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Reinfeldt in 2014

Prime Minister of Sweden
In office 6 October 2006 – 3 October 2014
Monarch	Carl XVI Gustaf
Deputy	Maud Olofsson Jan Björklund
Preceded by	Göran Persson
Succeeded by	Stefan Löfven
Leader of the Opposition
In office 3 October 2014 – 10 January 2015
Monarch	Carl XVI Gustaf
Prime Minister	Stefan Löfven
Preceded by	Stefan Löfven
Succeeded by	Anna Kinberg Batra
In office 25 October 2003 – 6 October 2006
Monarch	Carl XVI Gustaf
Prime Minister	Göran Persson
Preceded by	Bo Lundgren
Succeeded by	Göran Persson
Leader of the Moderate Party
In office 25 October 2003 – 10 January 2015
Deputy	Gunilla Carlsson
Preceded by	Bo Lundgren
Succeeded by	Anna Kinberg Batra
Member of the Riksdag for Stockholm County
In office 1991–2014

Personal details
Born	John Fredrik Reinfeldt (1965-08-04) 4 August 1965 (age 59) Haninge, Sweden
Political party	Moderate Party
Spouse	Filippa Holmberg (m. 1992; div. 2013)
Domestic partners	Roberta Alenius (2015–2022)
Children	4
Alma mater	Stockholm University
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Sweden
Branch/service	Swedish Army
Unit	Lapland Ranger Regiment

John Fredrik Reinfeldt (born 4 August 1965) is a Swedish economist and lecturer. He served as the Prime Minister of Sweden from 2006 to 2014. He was also the leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party from 2003 to 2015. In 2009, he was the last rotating President of the European Council. Since March 2023, he has been the chairman of the Swedish Football Association.

Fredrik Reinfeldt grew up in Stockholm County. He joined the Moderate Youth League in 1983 and became its chairman in 1992, holding the position until 1995. He was a Member of Parliament from 1991 to 2014. In 2003, he became the leader of the Moderate Party. Under his leadership, the party changed its policies to be more in the middle of politics, calling themselves "The New Moderates" (Swedish: Nya moderaterna). In 2010, the Moderate Party received its highest number of votes since 1921.

After the 2006 Swedish general election, Reinfeldt became Prime Minister on 6 October. He led a government with three other centre-right parties, forming the Alliance for Sweden. At 41 years old, he was the third-youngest Prime Minister in Sweden's history. His first time as Prime Minister included the 2007–2008 financial crisis. His popularity grew again as Sweden's economy became one of the strongest in the European Union. This led to his government being re-elected in 2010.

Reinfeldt's time as Prime Minister focused on getting more people into jobs, a policy called "Arbetslinjen" (English: Working line). His government also managed the financial crisis well. Sweden ended up with strong public finances and high rankings in climate and health care. He is the longest-serving non-Social Democratic Prime Minister since the late 1800s. After losing the 2014 Swedish general election, Reinfeldt stepped down as party leader in January 2015.

Early Life and Education

Fredrik Reinfeldt was born in Stockholm in 1965. He is the oldest of three brothers. When he was born, his parents lived in Österhaninge, but soon moved to London for his father's job at Shell. The family later returned to Sweden, living in different parts of Stockholm County before settling in Täby in 1976. His mother was a management consultant, which may have inspired him.

At age 11, Reinfeldt became chairman of his school's student council. He also became a fan of the football club Djurgårdens IF. He played basketball for the "Tensta Tigers." In high school, he studied natural science. After school, he completed his military service as a ranger in the Lapland Ranger Regiment. He became interested in politics during this time, representing his regiment in a military congress. He graduated from Stockholm University School of Business in 1990 with a degree in Business and Economics.

Political Journey

Reinfeldt joined the Moderate Youth League, the youth branch of the Moderate Party, in 1983 when he was 18. He was active in student politics at Stockholm University. In 1991, he was elected as a member of the Riksdag (the Swedish Parliament). In the 1991 Swedish general election, the Moderate Party and its allies won, forming a government led by Carl Bildt.

Leading the Moderate Youth League

From 1992 to 1995, Reinfeldt was the chairman of the Moderate Youth League. He won a close election against the previous chairman, Ulf Kristersson. This election was important because it showed a difference in ideas within the youth league. Reinfeldt later said that winning this election was a key moment in his life. In 1993, Reinfeldt wrote a book called The Sleeping People (Swedish: Det sovande folket). In the book, he shared his thoughts on society and the welfare system.

After the government lost the 1994 Swedish general election, Reinfeldt openly shared his opinions about the party's direction. He was later given important roles in the party after Bo Lundgren became leader in 1999. From 2001 to 2002, Reinfeldt was chairman of the justice committee in the Riksdag.

Becoming Leader of the Moderate Party

In the 2002 Swedish general election, the Moderate Party received fewer votes than before. After this, the party leader, Bo Lundgren, resigned. On 25 October 2003, Fredrik Reinfeldt was chosen as the new leader of the Moderate Party.

"The New Moderates"

Under Reinfeldt's leadership, the Moderate Party changed its political direction, moving closer to the center. They started calling themselves "The New Moderates" (Swedish: De nya Moderaterna) to show this change. The party began to focus more on tax cuts for people with lower and middle incomes, rather than just for high-income earners.

Reinfeldt also suggested changes to Sweden's welfare system. He wanted to help people move from welfare benefits into jobs. He aimed to improve the welfare state rather than completely change it. He even invited the Swedish Trade Union Confederation, which usually supported the Social Democrats, to work with the Moderate Party.

Some people thought the party was just changing how it talked about its ideas, while others believed it was a real shift in policy. The differences between the Moderate Party and the Social Democratic Party became less clear.

Alliance for Sweden

Fredrik Reinfeldt and the Alliance for Sweden in 2006. From left: Göran Hägglund, Lars Leijonborg, Maud Olofsson, Reinfeldt.

Before the 2006 Swedish general election, Reinfeldt helped create the Alliance for Sweden. This group brought together four centre-right parties: the Moderate Party, the Centre Party, the Liberal People's Party, and the Christian Democrats. Reinfeldt was important in uniting these parties, which had often been divided before. They presented a shared plan for the election.

2006 Swedish General Election

Fredrik Reinfeldt and the Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk.

In the general election on 17 September 2006, the Alliance for Sweden won the most votes, defeating the Social Democratic Party. The Moderates received 26.1 percent of the votes, which was a new record for the party. This election was also historic because it was the worst result for the Social Democrats since 1921. Many believed the Social Democrats lost because they did not reduce unemployment.

2010 Swedish General Election

In the 2010 Swedish general election on 19 September 2010, the Alliance for Sweden won again. However, they became a minority government, meaning they did not have a full majority in Parliament. This was the first time a centre-right government had been re-elected since before World War II. The Moderate Party received 30.06% of the votes, their highest result in over a hundred years. Even without a full majority, the government could continue because the opposition was divided, especially with the Sweden Democrats entering parliament.

Prime Minister (2006–2014)

Fredrik Reinfeldt became the Prime Minister of Sweden on 6 October 2006. He was also the leader of the Moderate Party at the same time. At 41, he was one of Sweden's youngest Prime Ministers. His victories in 2006 and 2010 made him the Moderate Party's longest-serving Prime Minister. His government included four parties that had formed the Alliance for Sweden.

First Term (2006–2010)

The 2008 Financial Crisis

A big financial crisis started in 2008, affecting countries worldwide, including Sweden. Reinfeldt's government focused on having a balanced budget and cutting income tax to help the economy. At first, his popularity dropped because of the crisis.

However, from 2009, the Swedish economy began to recover quickly. Sweden was seen as one of the countries that handled the crisis best. This success helped Reinfeldt gain more support, leading to his re-election in 2010. It was the first time the Moderate Party had been re-elected after serving a full first term.

President of the European Council

On 1 July 2009, Reinfeldt became President of the European Council. This happened when Sweden took over the leadership of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. His goal was "taking on the challenge." He asked the European Union to do more to fight climate change. He also hoped that Turkey would join the European Union.

Second Term (2010–2014)

Reinfeldt at the EPP Congress in March 2012

In the 2010 Swedish general election, the Moderate Party increased its votes. The Alliance for Sweden won the most votes but did not have a full majority in parliament. With the opposition divided, Reinfeldt's government could continue. However, they needed to work more with other parties to agree on important issues.

During his second term, the focus was on recovering from the financial crisis and continuing policies from his first term. From 2013, the government faced challenges, especially regarding the performance of Swedish students in international school tests.

Immigration Policy

After the Sweden Democrats entered the Riksdag, Reinfeldt wanted to find common ground on immigration policy with other parties. In 2011, an agreement was made with the Green Party. This agreement allowed undocumented immigrants to have access to healthcare and made it easier for families to reunite. In his last year as Prime Minister, Sweden saw a large number of immigrants. Before the 2014 election, Reinfeldt asked Swedish people to "open their hearts" (Swedish: öppna era hjärtan) to people fleeing wars.

Foreign Policy

Reinfeldt with U.S. President George W. Bush at the White House.

The Moderate Party supports the European Union and wants Sweden to join NATO. Reinfeldt is seen as an important ally of the United States. His party is part of the International Democrat Union, which includes the Republican Party in the United States and the British Conservative Party.

Reinfeldt visited Washington, D.C. in May 2007 to meet with President Bush. They discussed climate change and free trade. He also met with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. In September 2009, he visited President Barack Obama in New York.

As President of the European Council from July to December 2009, Reinfeldt oversaw the signing of the Treaty of Lisbon. He also worked to get a climate agreement at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.

After Being Prime Minister (2014–Present)

After losing the 2014 Swedish general election, Reinfeldt announced he would step down as Prime Minister and party leader. He left the Prime Minister's office on 3 October 2014, and Stefan Löfven took over. He also left the Riksdag at the end of 2014 and stepped down as party leader in January 2015. Anna Kinberg Batra became the new leader.

In January 2015, Reinfeldt started his own business, Fredrik Reinfeldt AB, where he works as an advisor and lecturer. In September 2015, he published his autobiography called Halfway, which talks about his 25 years in politics.

In December 2015, Reinfeldt was nominated to become the next chairman of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. In January 2016, he received H. M. The King's Medal for his work as Prime Minister. In March 2016, he was hired by Bank of America Merrill Lynch as a senior advisor. On 25 March 2023, he was elected chairman of the Swedish Football Association.

Public View

Reinfeldt has been compared to "Swedish David Cameron" because he helped change how people saw the Moderate Party. He moved the party from a strong right-wing position to a more central one. He is also thought to have influenced Cameron, as Reinfeldt became party leader before Cameron took control of the British Conservative Party.

In 2006, a Swedish polling group called Sifo found that Reinfeldt was the "most admired man in Sweden." His approval rating reached 57% in December 2006. People often saw Reinfeldt as a calm and balanced person. He was described as "gentle, pensive, and a good listener." His calm approach was popular with Swedish voters. Reinfeldt said, "I am by nature confident and calm. But that does not mean I am not passionate and wouldn't feel strongly about things."

Personal Life

Fredrik Reinfeldt with his then-wife Filippa during the 2009 Swedish National Day celebrations at Skansen, Stockholm.

In 1992, Fredrik Reinfeldt married Filippa Holmberg. She was also a politician for the Moderate Party in Stockholm County. When Fredrik was Prime Minister, Filippa was responsible for healthcare issues in Stockholm. After becoming Prime Minister in 2006, Reinfeldt moved into the official residence, the Sager House, with his wife and their three children. In 2012, the couple separated and later divorced in 2013.

In 2015, Reinfeldt confirmed he was in a relationship with Roberta Alenius. She had worked as his Head of Communications when he was Prime Minister. In 2017, Alenius gave birth to Reinfeldt's fourth child. The couple separated in 2022.

During the 2006 election, it was shared that Reinfeldt's great-great-grandfather, John Hood, was an African American circus director from New York. He had a son with Emma Dorotea Reinfeld, a maid from Latvia. The family name was later changed to Reinfeldt. He also has Italian family history from his grandmother's side.