Bengt Westerberg

Bengt Carl Gustaf Westerberg (born 23 August 1943) is a Swedish politician.

Westerberg is the son of Carl-Erik Westerberg and his wife Barbro (née Wahlström). He graduated from high school in 1962, finished an associate degree in medicine at Karolinska Institute in 1964 and a bachelor's degree in economics and philosophy at Stockholm University in 1974.^[1]

Westerberg worked as political secretary to one of the city commissioners in

The 1982 election led to a change in government, and the worst election result so far for the Liberal People's Party (5.9 per cent). In 1983 Westerberg was the head of office of a foundation promoting free market solutions, where he worked together with Carl Bildt of the Moderate Party, and wrote for the business weekly Affärsvärlden. He was elected to the board of the Liberal People's Party in May 1983, and shortly thereafter party leader Ola Ullsten chose to resign. In October 1983, Westerberg was appointed party leader. He became a member of parliament in 1984,^[1] when Ullsten resigned from his seat.

In the 1985 election, the Liberal People's Party received 14.2 per cent of the votes, a higher support than in any of the previous four elections, following a quick increase in popularity in the weeks leading up to the election. This was branded "the Westerberg effect" by the media. In the 1988 election the ruling Social Democrats branded the Liberal People's Party (rather than the Moderate Party) and Westerberg the main opponents of their campaign.

In October 1990 Westerberg and the Moderate Party leader Carl Bildt published an article where they declared that they wanted to govern together after next year's election. In early 1991, a common election platform was adopted, called "New start for Sweden" (Ny start för Sverige). While all modern era centre-right governments in Sweden had been coalition governments, this level of cooperation ahead of an election was unusual for Swedish parties. In the

In the 1994 election, the government lost their majority and the Liberal People's Party got 7.2 per cent of the votes. Westerberg then resigned as party leader and was succeeded by Maria Leissner in February 1995.

Westerberg holds office as the Deputy President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Geneva, Switzerland and is chairman of the Swedish Red Cross.

Westerberg is an

He is twice divorced, with two daughters, Hanna Nordh (maiden name Westerberg) and Malin Westerberg from the first marriage and a son, Jacob Westerberg, from his second marriage with Marie Ehrling.

Bibliography

• Minus 100 miljarder : vägar att spara på statens utgifter (1983)
• Välfärdsstatens vägval och villkor (1993)
• Den liberala välfärdsstaten (1994)
• Han, hon, den, det : om genus och kön (1998)
• Har vi råd med äldrevård när 40-talisterna blir gamla? (2000)
• Var det verkligen bättre förr? : en självbiografisk resa (2012)

References