Former Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, who led Sweden for eight years before last fall’s general election, has shunned the limelight since his center-right coalition government was toppled in September. In a rare interview with Swedish television network SVT, however, the leader of the Moderate party talked about the last years of governing and the recent election. He added that an international career was not in the cards following his departure from Swedish politics, and while he would live in Sweden, it would not be “through the prism of party politics.”
Reinfeldt said he wasn’t surprised by the political turmoil that followed the election and the failed budget crisis that almost triggered a new snap election. He has left the day-to-day running of his Moderate party to acting leader Anna Kinberg Batra, who is expected to be officially selected by party members. Reinfeldt formally leaves his post as chairman for the Nya Moderaterna at the extraordinary party Congress on January 10.

Read more about the recent unprecedented agreement among six parties that led to the cancelation of the extraordinary election in March: Sweden's snap vote canceled