Ulrica Messing

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Ulrica Messing

Ulrica Messing (born January 21, 1968) is a Swedish Social Democratic politician. She was Minister for Communications and Regional Policy in the Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications until 2006. Since October 2006 she has been the chairman of the Riksdag Committee for Defence.

Messing completed high school in 1987. She began her political career in the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League and was a member of the Municipal Council in Hofors Municipality from 1989. In 1991 she was elected to the Riksdag as a Member of Parliament. From 1993 she has been a member of the National Board of the Swedish Social Democratic Party.

In 1996 Prime Minister Göran Persson made her a minister. She first served in the Ministry of Labour, from 1998 in the Ministry of Culture, and from 2000 in the Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications.

During her time as Minister for Communications, Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications from 2000 to 2006 she was in charge of Swedish arms exports. During her tenure the volume of Sweden's arms exports grew to become the ninth largest in the world (2005). It increased from 4,4 billion SEK in 2000 to 8,6 billion SEK in 2006. One arms deal during this time that attracted particular criticism was when the Swedish company SAAB exported airplanes to the Pakistan military in a deal worth 8,3 billion SEK, about 1,2 billion USD.