Göran Hägglund

Infobox_Politician
name =Göran Hägglund


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birth_date =birth date and age|1959|1|27
birth_place = Degerfors, Värmland
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office = Minister for Health and Social Affairs
term_start =2006
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predecessor = Berit Andnor
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party = Christian Democrat
religion = Lutheran
occupation = Politician
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Bo Göran Hägglund (born January 27, 1959, Degerfors, Värmland) is a Swedish politician and the current leader of the Christian Democrats of Sweden ( _sv. Kristdemokraterna). He was elected Party Leader on April 3, 2004, succeeding Alf Svensson. Since 6 October 2006 he is also the Minister for Health and Social Affairs in Sweden.

Hägglund was born in Degerfors in central Sweden, but moved to Jönköping, a Christian Democratic stronghold, with his family in 1978.

Political career

He started his political career in the Christian Democratic youth organisation. From 1978 he was employed by the party, first as ombudsman for the local Christian Democratic Youth, and from 1981 for the regional party branch. From 1982 to 1986 he was also a member of the Municipal Council in Jönköping.

Following the 1985 elections, he started to work as parliamentary secretary for the Christian Democrats. In 1988 he temporarily left politics to start working for an insurance company. In the parliamentary elections of 1991 he was elected a Member of Parliament.

Hägglund was generally considered to be long-time party leader Alf Svensson's personal favourite as a successor. However, when Svensson announced his plans to step down, two other candidates, Maria Larsson and Mats Odell, had the support of a bigger number of regional party organisations. Not even Hägglund's own Jönköping district stood behind him. Eventually, however, all Hägglund's possible contenders withdrew from the race, and his election as party leader on April 3, 2004 was unanimous.

Prior to the Swedish general election in 2006 Hägglund's Christian Democrats formed a closer alliance with the three other centre-right parties in Sweden, under the name Alliance for Sweden. After their victory in the elections, Fredrik Reinfeldt of the Moderate Party was asked by the Speaker of the Riksdag to form a new government. Following negotiations between the leaders of the parties in the Alliance for Sweden, Göran Hägglund was named Minister for Health and Social Affairs on October 6, 2006.

Personal life

Hägglund grew up in the Pentecostal movement, but is now a member of the Church of Sweden. He is married and has two children.

External links

*sv icon [http://www.kristdemokraterna.se/GoranHagglund.aspx Christian Democrats: Göran Hägglund]
* [http://www.riksdagen.se/webbnav/index.aspx?nid=1111&iid=0584659199514 Swedish Parliament: Göran Hägglund]
* [http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/7535 Government of Sweden: Göran Hägglund]