Leif Pagrotsky

 Leif Pagrotsky first had a distinguished career in the Riksbank, the OECD and the Ministry of Finance, focussing on economic policy and financial and tax policy affairs. He served as Director for Fiscal and Financial Affairs until 1987 when he was appointed Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister. He was Assistant Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Finance 1990-91 and then Under Secretary of State for Financial Affairs.

He served as a Cabinet Minister for ten years, 1996-2006, in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Goran Persson. As Minister of Trade, and of Trade and Industry, for almost eight years 1997-2004 he he became an active and high profile champion of free trade, in EU and globally in WTO. As President of the Council of Ministers in 2001 he pushed trough the decision to abolish all tariffs and quotas for all imports into EU from the world’s 49 poorest nations, the Everything But Arms initiative. He also served as Deputy Minister of foreign Affairs 1999-2002. Among other responsibilities he was in charge of Energy Policy, State owned enterprises, and bilateral relations with Russia, Poland and the Baltic states. In 2004-2006 he was Minister for Education, Research and Culture.

Since 2006 Mr Pagrotsky has been a Member of Parliament, representing his native city Gothenburg. He has served as Vice Chairman of the Council of the Riksbank 2006-2011 and is a member of the Executive Board of the Social Democratic Party.

Source: University Programs and Events Planning Resources, December 2011