Allan Larsson, former Minister of Finance, Sweden

Allan Larsson served as Finance Minister of Sweden between 1990 and 1991. He has also served as Director General of the National Labour Market Board, as Member of the Swedish Parliament, and as Member of the Board of Governors of the Central Bank. During his time in the Parliament he was appointed Chairman of the European Employment Initiative. He remained an MP until he was appointed Director General in the European Commission in Brussels, responsible for employment and social affairs. He was in charge of the preparation and implementation of the European Employment Strategy. After retiring as Director General he served as Chairman of the Board of Swedish Television and chairman of the Transatlantic Dialogue on Broadcasting and Information Society. He was member of the OECD Round Table on Sustainable Development in Paris.

Mr. Larsson is currently an adviser to the Director General of the ILO in Geneva. Since 2001 he is member of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s High Level Panel on Youth Employment. He is also a member of the ETUC Reflection Group on Economic Policy and Employment in Brussels.

Mr. Larsson made a professional career in journalism and media, economic research, national politics and in public administration in Sweden and in the European Union. He worked for several national newspapers, as editor-in-chief of a weekly magazine and news reporter at Swedish Television. In the 1970s he was Head of the Research Department of the Swedish Metal Workers Union, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Labour and consultant to the Swedish Steel Company, SSAB.