Kjell-Olof Feldt

Kjell-Olof Feldt (18 August 1931 – 8 January 2025) was a Swedish Social Democratic politician who was minister of finance between 1983 and 1990. Previously, Feldt was assistant minister of finance from 1975 to 1976 and minister of commerce and industry from 1970 to 1975, as well as minister for the budget in 1982. The Social Democrats lost power in the 1976 elections, but, after having won the elections of 1982, Feldt was appointed minister of finance by prime minister Olof Palme. He was seen as a part of Kanslihushögern during his time in office.

Early life Feldt was born on 18 August 1931 in Holmsund, Västerbotten County, Sweden, the son of Alexander Fält and his wife Irma (née Jonsson). Feldt was the son of a single mother, Irma, who had to send young Kjell-Olof to live with his grandfather's sister because of his father's alcoholic problems.

He passed studentexamen in Skellefteå in 1950, and received a Master of Politics degree from Uppsala University in 1956, and a Licentiate of Philosophy degree from Lund University in 1967.

In the late 1980s, Feldt was heavily criticised from within his own party: he and others at the Ministry of Finance "kanslihushögern" were perceived to be promoting right-wing politics and to be failing to live up to the traditional ideals of the social democrats. When economic problems mounted in 1990, the rift was highlighted, and Feldt left office after a fall-out with Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson on 16 February. Feldt had been in favour of a more conservative economic policy in response to the crisis, and when his ideas met resistance, he decided to leave his office. Feldt subsequently left party politics, though he remained a member of the Social Democratic Party. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Feldt has heavily criticised Social Democratic economic policy, both past and present.

Other work He was also editor of the Tiden magazine from 1962 to 1964. Honorary Doctor of Medicine, Karolinska Institute (2000) the daughter of the diplomat Göran von Otter and Anne Marie Ljungdahl.

Death Feldt died on 8 January 2025, at the age of 93.

Footnotes