Ulf Kristersson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ulf Kristersson
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Kristersson in 2023
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| Prime Minister of Sweden | |
| Assumed office 18 October 2022 |
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| Monarch | Carl XVI Gustaf |
| Deputy | Ebba Busch |
| Preceded by | Magdalena Andersson |
| Leader of the Moderate Party | |
| Assumed office 1 October 2017 |
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| Deputy |
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| Party Secretary |
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| Preceded by | Anna Kinberg Batra |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 1 October 2017 – 18 October 2022 |
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| Monarch | Carl XVI Gustaf |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Anna Kinberg Batra |
| Succeeded by | Magdalena Andersson |
| Minister for Social Security | |
| In office 5 October 2010 – 3 October 2014 |
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| Prime Minister | Fredrik Reinfeldt |
| Preceded by | Cristina Husmark Pehrsson |
| Succeeded by | Annika Strandhäll |
| Chairman of the Moderate Youth League | |
| In office 26 November 1988 – 24 October 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Beatrice Ask |
| Succeeded by | Fredrik Reinfeldt |
| Member of the Riksdag | |
| Assumed office 4 October 2014 |
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| Constituency | Södermanland County |
| In office 5 October 1991 – 30 April 2000 |
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| Constituency | Stockholm Municipality |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ulf Hjalmar Kristersson
29 December 1963 Lund, Sweden |
| Political party | Moderate |
| Spouse |
Birgitta Ed
(m. 1991) |
| Children | 3 (adopted) |
| Residence | Sager House |
| Alma mater | Uppsala University (Civilekonom) |
| Website | Official website: https://moderaterna.se/politiker/ulf-kristersson/ |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Swedish Army |
| Years of service | 1983–1984 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | Uppland Regiment |
Ulf Hjalmar Kristersson (born 29 December 1963) is a Swedish politician. He has been the Prime Minister of Sweden since October 2022. He is also the leader of the Moderate Party (M) since 2017.
Before becoming Prime Minister, Kristersson was a member of parliament (MP) for Södermanland County from 2014. He also served as Minister for Social Security from 2010 to 2014. From 1988 to 1992, he was the leader of the Moderate Youth League, which is the youth organization of the Moderate Party.
In 2017, Kristersson became the leader of the Moderate Party. Under his leadership, the party started working more closely with the Sweden Democrats (SD) and other center-right parties. This led to their group winning enough votes in the 2022 Swedish general election. As a result, Ulf Kristersson was chosen to be the Prime Minister on 17 October 2022.
Contents
Biography
Early life and education
Ulf Kristersson was born in Lund, Sweden, on 29 December 1963. He was the oldest of three children. His family later moved to Torshälla. When he was young, Kristersson was a gymnast.
He finished high school in Eskilstuna. After school, he served in the military from 1983 to 1984. He then studied economics at Uppsala University.
Early political career
Kristersson started his political journey in 1985, working for the Moderate Youth League. In 1988, he became the chairman of this youth group. In 1991, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) and worked on social security issues.
After leaving parliament in 2000, Kristersson worked in the private sector for a few years. He also became the chairman of the Swedish Adoption Centre.
Return to politics
In 2002, Kristersson returned to politics. He became a local leader in Strängnäs, focusing on finance. In 2006, he moved to Stockholm and was responsible for social welfare and labor.
In 2010, Fredrik Reinfeldt, who was the Prime Minister, appointed Kristersson as the Minister of Social Security. He held this job for four years. After the 2014 election, he was elected as an MP again. He then became the Moderate Party's spokesperson for economic policy.
Leader of the Moderate Party
Ulf Kristersson became the leader of the Moderate Party on 1 October 2017. This happened after the previous leader, Anna Kinberg Batra, stepped down. Under Kristersson's leadership, the party's support in polls increased. He also took a tougher stance on immigration.
Efforts to form a government (2018–2019)
After the 2018 election, the Prime Minister at the time, Stefan Löfven, was removed from office. Kristersson hoped to become the next Prime Minister. He tried to form a government with other parties, but he was not successful. The Swedish Parliament, called the Riksdag, voted against his proposal to become Prime Minister in November 2018. This was the first time a Prime Minister candidate proposed by the Speaker was rejected.
Working with other parties (2019–present)
In December 2019, Kristersson met with Jimmie Åkesson, the leader of the Sweden Democrats. They agreed to work together in parliament. Before this, other parties had generally avoided working with the Sweden Democrats.
In 2020, Kristersson spoke out about the increase in crime in Sweden, especially gun violence. He called it a "second pandemic."
Government crisis (2021)
In June 2021, there was another government crisis in Sweden. Prime Minister Stefan Löfven was removed from office. Kristersson was again asked to try and form a government. He planned to lead a group of parties including his own, the Christian Democrats, Liberals, and Sweden Democrats. However, he did not get enough support and could not form a government at that time.
Becoming Prime Minister (2022)
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Kristersson led the Moderate Party in the 2022 Swedish general election. Even though his party lost some seats, the group of right-wing parties he worked with won a majority in the Riksdag. This led to the previous Prime Minister, Magdalena Andersson, stepping down.
Kristersson then worked to form a new government. He chose to form a government with the Moderate Party, the Christian Democrats, and the Liberals, with support from the Sweden Democrats. On 14 October, they presented the Tidö Agreement, which outlined their plans for Sweden. On 17 October, Ulf Kristersson was elected Prime Minister by the Riksdag. This was the first time the Sweden Democrats had a direct influence on the government.
The new government's main goals include fighting crime, reducing immigration, and increasing nuclear energy. They also plan to lower the number of refugees accepted each year and increase penalties for crimes.
Prime Minister of Sweden (2022–present)
On 18 October 2022, Ulf Kristersson officially became the Prime Minister of Sweden. He met with King Carl XVI Gustaf and announced the ministers in his new government.
Domestic policy
Defence
Sweden had been working to join NATO since May 2022. This decision had wide support in the Riksdag. On 8 March 2023, Kristersson's government submitted the bill for Sweden to join NATO, and it was approved on 22 March 2023. Sweden officially joined NATO on 7 March 2024. Kristersson signed the agreement in Washington, D.C., and gave a speech to the nation about it.
The government also decided to increase Sweden's defense spending to reach 2% of its GDP by 2026. They announced a significant increase in the defense budget for 2023. A military regiment that had been closed in 2000 was reopened in December 2022.
In April and May 2023, the Swedish Armed Forces held their largest military exercise in 34 years, called Aurora 23. About 26,000 people from 14 countries took part in the exercise.
Energy
During his first 100 days as Prime Minister, Kristersson's government made changes to energy policy. They removed rules that stopped new nuclear reactors from being built. They also increased money for nuclear safety and changed the goal for Sweden's energy policy. The new goal is to have 100% "fossil free energy" instead of 100% "renewable energy".
In late 2022 and early 2023, large energy companies announced plans to build new nuclear reactors in Sweden. In April 2023, a major expansion of hydroelectric power was also announced.
Migration
Kristersson's government has made big changes to Sweden's migration policies. They increased checks on foreigners and focused on returning people who do not meet the requirements to stay in Sweden. They also lowered the number of refugees Sweden accepts each year from 5,000 to 900.
In April 2023, the government suggested new rules for asylum seekers. These rules would require most asylum seekers to live in state housing and take part in social introduction programs. If they do not, their asylum application could be seen as withdrawn.
In 2023, Sweden had the lowest number of asylum seekers in the 21st century. By August 2024, the number had dropped even more. It is predicted that 2024 will have the lowest number of immigrants since 1997. For the first time in over 50 years, more people might move out of Sweden than move into it.
Economy
One of the government's first goals was to fight inflation, which was very high. By 2024, inflation had fallen, and the government said they had won the fight against it. They now plan to focus on creating economic growth and reducing unemployment.
In August 2024, Kristersson's government announced they would remove the Aviation Tax in their 2025 budget. This is meant to make Sweden more competitive and lower flight prices.
Foreign policy
Kristersson's first foreign trips as Prime Minister were to meet leaders in Finland and Turkey in October and November 2022. They discussed important topics like the energy crisis, defense, and Sweden's application to join NATO.
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On 1 January 2023, Sweden took over the leadership of the Council of the European Union for six months. Their main goals included security, economic strength, green energy, and democratic values.
In February 2023, Kristersson visited Ukraine and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He promised that Sweden would continue to support Ukraine with political, economic, and military help during the ongoing conflict.
In April 2023, Kristersson's government helped evacuate Swedish citizens and others from Sudan due to a conflict there.
In July 2024, Kristersson attended the 2024 Washington summit, which was the first NATO summit Sweden attended as an official member.
Political views
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Ulf Kristersson is seen as a smart and reasonable leader. He is generally considered to be on the right side of politics, especially on issues like crime and immigration. He believes that people should be able to improve their lives and move up in society.
He has said that Sweden should be a "country for hopefuls." On immigration, he supports helping refugees become part of Swedish society. He also believes it is important for them to learn the Swedish language and work.
Kristersson initially said he would not form an alliance with the Sweden Democrats. However, after the 2018 election, he changed this policy and began official talks with their leaders. Before the 2022 election, he suggested forming a group with the Moderate Party, Christian Democrats, Liberals, and the Sweden Democrats. After the election, he aimed to form a new government with the support of the Sweden Democrats.
In 2023, after some incidents where the Quran was burned in Sweden, Kristersson publicly said he did not approve of these actions. However, he also stated his belief in freedom of expression, meaning that burning any book, even holy ones, is legal.
Personal life
Kristersson lives in Strängnäs. He has been married since 1991 to Birgitta Ed, who is a priest in the Church of Sweden. They have three adopted daughters from China. Kristersson has said that he is not a religious person himself.
Honours
Sweden: Recipient of the Golden Jubilee Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf (15 September 2023)
France: Grand Officer of the Order of the Legion of Honour (30 January 2024)
Finland: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (23 April 2024)
Denmark: Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog (6 May 2024)
Ukraine: First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (26 August 2024)
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See also
In Spanish: Ulf Kristersson para niños
