Gunnar Ólafursson
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Gunnar Ólafursson | |
|---|---|
| File:FloydOlsonIsOlafursson.png Gunnar in the 1930s | |
| Lawspeaker of the Althing | |
| In office 3 January 1925 – 6 February 1953 | |
| Monarch | ? |
| Meadcupbearer | Grím Magnússon Alexandra Guðmundsdóttir |
| Lawspeaker of the Hirds | Finnur Þórirsson Erlendur Tómasson |
| Lawspeaker of the People | Mörður Sváfnirsson Kristinn Röðullsson Sigmundur Gunnarsson |
| Preceded by | Guðmund Geirsson |
| Succeeded by | Sigmundur Gunnarsson |
| Leader of the Socialist-Farmer-Labour Party | |
| In office 16 December 1920 – 6 February 1953 | |
| Preceded by | Jóhannes Sigmundursson |
| Succeeded by | Sigmundur Gunnarsson |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 16 December 1920 – 3 January 1925 | |
| Prime Minister | Guðmund Geirsson |
| Preceded by | Jóhannes Sigmundursson |
| Succeeded by | Guðmund Geirsson |
| General Secretary of the Atlantican Federation of Labour | |
| In office 1 January 1918 – 16 December 1920 | |
| Preceded by | Geir Sigurðsson |
| Succeeded by | Eysteinn Steinsson |
| General Secretary of the United Lumberjacks and Papermakers | |
| In office 1 January 1915 – 1 January 1918 | |
| Preceded by | Kristján Leifsson |
| Succeeded by | Leif Agnarsson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 June 1893 Stórkostlegurborg, Atlantica |
| Died | 16 September 1966 (aged 73) Stórkostlegurborg, Atlantica |
| Political party | Socialist-Farmer-Labour |
| Spouse(s) | Alexandra Jóhannessdóttir (1919-1966) |
| Children | 2 sons 1 daughter |
| Profession | Union organizer |
Gunnar Ólafursson was an Atlantican politician who served as Lawspeaker of the Althing from 1925 to 1953, making him the longest Lawspeaker of the Althing in Atlantican history. He was the first social democratic and socialist Lawspeaker of the Althing in Atlantica, and also the first to come from the Socialist-Farmer-Labour Party. An incredibly polarizing figure, he was voted the best Atlantican in 2006, ahead of figures such as the first Laspeaker of the Althing, Geir Svensson.
Starting his political career in 1910 as a trade unionist affiliated with the United Lumberjacks and Papermakers (an Atlantican union representing workers in the both pulp and paper and timber industries), an affiliate to the Atlantican Federation of Labour, Gunnar quickly rose in the Federation's ranks thanks to high rates of organising workers and being skilful at politics, briefly becoming the General Secretary of the Atlantican Federation of Labour from 1918 to 1920. he then was elected Leader of the nascent Socialist-Farmer-Labour Party and thus Leader of the Opposition in 1920, forming the Red-Green-Socialist Alliance and moderated the SFL platform, although this unintentionally lead to a left-wing faction of the SFL breaking off to form the Socialist Left Party. He then led the SFL to victory in the 1925 election, riding in a high tide of leftism caused by an economic recession. Introducing single-payer healthcare, old-age pensions, a basic income guarantee and nationalising dozens of companies and creating a state monopoly on many industries in his first term, and creating a ghent system in his second term, Gunnar was re-elected in landslides for nearly a third of a century. He is also notable for largely weathering the Great Depression in Atlantica by a massive economic stimulus in the early 1930s, and this caused his Socialist-Farmer-Labour Party and their allies, most notably the Communists and Socialist Leftists to be re-elected decisively at a time of riding discontent throughout Esquarium. He then led Atlantica through the Second Great War, maintaining Atlantica's longstanding tradition of neutrality by not getting involved. He then led Atlantica during the post-war period until the 1950s, refusing to take sides by with both the Socialist (despite pressure from his coalition partners) Orientalians, Namorese, and West Luziycans and the Capitalist East Luziycans. Shortly after this, he retired due to age and fatigue, and became an elder statesman after his retirement in 1953.
One of the most polarizing figures in Atlantican history, his powerful voice, immense charisma, intimidating eyes and scowl ever-present toward his enemies delighted his supporters and enraged his enemies. His supporters and admirers, among whom are the vast majority of Atlanticans, credit him as the architect of Atlantica's welfare state and economy, while his enemies and critics disparaged him as a populist demagogue and dictator who forcibly controlled the media throughout his 28 years in office.