Bengt Westerberg

Bengt Carl Gustaf Westerberg (born 23 August 1943) is a Swedish politician. He was leader of the Liberal People's Party from 1983 to 1995, member of the Riksdag from 1984 to 1994 and Minister for Social Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister 1991 to 1994. Biography 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. Westerberg worked as political secretary to one of the city commissioners in Stockholm Municipality from 1969 to 1970 and then as political secretary in Stockholm County Council from 1971 to 1972, where he then worked on traffic issues from 1972 to 1975. He worked as a political assistant in the Ministry of Employment from 1976 to 1978, where Per Ahlmark was minister and simultaneously the Liberal People's Party's leader. During the Ullsten Cabinet from 1978 to 1979, Westerberg was state secretary at the Ministry for Industry, where Erik Huss was minister. From 1979 to 1982 he was state secretary at the Ministry for Budget in the Fälldin II and Fälldin III cabinets, under ministers Ingemar Mundebo and Rolf Wirtén. 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, when Ullsten resigned from his seat.