Göran Hägglund

Early life and political career

Hägglund's parents are originally from Finland: they moved to Sweden in the 1950s. Hägglund was born in Degerfors in central Sweden, but moved to Jönköping, a Christian Democratic stronghold, with his family in 1978.

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.

Hägglund is the Riksdag's Father of the House since 1 January 2015, first elected in 1991 and oldest among those elected in 1991.

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 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.

During a party rally in Gothenburg in 2014, Hägglund was hit with a pie by a queer anarchist.

On 29 January 2015, Hägglund announced that he would step down as party leader at an extra party congress on 25 April. Ebba Busch Thor will be elected new party leader at the same congress.

Minister for Social Affairs

Hägglund was appointed Minister for 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. The bill was supported by all parties except the Christian Democrats and one member of Center Party.

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.