• Swedes 6th richest in the world
• 'Serious stability risk' for Swedish banks
Financial Times said that Sweden’s outperforming economy has made Anders Borg the envy of troubled European finance ministers.
The Swedish minsiter -- the winner of this year’s Financial Times ranking of the continent’s Treasury chiefs -- wins top scores for his skill as an economic striker, albeit from outside the eurozone.
“By cutting through the analytical fog in many international gatherings, he has increased his star quality,” Erik Nielsen, chief economist at UniCredit Bank, told the newspaper.
He also wins praise for spotting early the need to strengthen the banks and tactfully explaining how Europe could learn from Sweden’s 1990s crisis in the sector.
Sweden's economy performed exceptionally well in 2011, at least partly thanks to past reforms and fiscal prudence. The FT added that while investors in Greece face write-offs, or a “haircut”, on their holdings, Sweden has one of the lowest debt levels in Europe.
