Fredrik Reinfeldt - Prime Minister: 2006-present

Prime Minister: 2006-present

Main article: Premiership of Fredrik Reinfeldt

After the election results were clear, the Speaker of the Parliament of Sweden, Björn von Sydow, asked Reinfeldt to form Alliance for Sweden into a coalition government. At a press conference, Reinfeldt commented that "this feels historic in many ways" because it was the first time in years there would be a majority government in Sweden. On 4 October 2006, the new Speaker of the Parliament, Per Westerberg, nominated Reinfeldt to be prime minister. A day later, he was elected in the Riksdag with 175 members voting in support of Reinfeldt and 169 against him succeeding to the prime ministership. The new government assumed office at 12:00 Swedish time on 6 October. At the age of 41, Reinfeldt is the third youngest person to become prime minister after Robert Themptander and Rickard Sandler.

Reinfeldt became President of the European Council on 1 July 2009, as Sweden took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from the Czech Republic. His slogan was "taking on the challenge". Reinfeldt immediately requested the European Union to do more to combat climate change. Days earlier, he had been interviewed by Reuters and said he spoke of his worry about increased European public debt. He spoke of his wish for Turkey to join the European Union. He also spoke of his other views, such as his hope that a second term would be possible quickly for the President of the European Commission and his desire that the European Union should not sanction Iran immediately following its election protests.