Göran Hägglund

Göran Hägglund
Minister for Health and Social Affairs
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 October 2006
Prime Minister	Fredrik Reinfeldt
Preceded by	Berit Andnor
Leader of the Christian Democrats
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 April 2004
Deputy	Maria Larsson
Preceded by	Alf Svensson
Personal details
Born	(1959-01-27) 27 January 1959 Degerfors, Värmland
Political party	Christian Democrat
Spouse(s)	Married
Children	2
Occupation	Politician
Religion	Church of Sweden

Bo Göran Hägglund (born 27 January 1959, Degerfors, Värmland) is a Swedish politician who has been Minister for Health and Social Affairs since 2006. He is also leader of the Christian Democrats of Sweden (Swedish: Kristdemokraterna) and was elected party leader on 3 April 2004, succeeding Alf Svensson.

Hägglund was born in Degerfors in central Sweden, but moved to Jönköping, a Christian Democratic stronghold, with his family in 1978.

Political career

He started his political career in the Christian Democratic youth organisation. From 1978 he was employed by the party, first as ombudsman for the local Christian Democratic Youth, and from 1981 for the regional party branch. From 1982 to 1986 he was also a member of the Municipal Council in Jönköping.

Following the 1985 elections, he started to work as parliamentary secretary for the Christian Democrats. In 1988 he temporarily left politics to start working for an insurance company. In the parliamentary elections of 1991 he was elected a Member of Parliament.

Party leader

Hägglund was generally considered to be long-time party leader Alf Svensson's personal favourite as a successor. However, when Svensson announced his plans to step down, two other candidates, Maria Larsson and Mats Odell, had the support of a bigger number of regional party organisations. Not even Hägglund's own Jönköping district stood behind him. Eventually, however, all Hägglund's possible contenders withdrew from the race, and his election as party leader on 3 April 2004 was unanimous.

Prior to the Swedish general election in 2006 Hägglund's Christian Democrats formed a closer alliance with the three other centre-right parties in Sweden, under the name Alliance for Sweden. After their victory in the elections, Fredrik Reinfeldt of the Moderate Party was asked by the Speaker of the Riksdag to form a new government. Following negotiations between the leaders of the parties in the Alliance for Sweden, Göran Hägglund was named Minister for Health and Social Affairs on 6 October 2006.

In the autumn of 2011 he was challenged by party colleague Mats Odell on the post of party leader. In an extra congress held on 28 January 2012 Hägglund's confidence on the post of party leader was renewed, defeating challenger Mats Odell.

Minister for Health and Social Affairs

Hägglund was appointed Minister for Health and Social Affairs on 6 October 2006 by Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.

As minister, Hägglund enforced several reforms including the reform of the health insurance system which became a highly controversial reform. Hägglund also implemented municipal allowance which replaced the former state allowance. The pharmacy monopoly was abolished on 1 July 2009 and the alcohol law was liberalized in 2010.

Deduction for household services, so-called RUT deduction was introduced in 2007 as well as the legislation of same-sex marriages in 2009.

Personal life

Hägglund grew up in the Pentecostal movement, but is now a member of the Church of Sweden. He is married and has two children.

External links

• (Swedish) Christian Democrats: Göran Hägglund
• Swedish Parliament: Göran Hägglund
• Government of Sweden: Göran Hägglund