Fredrik Reinfeldt

Fredrik Reinfeldt

John Fredrik Reinfeldt (pronounced ; born 4 August 1965) has been Prime Minister of Sweden since 2006 and is chairman of the liberal conservative Moderate Party since 2003. He was President of the European Council in 2009.

A native of Stockholm County, Reinfeldt joined the Moderate Youth League in 1983, and by 1992 had risen to the rank of chairman, a position he held until 1995. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1991, representing his home constituency. Following the 1994 defeat of the Moderate-led coalition government, Reinfeldt adopted a critical stance against the party leadership under Carl Bildt, which resulted in isolation within the party. However, following a change of leadership in 1999 and a bad result in the 2002 election, Reinfeldt gradually gained influence within the Moderate Party.

Reinfeldt was elected party leader on 25 October 2003, succeeding Bo Lundgren. Under his leadership, the Moderate Party has transformed its policies and oriented towards the centre, branding itself "the New Moderates" (Swedish: Nya moderaterna).

Following the general election held on 17 September 2006, Reinfeldt was elected Prime Minister by the new parliament on 6 October. Together with the three other political parties in the centre-right Alliance for Sweden, Reinfeldt presides over a coalition government with the support of a narrow majority in the parliament. At the age of 41, he was the third youngest person to become Prime Minister of Sweden.

Reinfeldt's popularity waned amid the financial crisis but when Swedens economy emerged as one of the best in Europe it brought a resurgence of support, resulting in his re-election in 2010. After the 2010 election Reinfeldt's government was reduced to a minority government but also becoming the first centre-right government since before World War II to be re-elected, making Reinfeldt the first Moderate politician elected to two consecutive terms as Prime Minister. He is also the longest-serving Moderate Prime Minister in Swedish history.