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Anna-Greta Leijon

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Swedish politician (1939–2024)

Anna-Greta Leijon
Leijon in 2012
Minister for Justice
In office
19 October 1987 – 7 June 1988
Prime MinisterIngvar Carlsson
Preceded bySten Wickbom
Succeeded byThage G. Peterson
In office
11 November 1983 – 15 November 1983
Acting
Prime MinisterOlof Palme
Preceded byOve Rainer
Succeeded bySten Wickbom
Minister for Employment
In office
8 October 1982 – 19 October 1987
Prime MinisterOlof Palme
Ingvar Carlsson
Preceded byIngemar Eliasson
Succeeded byIngela Thalén
Minister for Immigration and for Gender Equality
Deputy Minister for Employment
In office
3 November 1973 – 8 October 1976
Prime MinisterOlof Palme
Preceded byCamilla Odhnoff
Succeeded byEva Winther (1978)
Personal details
BornAnna Margareta Maria Lejon
(1939-06-30)30 June 1939
Stockholm, Sweden
Died11 April 2024(2024-04-11) (aged 84)
Stockholm, Sweden
Political partySocial Democrats
Spouse Leif Backéus ​ ​(m. 1975; div. 1996)​
Domestic partnerAnders Leion (1964–1970)
ChildrenBritta, Svante
Alma materUppsala University

Anna-Greta Leijon (born Anna Margareta Maria Lejon; 30 June 1939 – 11 April 2024) was a Swedish Social Democratic politician. Leijon began her political career in 1964 at the Swedish Labour Market Administration [sv], eventually becoming its director in 1970. From 1973 to 1976, she served as a minister without portfolio and was a member of the Riksdag from 1974 to 1990, notably serving as vice chairman of the Committee on the Labour Market from 1979 to 1982.

Within the Social Democratic Party, she held various roles including membership in the Executive Committee from 1981 onwards. Leijon's ministerial positions included employment (1982–1987), gender equality (1986), and justice (1987–1988), although she did not hold a law degree. However, her tenure as justice minister ended abruptly due to the Ebbe Carlsson affair. Notably, she chaired the General Conference of the International Labour Organization in 1984. Beyond politics, Leijon served as director general of the National Institute of Occupational Health from 1992 and held several public roles, including chairmanship of Sveriges Television (SVT) and Moderna Museet.

Early life

Leijon was born on 30 June 1939 in Högalid Parish [sv], Stockholm, Sweden.

Career

Political career

Leijon was employed at the Swedish Labour Market Administration (Arbetsmarknadsstyrelsen) in 1964 and became agency director there in 1970. Leijon was minister without portfolio from 1973 to 1976 and member of the Riksdag (s) from 1974 to 1990 (vice chairman of the Committee on the Labour Market from 1979 to 1982). She was a member of the Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party Board from 1981, minister for employment from 1982 to 1987, minister for gender equality in 1986 and minister for justice from 1987 to 1988 when she was forced to step down due to the Ebbe Carlsson affair. Leijon was chairman of the Committee on Finance from 1988 to 1990.

Leijon was chairman of the General Conference of the International Labour Organization in 1984.

Kidnapping plans

Following the 1975 West German Embassy siege in Stockholm, the German Red Army Faction (RAF) terrorist Norbert Kröcher allegedly planned to kidnap Anna-Greta Leijon. The goal was to exchange Leijon for eight of his comrades held in German prisons. The plan, known as Operation Leo, was intercepted by the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) and Kröcher was arrested on 31 March in Stockholm. He was deported from Sweden in 1977 and jailed in Germany. He was released in 1989 and did not rejoin the RAF. Leijon was chosen as the kidnapping victim because she had the responsibility for the terrorist legislation and was ultimately responsible for the expulsion of the RAF terrorists who carried out the embassy siege.

Other work

Leijon became director general of the National Institute of Occupational Health (Arbetsmiljöinstitutet) in 1992. After her time as politician, Anna-Greta Leijon had several public assignments, including as chairman of the Sveriges Television (SVT) from 1994 to 2000. In 1995, she succeeded Hans Alfredson as head of Skansen open-air museum in Stockholm, an assignment that she held until 31 August 2005, when she was replaced by John Brattmyhr [sv]. She was chairman of the Swedish Council for Social Research (Socialvetenskapliga forskningsrådet) from 1990 to 1993 and of Moderna Museet from 1994 to 2000.

Personal life

From 1964 to 1970, she was partner of Anders Leion (born 1939). In 1975, she married electrical engineer Leif Backéus (born 1934). They divorced in 1996. She was the mother of Britta Lejon, the former Minister for Democratic Issues in Sweden. Anna-Greta Leijon, her former partner Anders Leion and their daughter Britta Lejon all spell their surnames differently.

Leijon died on 11 April 2024 at the age of 84.

Books

See also

References

  1. "Anna-Greta Leijon". Nationalencyklopedin (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  2. Beckman, Ludvig (2006). "The Competent Cabinet? Ministers in Sweden and the Problem of Competence and Democracy". Scandinavian Political Studies. 29 (2): 119. doi:10.1111/J.1467-9477.2006.00145.X.
  3. Szabad, Carl, ed. (2003). Sveriges befolkning 1970 (CD-ROM) (in Swedish) (Version 1.04 ed.). Stockholm: Sveriges släktforskarförb. ISBN 91-87676-31-1.
  4. ^ Uddling, Hans; Paabo, Katrin, eds. (1992). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1993 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 1993] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 643. ISBN 91-1-914072-X. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  5. Hansson, Kristofer (23 December 2007). Ebbe Carlsson-affären [Ebbe Carlsson affair] (MP3). P3 Dokumentär (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio P3. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  6. ^ Jönsson, Lena, ed. (2000). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 2001 [Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 2001] (in Swedish). Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 371. ISBN 9172850426. SELIBR 8261515. Archived from the original on 23 January 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  7. Lauterpacht, Elihu (1982). International Law Reports. Cambridge University Press. p. 279. ISBN 9780521464079.
  8. Johnsson, Fredrik (29 April 2012). "Operation Leo" (MP3). P3 Dokumentär (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio P3. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  9. Berg, Rosanna (12 April 2024). "Anna-Greta Leijon har gått bort". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Sveriges Television. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  10. Gyllenberg, Eva-Karin (29 July 2007). "Leijon på Skansen snart ett minne blott" [Leijon at Skansen soon just a memory]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  11. Crofts, Maria (7 October 1998). "Nya ministern – visst är hon lik sin mamma" [The new minister – doesn't she look like her mother]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  12. Säfvelin, Ylva (12 April 2024). "Anna-Greta Leijon har gått bort". Aktuellt i Politiken (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.

External links

Political offices
Preceded byCamilla Odhnoff Minister for Immigration and for Gender Equality
Deputy Minister for Employment
1973–1976 		Succeeded byEva Winther
(from 1978)
Preceded byIngemar Eliasson Minister for Employment
1982–1987 		Succeeded byIngela Thalén
Preceded bySten Wickbom Minister for Justice
1987–1988 		Succeeded byThage G. Peterson
Preceded byArne Gadd Chairman of Committee on Finance
1988–1990 		Succeeded byHans Gustafsson
Other offices
Preceded byHans Alfredson Head of Skansen
1995–2005 		Succeeded byJohn Brattmyhr
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