmarson
Party Social Democrats People's Party Right
Last election1105831
Seats won1065842
Seat changeDecrease2.svg4Steady2.svgIncrease2.svg11
Popular vote1,729,463923,564663 693
Percentage44.58%23.81%17.11%

 Fourth partyFifth party
  Gunnar Hedlund 1951.jpg Hilding Hagberg-2.jpg
Leader Gunnar Hedlund Hilding Hagberg
Party Centre Communist
Last election265
Seats won196
Seat changeDecrease2.svg7Increase2.svg1
Popular vote366,612194,016
Percentage9.45%5.00%

Riksdagsvalet 1956.svg
Largest bloc and seats won by constituency

Prime Minister before election

Tage Erlander
Social Democrats

Elected Prime Minister

Tage Erlander
Social Democrats

General elections were held in Sweden on 16 September 1956. [1] [2] The Swedish Social Democratic Party remained the largest party, winning 106 of the 231 seats in the Andra kammaren of the Riksdag. [3] A Social Democratic-Farmers' League coalition government was formed by Prime Minister Tage Erlander after the election with 125 of the total of 231 seats. Although the non-socialist parties held a majority in the Second Chamber, the Social Democrats held a majority in the First Chamber, so a non-socialist government could not be formed.

The election was dominated by economic issues. The right-wing opposition focused issues such as taxes on income and companies, as well as regulation in the construction sector. The Erlander government mainly put front social policy and its policy of full employment. Through the use of radio and television the election was now more centralized than ever, with increased focus on the party leaders. A new generation of younger and more fiery party leaders had been elected between 1944 and 1950, which effected the climate of the debate. [4] The tendencies of the previous election continued, with both governing parties losing seats, the Farmers league more so than the Social democrats. The election triggered a discussion within the farmers league about parting from the governing coalition, as the governing parties had a difference of opinion on several issues since the past election. In the end however the farmers league decided to stay in government with the Social democrats, with the coalition breaking up over the question of pension reform in 1957, leading to the formation of Tage Erlander's third government and a snap election in 1958. [5]

Results

Sweden Riksdag 1956.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Swedish Social Democratic Party 1,729,46344.58106–4
People's Party 923,56423.81580
Right Party 663,69317.1142+11
Farmers' League 366,6129.4519–7
Communist Party 194,0165.006+1
Left Socialist Party 1,2520.0300
Samlingspartiet6350.020New
Other parties950.0000
Total3,879,330100.00231+1
Valid votes3,879,33099.42
Invalid/blank votes22,7840.58
Total votes3,902,114100.00
Registered voters/turnout4,887,32579.84
Source: Nohlen & Stöver, SCB

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References

  1. "Riksdagsmannavalen åren 1953-1956 - Valstatistik-Riksdagsmannavalen-1953-1954-1955-1956.pdf" (PDF) (in Swedish). Statistiska Centralbyrån . Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  2. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1858 ISBN   978-3-8329-5609-7
  3. Nohlen & Stöver, p1872
  4. Grenholm, Gunvor, p77
  5. Grenholm, Gunvor, p77