Cecilia Stegö Chilò facts for kids
Marie Cecilia Stegö Chilò ( (25 March 1959 – 15 February 2025) was the Swedish Minister for Culture for ten days, from 6 to 16 October 2006. Prior to her appointment as a cabinet member she was Chief executive officer of the Swedish Free Enterprise Foundation, and Director of Timbro, a neoliberal, free-market think-tank. A former journalist and editorialist, she was a member of the Moderate Party. From 2007 she was Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Permanent Platform of Atomium Culture.
Personal life
Cecilia Stegö was born in Linköping in Östergötland County. She studied political science, economics, law and language. Cecilia Stegö Chilò lived with her husband and two children in Bromma in western Stockholm.
Professional life
In 1982 she was Secretary General of the European Democrat Students in Bonn and London. From 1982 to 1983 she was Vice chairperson of the Confederation of Swedish Conservative and Liberal Students. She worked as a reporter at Norrköpings Tidningar from 1982 to 1984, served as a secretary in the Stockholm County Council from 1984 to 1985, press secretary in the Moderate Party's parliamentary group from 1985 to 1987, speech writer for the Moderate Party leadership from 1987 to 1988 and as a reporter and editorial journalist for the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet from 1989 to 1999. From 2001 to 2002 she was a political commentator at Sveriges Radio.
Political career
Cecilia Stegö Chilò left the Moderate Party in 1995 in protest after the expulsion of the EU-critic Björn von der Esch - this happened in connection with his being against the EMU and against the vision of a tighter federalism in EU affairs. She rejoined the Moderate Party in 2005. Following the 2006 general election on 17 September 2006 the Moderate Party together with three other parties in the Alliance for Sweden gained a majority of the seats in the parliament and were able to form a coalition government. On 6 October 2006 Stegö Chilò was selected by the newly elected Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt to hold the post of Minister for Culture with responsibility for culture, the media and sports in his cabinet. However, during the period 7 to 16 October 2006, a series of media revelations into the newly appointed minister led to her resignation after ten days in office.
Resignation
On 16 October 2006, Stegö Chilò tendered her resignation to Prime Minister Reinfeldt. Lars Leijonborg, Minister for Education and Research in the Cabinet of Fredrik Reinfeldt, took over the responsibilities for Stegö Chilò's portfolio until her successor Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth was appointed on 24 October 2006.
In November 2006, she sent a letter to the salary unit within the government. She clarified that even though she might be entitled to keep her salary for some time after her resignation, she did not wish to receive any money.
