Elisabeth Svantesson

Karin Elisabeth Svantesson (née Lundin; born 26 October 1967) is a Swedish economist and politician of the Moderate Party. She has served as Minister for Finance in the Kristersson cabinet since October 2022 and as first deputy leader of the Moderate Party since 2019. Svantesson has been a member of the Riksdag for Örebro County since 2006. She served as chair of the Committee on the Labour Market from 2012 to 2013 and as Minister for Employment in the Reinfeldt cabinet from 2013 to 2014. During the Moderate Party's period in opposition, she served as its employment-policy spokesperson and, from 2017 to 2022, as its economic-policy spokesperson and deputy chair of the Committee on Finance. As finance minister, Svantesson initially pursued a comparatively restrictive fiscal policy during the period of high inflation, before shifting towards a more expansionary policy as inflation declined. Her tenure has also included revisions to Sweden's fiscal policy framework, increased expenditure on military and civil defence, and extensive tax and budget measures intended to strengthen household finances and economic growth.