Background: This is a video from the last TV-debate days before the Swedish parliament election 1982. The speech, commonly known as “Why I am a Democratic Socialist” or “The Reason I am a Democratic Socialist” is one of Olof Palmes most famous appearances.

Olof Palme was Sweden’s prime minister (back and forth) and the leader of the Social Democratic Party between 1969 and 1986 when he was assassinated. He was a very controversial public figure, and caused a diplomatic crisis between Sweden and United States when he compared the Christmas Bombing of Hanoi 1972 with the terror in the Nazi concentration camps. His assassin has not yet been found. Wikipedia page.

Make sure to enable the subtitles!

Footnotes:

[1]: At that time, Torbjörn Fälldin was prime minister and leader of a right-wing party.

[2]: Tage Erlander: prime minister and the leader of the Social Democratic Party between 1946 and 1969. Wikipedia page.

[3]: Hjalmar Branting: One of the founders of the Social Democratic Party 1889. The first social democrat to enter parliament. Prime minister 1920-1925. Nobel peace prize laureate. Wikipedia page.

[4]: The people’s home or Folkhemmet was a political concept introduced by Per-Albin Hansson, leader of the Social Democratic Party between 1925 and 1946. He was a prime minister back and forth 1932-1946. Wikipedia page. The idea of Folkhemmet was a middle way between capitalism and socialism, heavily influenced by the teachings of John Maynard Keynes.

This is a free interpretation and doesn’t necessarily convey an accurate picture of the original speech.