Position: Finance Minister
Incumbent: Anders Borg, 42
Term: 2010 to September 2014. Borg was reappointed as the Nordic country's finance minister in early October after the Moderate Party-led government beat the centre-left opposition in a Sept. 19 general election, though it lost its house majority due to gains for the far-right.
Key Facts:
-- Borg is the closest ally of Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and helped remodel the Moderate party after its previous period in power in the early 1990s when Sweden suffered a deep economic crisis.
The two have moved the Moderates closer to the political centre and toned down plans for radical cuts in taxes and the welfare state.
-- Under Borg's watch as finance minister, the government has trimmed income taxes, abolished a wealth tax and introduced greater incentives to get people back to work. The government also embarked on Sweden's biggest-ever privatisation programme, which included the sale of Absolut Vodka maker Vin & Sprit, real estate firm Vasakronan and part of TeliaSonera.
-- Borg, who sports a pony-tail and earring, was a surprise choice as finance minister in 2006. He held onto his role after admitting shortly after the elections that he had failed to declare payments to a nanny his family used. Two other cabinet members resigned over similar admissions.
-- Borg gained recognition in Europe for his outspoken views on regulation of the financial industry, especially of bank bonuses. He was widely quoted during the global recession as saying "the bankers are partying like it's 1999, and it's 2009".
-- At home, Borg has been praised for introducing timely fiscal measures to ease the effects of the downturn without jeopardising public finances that are among the strongest in the European Union.
-- As most of Europe struggles with deep deficits and austerity measures, Sweden anticipates a return to a budget surplus already in 2012.
-- Borg studied economics at Stockholm University and has worked as adviser to the country's central bank. In the private sector, he headed the economics department at Swedish bank SEB and served as chief economist for ABN AMRO in Stockholm.
-- Borg has said the government would soon resume its privatisation campaign but because it does not have a majority in parliament following the election, it may not be strong enough to push asset sales past a reluctant parliament.
-- The four-party ruling coalition wants to sell 100 billion crowns ($14 billion) in state assets over the next four years to help reduce state debt.