Jan Björklund | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Björklund in 2017 | |
| Marshal of the Realm | |
| Assuming office 1 January 2026 | |
| Monarch | Carl XVI Gustaf |
| Succeeding | Fredrik Wersäll |
| Ambassador of Sweden to Italy | |
| In office 1 September 2020 – 1 October 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Rydberg |
| Succeeded by | Karin Höglund |
| Leader of theLiberals | |
| In office 7 September 2007 – 28 June 2019 | |
| Party secretary | Erik Ullenhag Nina Larsson Maria Arnholm |
| Preceded by | Lars Leijonborg |
| Succeeded by | Nyamko Sabuni |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden | |
| In office 5 October 2010 – 3 October 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | Fredrik Reinfeldt |
| Preceded by | Maud Olofsson |
| Succeeded by | Margot Wallström |
| Minister for Education | |
| In office 12 September 2007 – 3 October 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | Fredrik Reinfeldt |
| Preceded by | Lars Leijonborg |
| Succeeded by | Gustav Fridolin |
| Minister for Schools | |
| In office 6 October 2006 – 12 September 2007 | |
| Prime Minister | Fredrik Reinfeldt |
| Preceded by | Ibrahim Baylan |
| Succeeded by | Himself asMinister for Education |
| Member of theRiksdag | |
| In office 2 October 2006 – 31 October 2019 | |
| Constituency | Stockholm County |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1962-04-18)18 April 1962 (age 63) Skene, Sweden |
| Political party | Liberals |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 (adopted) |
| Occupation | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Sweden |
| Branch/service |  Swedish Army |
| Years of service | 1981–1994 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Svea Life Guards (1988–94) |
Jan Arne Björklund (born 18 April 1962) is a SwedishLiberal politician. He was a member of theRiksdag from 2006 to 2019, representingStockholm County, and served as leader of the Liberals from 2007 to 2019. Björklund served asminister for education from 2007 to 2014, and asDeputy Prime Minister of Sweden from 2010 to 2014.
He has served asAmbassador of Sweden to Italy since 1 September 2020[1] and is expected to take office asMarshal of the Realm on 1 January 2026.[2]
Björklund was born inSkene (today a part ofMark Municipality),Älvsborg County (todayVästra Götaland County), Sweden.[3] His father, Arne, worked in thetextile industry; his mother, Ragna, came to Sweden from Norway as awar refugee in 1944.[3] He came from aworking class home, and both of his parents lackedhigher education.[3]
After he had completed upper secondary education (gymnasium) in 1982, Björklund enlisted in theSwedish Armed Forces, and earned the rank ofofficer in 1985.[3] He then served in the royalSvea Life Guards inStockholm, from which he retired as amajor in 1994 to start a new career in politics.[3]
In 1976, at the age of 14, Björklund became a member of theLiberal Youth of Sweden, the youth wing of theLiberal People's Party.[3] He was elected a member of the board of the Liberal Youth in 1983, and served as its second deputy chairman between 1985 and 1987.[3] He has served as a member of the board of the Liberal People's Party since 1990.[3] He joined the party's leadership in 1995, became second deputy chairman in 1997, and first deputy chairman in 2001.[3]
In the1991 Swedish general election, Björklund was elected as a substitute member of theStockholm City Council, where he came to serve on the city's board of education.[3] Between 1994 and 1998, he served as an oppositional vice mayor (Swedish:oppositionsborgarråd) inStockholm.[3] Between 1998 and 2002, he served as vice mayor for schools (Swedish:skolborgarråd), and between 2002 and 2006, he served again as oppositional vice mayor.[3]
In the run-up to both the2002 and2006 general elections, Björklund was chairman of the centre-rightAlliance for Sweden's working group on education policy.[3]
In the 2006 election, Björklund was elected to theRiksdag; shortly thereafter, he was appointedminister for schools in the new centre-right cabinet led by Prime MinisterFredrik Reinfeldt.[3]
FollowingLars Leijonborg's decision to retire as party leader at the Liberal People's Party's national meeting in September 2007, Björklund was unanimously nominated by the party's election committee as the new party leader.[4] He was elected new party leader on 7 September 2007.[5] At the same time, he also took over Leijonborg's positions as head of the Ministry of Education and Research, and asminister for education. The change in his title as minister was merely formal, as his areas of responsibility were still those that he had asminister for schools.
Following the2010 Swedish general election, in which the Liberal People's Party became the second-largest party in the government coalition, Björklund replacedMaud Olofsson asDeputy Prime Minister of Sweden on 5 October 2010.[6]
Björklund is often seen as a representative of the more right-wing, hard-edged faction of the Liberal Party.[4] He has focused most on school issues, where he is known for his support fororderliness anddiscipline. He has criticized the Swedish schools system for being too "dopey", and not focusing enough on knowledge. Among other things, he has advocated more frequent assessments and a reformedgrade system.
In 2002, during the run-up to theU.S. invasion of Iraq, as first deputy chairman of his party, Björklund expressed his support for Swedish participation in themultinational coalition on condition that the invasion received broad international support, which it did not.[7]
In January 2009, Björklund criticised the downsizing in recent years of theSwedish Armed Forces. During an interview on anSVT news program, he stated: "After the last year's development inRussia, and the war in Georgia, Sweden must be able to mobilize more soldiers than we can today."[8]
In 2019, Björklund got his wish to abolish the austerity tax (Värnskatten),[9] a top tax rate of 5% points for incomes above €6,000 a month, in turn for supportingStefan Löfven as prime minister.[10]
Björklund married Anette Brifalk in 1992, with whom he has two adopted children, Gustav and Jesper.[3][11][12] He lives with his family inBromma, Stockholm.[3]
He was a celebrity dancer inLet's Dance 2020, broadcast onTV4.[13]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Minister for Schools 2006–2007 | Succeeded by Himself asMinister for Education |
| Preceded by | Minister for Education 2007–2014 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Deputy Prime Minister 2010–2014 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Leader of theLiberals 2007–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by Robert Rydberg | Ambassador of Sweden to Italy 2020–2025 | Succeeded by Karin Höglund |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
