Anna-Greta Leijon
Anna-Greta 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
Born
Anna Margareta Maria Lejon

(1939-06-30) 30 June 1939 (age 84)
Stockholm, Sweden
Political partySocial Democrats
SpouseLeif Backéus (1975–)
Domestic partnerAnders Leion (1964–1970)
ChildrenBritta, Svante
Alma materUppsala University

Anna-Greta Leijon (born Anna Margareta Maria Lejon, 30 June 1939)[1] is a Swedish former social democratic politician.[2] She held various ministerial posts one of which was the minister for justice although she does not have any degree in law.[3]

Early life and career

Leijon was born on 30 June 1939 in Stockholm, Sweden. She 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).[4] 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[4] when she was forced to step down due to the Ebbe Carlsson affair.[5] Leijon was chairman of the Committee on Finance from 1988 to 1990.[4]

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 8 of his comrades held in German prisons.[6] 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.[7]

Other work

She became the president of International Labour Organization in 1984 and she has been chairman of Social Science Research Council (Socialvetenskapliga forskningsrådet).[4]

Later career

After her time as politician Anna-Greta Leijon had several public assignments, including as chairman of the Sveriges Television (SVT) from 1995 to 2005. 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.[8] Leijon was chairman of Moderna Museet from 1999 to 2008.

Personal life

From 1964 to 1970, she was partner of Anders Leion (born 1939). In 1975, she married electrical engineer Leif Backéus (born 1934).[4] She is the mother of Britta Lejon, the former Minister for Democratic Issues in Sweden. Anna-Greta Leijon, her former partner Anders Leion and the daughter Britta Lejon all spell their surnames differently.[9]

Bibliography

See also

References

  1. ^ Szabad, Carl, ed. (2003). Sveriges befolkning 1970 (CD-ROM) (in Swedish) (Version 1.04 ed.). Stockholm: Sveriges släktforskarförb. ISBN 91-87676-31-1.
  2. ^ "Anna-Greta Leijon". Nationalencyklopedin (in Swedish). Retrieved 9 May 2010.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ a b c d e 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.
  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. ^ Lauterpacht, Elihu (1982). International Law Reports. Cambridge University Press. p. 279. ISBN 9780521464079.
  7. ^ Johnsson, Fredrik (29 April 2012). "Operation Leo" (MP3). P3 Dokumentär (in Swedish). Sveriges Radio P3. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  8. ^ Gyllenberg, Eva-Karin (29 July 2007). "Leijon på Skansen snart ett minne blott" [Leijon at Skansen soon just a memory]. Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 10 May 2009.
  9. ^ Crofts, Maria (7 October 1998). "Nya ministern – visst är hon lik sin mamma" [The new minister - doesn't she looks like her mother]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 10 May 2009.
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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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