Per Gahrton

Carl Per Gunnar Gahrton (2 February 1943 – 19 September 2023) was a Swedish politician. He was a member of Parliament, holding a seat for the Liberal Party from 1976 to 1979, and for the Green Party from 1988 to 1991, and again in 1994 to 1995. Later, he was a member of the European Parliament from 1995 to 2004. Career Early in his career, Gahrton was elected chairman of the youth and student wing of the Swedish Liberal Party, in 1969. In 1971, he was challenged for the post by Lars Leijonborg due to ideological tensions; Leijonborg succeeded him after a narrow win. Gahrton became a member of Parliament for the Liberal Party in 1976. He was re-elected in 1979 but left the parliament and the party the same year, expressing disenchantment with the parliament bureaucracy. In 1981, he was one of the Swedish Green Party founders, and one of its more high-profile members for many years, one of relatively few in the new party who had several years of prior experience of professional politics. He served as one of two spokespersons for the party from 1984 to 1985. He also served as a member of Parliament for the Green Party from 1988 to 1991 and again from 1994 to 1995. From 1995 to 2004, he was a member of the European Parliament. Gahrton was an outspoken eurosceptic and was one of the leading proponents of the "no" side in the 1994 Swedish European Union membership referendum (which was won by the "yes" side). In 2006, he was acquitted of drunk driving charges. As of 2010, Gahrton was the president of the Swedish Association for Solidarity with Palestine. While serving in Parliament for the Green Party, Gahrton argued that Olof Palme was murdered by Israeli forces in order to block mediation attempts in the Middle East.