FACTBOX-Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt

Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:15am EDT

June 26 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt will take over the leadership of the European Union when Sweden assumes the rotating presidency in July.

Below are some key facts about Reinfeldt:



* He was born in Stockholm on August 4, 1965, and entered politics in his 20s, joining the youth wing of the Moderate Party. He first entered parliament in 1991.

* Reinfeldt has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Economics from Stockholm University.

* A 1994 defeat of the Moderate-led coalition government saw Reinfeldt adopt a critical view of the party leadership of Carl Bildt, now foreign minister in Reinfeldt's cabinet, resulting in his isolation within the party.

* A 1999 change of leadership and a disastrous 2002 election result gave Reinfeldt more influence.

* He became the leader of the Moderates in 2003 at a time when the party's fortunes were at a low ebb, a year after its worst election defeat in decades.

* He re-christened the Moderates the "new workers' party" to steal the clothes of the Social Democrats, leading a four-party alliance, which included the Folk Liberal Party, the Centre Party and the Christian Democrats.

* Reinfeldt became prime minister in September 2006 uniting the centre-right behind calls to trim the welfare state. At 41 he was the third-youngest prime minister of Sweden.

* He lives in Taby, a northern suburb of Stockholm, where his wife Filippa is a County Commissioner of Health Services.

* The couple has a daughter, Ebba, and two sons, Gustaf and Erik.



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