Experts
Leif Pagrotsky
Member of Parliament, Sweden
Leif Pagrotsky and the lure of a Scandinavian welfare state. Read More
Canceling tariffs on goods entering the EU from the global South was one of Leif Pagrotsky’s major accomplishments. Read More
Broad-based social support greatly reduces fear and uncertainty in the Swedish economy, Leif Pagrotsky says. Read More
Paying retirement benefits forward is a fatal flaw in the auto industry and the American economy as a whole Leif Pagrotsky believes. Read More
Leif Pagrotsky notes the Swedish economy has adjusted much better to globalization than the American economy. Read More
Leif Pagrotsky hopes for an improved America after the “disaster” of the Bush administration. Read More
Leif Pagrotsky explains that in Europe socialism is a misnomer for social democracy . Read More
Leif Pagrotsky speaks to the importance of building and maintaining skills in a labor force. Read More
Leif Pagrotsky cites public-private options, high life expectancy and competitions between hospitals to tout Sweden’s socialized model. Read More
Leif Pagrotsky on the Swedish banking crisis of the early 1990s. Read More
Sharply decreasing inflation led to the biggest interest rate cut in the Swedish central bank’s history, explains Leif Pagrotsky. Read More
Leif Pagrotsky describes the conditions for a fertile creative class. Read More
Leif Pagrotsky says high alcohol consumption rates lead to tight controls on drugs in Sweden. Read More
Sweden is not just a country of depressed suicidals, says Leif Pagrotsky. Read More
Rewarding the financial industry for missteps and passing the buck is inherently wrong, says Leif Pagrotsky. Read More
Leif Pagrotsky weighs in on two economic titans. Read More
About Leif Pagrotsky
Leif Pagrotsky is a Swedish Social Democratic politician, who had various posts in the government of Göran Persson between 1996 and 2006. In 1997 Prime Minister Göran Persson made Pagrotsky Minister of Trade and in 2002 Minister for Industry and Trade. One of his most publicly known activities during this period was his efforts to promote Swedish popular music export. In 2004, he switched posts with former Minister of Education Thomas Östros. At the same time, the responsibility for cultural matters, previously belonging to a separate ministry, was added to Pagrotsky’s portfolio. Pagrotsky has a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science in economics from Gothenburg University. Before joining the Cabinet, Pagrotsky worked at the Central Bank of Sweden and in the Ministry of Finance.