Elisabeth Svantesson

Svantesson studied economy at Örebro University between 1987-1991. Prior to being elected to the Swedish Riksdag, she was a university teacher and doctoral. She holds an economics licentiate from 2006.

Svantesson was elected to the Swedish Riksdag in the 2006 general election. In the Riksdag, she became an ordinary member of the Labour Market Committee and a deputy member of the Enterprise Committee. In October 2009 she also became deputy member of the Finance Committee and in November 2009 she became an ordinary member of the board of the Swedish National Audit Office. She retained her seat in the 2010 general election and from 2010 she was an ordinary member of the Finance Committee until 2012 when she became chairman of the Labour Market Committee.

On 17 September 2013, she was appointed Minister for Employment by Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.

Following defeat in 2014, she returned to the Riksdag where she became deputy chair of the Committee on Social Insurance. On 11 December 2014, Svantesson was appointed spokesperson for employment policies of the Moderate Party and deputy chair of the Committee on Employment.[2] On 17 December 2014, she was nominated to become second deputy leader of the Moderate Party and she was elected to the position on 10 January 2015.

In October 2019, Svantesson was elected first deputy leader of the Moderate Party.

Svantesson is married, has three sons, and lives in Örebro, Örebro County.[3]

Earlier in her life she was a member of the Livets Ord, the largest parish within the Swedish Word of Faith Movement and as her father was a pastor, she also attended Odenslundskyrkan, a local church of Equmeniakyrkan, whereas he served at the time she lived in Östersund. She has also been a member of the anti-abortion movement ‘Yes to Life’. When appointed, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt stressed that her previous religious choices had nothing to do with her new job.[4]

• Elisabeth Svantesson at the Riksdag website