Sweden’s finance minister since 2014, Magdalena Andersson was voted in yesterday at the SAP Congress taking place in Gothenburg, Sweden. She is set to become Sweden’s first female prime minister, pending confirmation by the Swedish Parliament, the Riksdag.
President of the PES, Sergei Stanishev, said:
“On behalf of the PES, I send my warm congratulations to Magdalena on her election. The Social Democratic Party is an important part of our progressive political family, and I am glad to see its strong leadership will continue.
“Magdalena is a lifelong progressive. As finance minister she has delivered sound government finances which have provided the foundation for a fair and sustainable Sweden. During the pandemic she ensured vital resources were available for public services. And now she is a central architect of Sweden’s recovery, accelerating the climate transition, getting more people into work, strengthening the welfare system and making Sweden a safe country for all.
“We look forward to welcoming Magdalena as the latest progressive prime minister, and the first female prime minister of Sweden, and to continuing our collective push for a fairer and more sustainable Europe.”
Magdalena Andersson joined the Social Democratic Youth in 1983 and was elected to the Riksdag in 2014, when she was appointed finance minister in the new Löfven cabinet. Since 2020 she has also served as Chair of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), the primary policy advisory committee of the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She is the first woman to hold the position, and the first European in that role for more than a decade.
Magdalena Andersson takes over as leader of the Social Democrats from Stefan Löfven, who has served as party leader since 2012 and prime minister of Sweden since 2014.
Sergei Stanishev added:
“For nearly a decade, Stefan has led the Social Democrats. I thank him for his tireless work during these years. Alongside many domestic achievements, his premiership was fundamental to securing the European Pillar of Social Rights. Through this, and so many other initiatives, Stefan delivered a fairer Europe for all. We wish him well for the future.”
