Anders Borg

Infobox_Politician


name = Anders Borg
caption =
birth_date = birth date and age|1968|1|11
birth_place = Stockholm, Sweden
office = Minister for Finance
term_start = 6 October 2006
term_end =
predecessor = Pär Nuder
successor =
constituency =
alma_mater = Uppsala University Stockholm University
party = Moderate Party
occupation = Economist, politician
majority =
footnotes =

Anders Erik Borg (born 11 January 1968) is a Swedish economist and politician, currently serving as Minister for Finance in the Swedish government. He is a member of the Moderate Party.

Youth and education

Anders Borg was born in Stockholm but grew up in Norrköping, Östergötland County. He became a member of the Moderate Youth League in the upper secondary school in Norrköping. From 1988 to 1991 he studied political science, economic history and philosophy at Uppsala University. He received a bachelor's degree in economics, studied at graduate level but never finished his doctoral thesis. He completed his postgraduate studies in economics at Stockholm University from 1995 to 1997.

During his period at Uppsala University, Borg was chairman of the Uppsala Student Union as well as the conservative Heimdal Association ( _sv. Föreningen Heimdal). From 1990 to 1991 he was vice chairman of the Confederation of Swedish Conservative and Liberal Students ( _sv. Fria moderata studentförbundet). In his youth, Borg was a libertarian and advocate of drug legalization. [cite news|first=Johan|last=Hakelius|title=Räkna med Borg|url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/val2006/story/0,2789,799677,00.html|publisher=Aftonbladet|language=Swedish|date=2006-03-27|accessdate=2007-07-30] He has admitted to smoking cannabis in his youth. [cite news|first=Anette|last=Holmqvist|title=Borg: Jag har prövat marijuana|url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,902503,00.html|publisher=Aftonbladet|language=Swedish|date=2006-10-07|accessdate=2007-01-25]

Professional career

From 1990 to 1991 Borg was an editorial writer for the newspaper "Svenska Dagbladet". Following the centre-right parties' victory in the 1991 general election, Borg became a Political Adviser at the Prime Minister's Office with responsibility for coordination of the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Public Administration, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Science. From 1993 to 1994 he served as a Political Adviser to Prime Minister Carl Bildt.

Following the defeat in the 1994 general election, Borg worked in the private Bank sector. From 1995 to 1998 he worked at the company Transferator Alfred Berg as responsible for economic and political analysis. From 1998 to 1999 he was Chief Economist at ABN Amro Bank in Stockholm and from 1999 to 2001 he was Head of the Economic Analysis Department at Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) in Stockholm. From 2001 to 2002 he served as an Adviser on monetary policy issues to the Executive Board of the Riksbank (the Swedish central bank). He was recruited as Chief Economist of the Moderate Party in 2003 by Bo Lundgren and stayed in the team of the newly elected party leader Fredrik Reinfeldt. He also served as a Member of the Board of the Swedish Labour Market Administration ( _sv. Arbetsmarknadsstyrelsen) from 2005 to 2006.

Following the victory in the 2006 general election, Borg was appointed Minister for Finance in the new centre-right cabinet, led by Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, that assumed office on October 6, 2006.

Borg has been recognised as the mastermind behind the new Swedish government's economical doctrine, focusing on proactive measures against unemployment. An incremental dismantling of the social democratic welfare state, with larger self-financing of welfare systems, lower taxes and fewer benefits are seen as the way to create new motivation to work and more business opportunites and creation of jobs. He developed these new policies in his role as chief economist in the Moderate Party.

On September 5, 2007, Minister for Defence, Mikael Odenberg resigned from Sweden's center-right government due to disagreement with Finance Minister Anders Borg regarding funds for the Swedish armed forces. [ [http://www.gmanews.tv/story/59212/Report-Swedish-defense-minister-resigns GMA NEWS.TV, Report: Swedish defense minister resigns] ]

Personal life

Anders Borg is married to Susanna "Sanna" Borg (née Ölander), with whom he has three children. He lives with his family in Katrineholm in Södermanland County.

Unlike most of the Moderate Party members of the cabinet, Anders Borg is a self-described feminist. [cite news|first=Lova|last=Olsson|title=Borg går gärna mot strömmen|url=http://www.svd.se/dynamiskt/inrikes/did_14417005.asp|publisher=Svenska Dagbladet|language=Swedish|date=2007-01-14|accessdate=2007-01-25]

References

External links

* [http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/7558 Anders Borg] at the Government Offices of Sweden en icon
* [http://www.moderat.se/(S(vvk0s4rkc0vpyafbu5lfzonw))/person.aspx?webbid=1&menyid=1&personid=9 Anders Borg] at the Moderate Party sv icon