Bo Axel Magnus Lundgren (born July 11, 1947) is a Swedish politician. He is the former leader of the Moderate Party.[1][2] Lundgren was born in Kristianstad in Skåne. Between 1991 and 1994, he served as Deputy Minister of Finance with special responsibility for taxation. He was also Minister for Sport.
He was elected party leader by the 1999 party congress, succeeding Carl Bildt, but resigned only four years later in 2003, following poor results in the Swedish parliamentary election in 2002.[1][2] He was succeeded by the pragmatist Fredrik Reinfeldt. During the elections, Lundgren was perceived to be a technocratic politician who put a little too much emphasis on budget numbers and specific tax cuts, which might have contributed to the party's poor showing that year. He was criticised for promising to cut taxes by 130 billion Swedish kronor, a vision that according to his opponents might have jeopardised the welfare state, although the number seems to have been calculated by political opponents.
Lundgren is still respected among many Moderates for his principled stand on issues as a leader, especially since Fredrik Reinfeldt has been pursuing more centrist policies.
In 2004, Lundgren was appointed to the post of director general of the Swedish National Debt Office (Riksgäldskontoret). In 2008, Lundgren and Stefan Ingves, head of Sveriges Riksbank, received much attention related to various actions taken in connection with the Financial crisis, including the nationalisation of Carnegie Investment Bank.
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Carl Bildt |
Leader of the Swedish Moderate Party 1999–2003 |
Succeeded by Fredrik Reinfeldt |