Mona Sahlin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mona Sahlin
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Mona Sahlin in 2015
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| Leader of the Social Democratic Party | |
| In office 17 March 2007 – 25 March 2011 |
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| General Secretary | Marita Ulvskog Ibrahim Baylan |
| Preceded by | Göran Persson |
| Succeeded by | Håkan Juholt |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 17 March 2007 – 25 March 2011 |
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| Monarch | Carl XVI Gustaf |
| Prime Minister | Fredrik Reinfeldt |
| Preceded by | Göran Persson |
| Succeeded by | Håkan Juholt |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden | |
| In office 7 October 1994 – 16 November 1995 |
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| Prime Minister | Ingvar Carlsson |
| Preceded by | Bengt Westerberg |
| Succeeded by | Lena Hjelm-Wallén |
| Member of the Riksdag for Stockholm County |
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| In office 2002–2011 |
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| In office 1982–1996 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mona Ingeborg Andersson
9 March 1957 Sollefteå, Sweden |
| Political party | Social Democrats |
| Spouse | Bo Sahlin |
| Children | 4 |
| Signature |  |
Mona Sahlin (born 9 March 1957) is a Swedish politician. She was the leader of the opposition and the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 2007 to 2011.
Sahlin was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Stockholm County. She served as an MP from 1982 to 1996 and again from 2002 to 2011. She also held different minister roles in the Swedish government. These roles were from 1990 to 1991, 1994 to 1995, and 1998 to 2006. Mona Sahlin was chosen as the leader of the Social Democratic Party on 17 March 2007. She took over from Göran Persson. She was the first woman to lead the Swedish Social Democratic Party. She stepped down as party leader in early 2011.
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Mona Sahlin's Early Life and School
Mona Ingeborg Andersson was born in Sollefteå, Sweden. Her father, Hans Andersson, worked with youth care. In the mid-1960s, her family moved to Järla in Stockholm County. Her father later became an advisor to former Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson.
When she was seven, in 1964, Mona Sahlin started the Swedish "Barbie Club". As a child, she also loved soccer and music. She even sang backup for Jan Malmsjö in a competition. This was to choose the song for Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 1969. The song came in second place.
Sahlin went to Nacka Samskola and Södra Latin in Stockholm. She finished secondary school in 1977. After school, she worked at a private company. Later, she became a representative for a trade union.
Starting in Politics
Mona Sahlin became interested in politics at a young age. Her political journey began in 1973. She joined the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League in Nacka. She was 16 years old at the time.
In the 1982 Swedish general election, Sahlin was elected to the Riksdag. She was the youngest member of parliament at that time. In 1990, she became the Minister for Employment. After her party lost the 1991 election, she worked as a spokesman for her party. From 1992 to 1994, she was the party secretary. She returned to the government in 1994. She became the Minister for Gender Equality and Deputy Prime Minister.
In 1995, a newspaper reported that Sahlin had used a government credit card for some personal expenses. She admitted she had used the card for groceries. She also said she had not paid some parking tickets and daycare bills on time. She apologized for this. An investigation looked into the matter. It found no wrongdoing, and she paid back the money. This event was sometimes called the "Toblerone affair" because some Toblerone candy was on the credit card statement.
Break from Politics and Return
From 1996 to 1997, Sahlin worked on her own. She ran a small company and was a television reporter. In 1997, she became the chairman of the European Council Against Racism. In 1998, she led a Social Democratic youth education school.
Sahlin returned to national politics in 1998. The Prime Minister, Göran Persson, appointed her as a minister. She worked in different ministries. These included the Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communication. She also worked in the Ministry of Justice. There, she was the "Minister for Democracy and Integration". Later, she was the "Minister for Sustainable Development". She believed that all refugees entering Sweden should have the same rights.
Leading the Social Democratic Party
After the Social Democrats lost the 2006 election, Göran Persson decided to step down as party leader. Mona Sahlin was considered as a possible new leader. Other strong candidates decided not to run and supported Sahlin instead. On 18 January, she was officially asked to become the party leader, and she accepted. On 17 March 2007, she was chosen as the leader at a special party meeting in Stockholm.
As the leader of the biggest opposition party, Mona Sahlin had a big role. She led the opposition against Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. She worked to form an alliance with the Green Party. This alliance was called the Red-Green alliance. Its goal was to protect social welfare and public services.
In the European Parliament election on 7 June 2009, her party received 24.41 percent of the votes. This was a small decrease from the previous election. It was the lowest result for the Social Democratic Party since 1921.
She led the Social Democratic Party in the election of September 2010. Her party did not win enough votes to form a government. The Social Democrats received their lowest percentage of votes ever. However, they were still the largest party in Sweden by a small amount. She resigned as party leader on 25 March 2011.
In 2016, a newspaper reported that Sahlin had provided incorrect information about her bodyguard's salary. She had written a letter stating a higher salary than he actually earned. She later stepped down from her role as Sweden's national coordinator against violent extremism.
Personal Life
Mona Sahlin has one brother and two sisters. Her brother, Janne Andersson, was the lead singer of a pop group. Her sister, Lena Ridemar, is a chief of staff at the Tenants' Association.
In 1982, Mona Sahlin married Bo Sahlin. He is also a politician. They have three children together: Jenny (born 1983), Gustav (born 1989). Their son Johan passed away at ten months old due to heart failure. Mona Sahlin also has another child named Ann-Sofie from a previous relationship.
See also
In Spanish: Mona Sahlin para niños
