Palme, (Sven) Olof Joachim

Swedish social-democratic politician, prime minister 1969–76 and 1982–86. As prime minister he carried out constitutional reforms, turning the Riksdag into a single-chamber parliament and stripping the monarch of power, and was widely respected for his support of developing countries. He was assassinated in February 1986.

Palme, educated in Sweden and the USA, joined the Social Democratic Labour Party (SAP) in 1949 and became secretary to the prime minister in 1954. He led the SAP youth movement 1955–61. In 1963 he entered government and held several posts before becoming leader of the SAP in 1969. Palme was shot by an unknown assassin in the centre of Stockholm while walking home with his wife after an evening visit to a cinema.