Sven Wedén

Sven Wedén (23 July 1913, Eskilstuna – 31 March 1976, Båstad) was a Swedish politician. He was the leader of the Swedish People's Party from 1967 to 1969. Wedén survived severe tuberculosis and became a businessman in the family company, a metal manufacturing firm. Wedén had no higher education but became a self-learned intellectual, starting with extensive reading during long sejours at tuberculosis hospitals. He was strongly pro-British and influenced by reading about British parliamentary life. Wedén also was passionately anti-nazi and during World War II he joined the liberal party of Sweden, the People's Party, where he became city councillor, chairman of the youth organization and member of parliament. In parliament Wedén for many years worked with housing and defence policy, but over the years he became part of the small circle of leading liberals around Bertil Ohlin and finally Ohlins successor as chairman and parliamentary leader. However Wedéns health was now broken and after his only election campaign as party leder, which ended with a setback, he resigned as party chairman 1968 and retired from parliament after the election 1970.