Reinfeldt, Fredrik

Reinfeldt, Fredrik (frā`drĭk rīn`fĕld) 1965–, Swedish politician. A member of the center-right Moderate party, he joined its Youth League in the 1980s, was first elected to parliament in 1991, and was president (1992–95) of the Youth League. In 2003 Reinfeldt was elected party leader, and he subsequently shifted the Moderates from a staunchly conservative position to a much more centrist one. Reinfelt toned down the party's criticism of Sweden's welfare state and suggested such reforms as cutting taxes for those with low and middle incomes and reducing benefits as an incentive for the unemployed to seek work. In 2006 the Moderates led a four-party center-right coalition to victory over the Social Democrats, and Reinfeldt became prime minister.