After Sweden’s first female prime minister resigns on the first day, here are five of the shortest terms
Sweden’s first female prime minister surprisingly resigned on Wednesday, just hours after she was appointed.
Magdalena Andersson resigned after her coalition partner, the Greens, left the government and her budget failed.
Andersson said she hopes to try to become prime minister again as head of a single party government.
Her appointment was at first a remarkable milestone for Sweden, which has long been seen as one of Europe’s most progressive countries in terms of gender equality, but which did not yet have a woman in the highest political position. But at present it is also remarkable for the short time she was in service.
– For me, it is about respect, but I also do not want to lead a government where there may be reason to question its legitimacy, Andersson said at a press conference on Wednesday.
After Andersson resigned, here are five of the shortest terms in history:
Louis XIX, France
Louis Antoine ruled France for less than 20 minutes in 1830.
He spent his early life outside France and returned to fight for the royalists against Napoleon in the 1810s.
As the eldest son of Charles X, Louis Antoine became Louis XIX when his father abdicated under pressure during the July Revolution.
However, King Louis XIX abdicated himself after only 20 minutes in favor of his nephew Henri, Duke of Bordeaux.
Pedro Lascuráin, Mexico
Considered the shortest presidency in history, Pedro Lascuráin was the leader of Mexico for less than an hour in 1913.
When President Francisco Ignacio Maderno was deposed along with his Vice President, Jose Maria Pino Suarez, in a military coup, Lascuráin was next in line as the country’s foreign minister.
Lascuráin’s only action as President of Mexico was to appoint the head of the coup, General Victoriano Huerta, as Foreign Minister.
When Lascuráin resigned about 45 minutes later, Huerta replaced him as president.
Michael II, Russia
Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich ruled Russia for less than a day in 1917.
When Nicholas II abdicated on March 15, 1917, he removed his son from inheritance and appointed his brother Michael as his successor. Still, there are many questions about the legality of the abdication and Michael’s reign.
After meeting with representatives of the new Provisional Government the day after Nicholas II’s abdication, Michael made a statement. In it, Michael adhered to the will of the people and recognized the government as de facto executive, but neither abdicated nor refused to accept the throne.
It took about 16 to 20 hours between Nicholas II’s abdication and the signing of Michael’s manifesto.
Joseph Goebbels, Germany
Joseph Goebbels was Chancellor of Germany for a maximum of one day in 1945.
In April 1945 – towards the end of World War II – Adolf Hitler was held in a bunker when Soviet troops searched for him in Berlin.
Hitler took his own life on April 30, and Goebbels – as the only surviving high-ranking official in the Nazi party – replaced him as Germany’s chancellor.
But the next day, Goebbels and his wife Magda poisoned their six children to death before killing themselves.
Carlos Luz, Brazil
Carlos Luz was acting president of Brazil for three days in 1955.
A political crisis unfolded in 1954 when President Getulio Vargas agreed to take leave and then committed suicide. Vice President Joao Cafe Filho took over and served until November 1955, when he resigned due to illness.
As head of the Chamber of Deputies, the presidency went to Luz.
He led for three days before being ousted by the defense minister – with the support of the army – because they feared Luz would not make room for his elected successor, Juscelino Kubitschek.