Sigurd Ømann (1923–1988) was chairman of the Socialist People's Party of

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

in the period 1968–1974. Before he joined to Socialist People's Party he was a member of the

Communist Party of Denmark The Communist Party of Denmark ( da, Danmarks Kommunistiske Parti, DKP) is a communist party in Denmark. The DKP was founded on 9 November 1919 as the Left-Socialist Party of Denmark (, VSP), through a merger of the Socialist Youth League and ...

from 1953 to 1958. He was a member of parliament for the Socialist People's Party in the period 1966–1977. He left parliament and the party in 1977.

Party chairman

Born in

Stokkemarke Stokkemarke is a village on the Danish island of Lolland located midway between Nakskov and Maribo. In January 2022 it had a population of 406. Stokkemarke Church, first documented in 1396, originally built in the Romanesque style, has Gothic ad ...

, Ømann became chairman of the Socialist People's Party when

Aksel Larsen Aksel Larsen (5 August 1897 – 10 January 1972) was a Danish politician who was chairman of the Communist Party of Denmark (DKP) and chairman and founder of the Socialist People's Party. He is remembered today for his long service in the C ...

resigned in 1968. The political climate in his period as chairman was marked by the 1972 referendum on Denmark's EC membership as well as the

Social Democrats Social democracy is a political, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocating economic and social interventions to promote so ...

being in opposition and the need for the two left-wing parties to position themselves. In 1971 the

Left Socialists Left Socialists ( da, Venstresocialisterne) was a political party in Denmark. The party worked on what it called an "undogmatic revolutionary and Marxist basis". It was formed in 1967 as a split from the Socialist People's Party (SF). In 1989 ...

lost parliamentary representation and the Socialist People's Party became the only party in parliament to the left of the Social Democrats. Although Ømann wanted to cooperate with the Social Democrats, such cooperation did not start until 1973 when a national budget deficit created a wish for a more restrictive financial policy. The parliamentary right-wing wanted to cut more costs than the Social Democrats or the Socialist People's Party wanted, so the two parties made an agreement on budget cuts and increases in corporation taxes. In June 1973 a compromise between the two parties on rent regulation forced the Socialist People's Party to accept increases in rents which were contrary to the party's policies. In the campaign leading up to the referendum on Denmark's EC membership in 1972, the Socialist People's Party was the only party in parliament to campaign against EC membership and was a co-founder of the People's Movement against the EC. During Ømann's time as chairman in the 1970s environmental issues began to attract attention when the Left Socialists adopted an environmental policy. At first, the Socialist People's Party was skeptical but pressure from party members made the party adopt an environmental policy of its own. Ømann's wish for cooperation with the Social Democrats was not universally supported inside the party where some members wanted a more critical line towards the center-left and more emphasis on appealing to extra-parliamentary organisations. In 1974

Gert Petersen Gert Verner Petersen (19 August 1927 – 1 January 2009) was a journalist and politician who helped found and represent the Socialist People's Party in Denmark. He was born in Nykøbing Falster, Denmark, as the son of the factory worker Kar ...

, who was seen as more left-wing than Ømann, took over as chairman.

References

Leksikon.org
(Danish) 1923 births 1988 deaths Danish communists Members of the Folketing Socialist People's Party (Denmark) politicians People from Lolland Municipality People from Lolland Leaders of the Socialist People's Party (Denmark) {{Denmark-politician-stub