Beatrice Ask
Encyclopedia
Eva Carin Beatrice Ask is a Swedish
Moderate Party
politician currently serving as Minister for Justice
in the Swedish government
.
, Jämtland County
. She earned a high school diploma
in Akron, Ohio
, United States
, in 1974, and finished her upper secondary school in Sweden in 1976. From 1978 to 1979 she studied international economics
at Uppsala University
but never graduated. Instead she began working for the Moderate Party
and the Moderate Youth League
, before being elected the first female chairman of the youth league in 1984. She was re-elected in 1986 and served a second term until 1988, when she was elected city commissioner with responsibility for schools in the city council
of Stockholm
.
Following the 1991 election
, after which Carl Bildt
became Prime Minister
, Ask was appointed Minister for Schools and Adult Education in the new cabinet. Together with Per Unckel
, Minister for Education, she took part in shaking the very foundation of the Swedish education system. Among other things, education vouchers were introduced which allowed children to choose independent schools without paying any fees.
Since the loss in the 1994 election
, Ask has served as party spokesman of several issues. From 1994 to 2006 she was member of the Swedish parliament
.
Following the 2006 election
, after which Fredrik Reinfeldt
became Prime Minister, Ask was appointed Minister for Justice
in the new cabinet
. Historically, she is one of very few non-jurist
s to hold the post of Minister for Justice in Sweden.
She has received much criticism in her role as a Minister of Justice, most notably for her part in the FRA law
as well as her proposal to send pink envelopes to suspected sex offenders, with the head of the Swedish Bar Association
Anne Ramberg calling the latter "a non acceptable outlook on mankind. It is a return to medieval times".
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Moderate Party
Moderate Party
The Moderate Party is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1904 as the General Electoral League by a group of conservatives in the Swedish parliament...
politician currently serving as Minister for Justice
Minister for Justice (Sweden)
The Minister for Justice is the justice minister of Sweden and head of the Ministry of Justice. The current Minister for Justice is Beatrice Ask of the Moderate Party....
in the Swedish government
Government of Sweden
The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden is the supreme executive authority of Sweden. It consists of the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers appointed by the Prime Minister. The Government is responsible for their actions to the Riksdag, which is the legislative assembly...
.
Biography
Ask was born in SvegSveg
Sveg is a locality and the seat of Härjedalen Municipality in Jämtland County, Sweden with 2,633 inhabitants in 2005.The Swedish author Henning Mankell was brought up in Sveg, and it is the setting for his crime novel Danslärarens återkomst .- References :...
, Jämtland County
Jämtland County
Jämtland County is a county or län in the middle of Sweden consisting of the provinces of Jämtland and Härjedalen, along with minor parts of Hälsingland and Ångermanland, plus two tiny uninhabited strips of Lapland and Dalarna. Jämtland County constitutes 12 percent of Sweden's total area, and is...
. She earned a high school diploma
High school diploma
A high school diploma is a diploma awarded for the completion of high school. In the United States and Canada, it is considered the minimum education required for government jobs and higher education. An equivalent is the GED.-Past diploma styles:...
in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in 1974, and finished her upper secondary school in Sweden in 1976. From 1978 to 1979 she studied international economics
International economics
International economics is concerned with the effects upon economic activity of international differences in productive resources and consumer preferences and the institutions that affect them...
at Uppsala University
Uppsala University
Uppsala University is a research university in Uppsala, Sweden, and is the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477. It consistently ranks among the best universities in Northern Europe in international rankings and is generally considered one of the most prestigious institutions of...
but never graduated. Instead she began working for the Moderate Party
Moderate Party
The Moderate Party is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1904 as the General Electoral League by a group of conservatives in the Swedish parliament...
and the Moderate Youth League
Moderate Youth League
The Moderate Youth League , officially known in English as the Swedish Young Conservatives, is the youth wing of the Swedish Moderate Party. It had 12 051 members in 2010...
, before being elected the first female chairman of the youth league in 1984. She was re-elected in 1986 and served a second term until 1988, when she was elected city commissioner with responsibility for schools in the city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
.
Following the 1991 election
Swedish general election, 1991
Election to the Parliament of Sweden was held on 15 September 1991. The election, like all parliamentary elections in Sweden, was conducted using a party-list proportional representation system....
, after which Carl Bildt
Carl Bildt
, Honorary KCMG is a Swedish politician, diplomat and nobleman. Formerly Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994 and leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, Bildt has served as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs since 6 October 2006...
became Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Sweden
The Prime Minister is the head of government in the Kingdom of Sweden. Before the creation of the office of a Prime Minister in 1876, Sweden did not have a head of government separate from its head of state, namely the King, in whom the executive authority was vested...
, Ask was appointed Minister for Schools and Adult Education in the new cabinet. Together with Per Unckel
Per Unckel
Per Carl Gustav Unckel was a Swedish former Moderate Party politician and at the time of his death the Governor of Stockholm County....
, Minister for Education, she took part in shaking the very foundation of the Swedish education system. Among other things, education vouchers were introduced which allowed children to choose independent schools without paying any fees.
Since the loss in the 1994 election
Swedish general election, 1994
The Swedish general election, 1994 for the 349 seats in the Parliament of Sweden took place on 18 September 1994....
, Ask has served as party spokesman of several issues. From 1994 to 2006 she was member of the Swedish parliament
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
.
Following the 2006 election
Swedish general election, 2006
A general election was held in Sweden on 17 September 2006, to elect members to the Swedish parliament. All 349 seats were up for election: 310 "fixed seats" in 29 constituencies and 39 members at a national level for what are called "adjustment seats", used to ensure that parties have...
, after which Fredrik Reinfeldt
Fredrik Reinfeldt
John Fredrik Reinfeldt is the Prime Minister of Sweden, leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party and former President of the European Council...
became Prime Minister, Ask was appointed Minister for Justice
Minister for Justice (Sweden)
The Minister for Justice is the justice minister of Sweden and head of the Ministry of Justice. The current Minister for Justice is Beatrice Ask of the Moderate Party....
in the new cabinet
Cabinet of Fredrik Reinfeldt
The cabinet of Fredrik Reinfeldt is the current cabinet of Sweden. It is a coalition cabinet consisting of the four parties in the centre-right Alliance for Sweden: the Moderate Party, Centre Party, Liberal People's Party and the Christian Democrats...
. Historically, she is one of very few non-jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
s to hold the post of Minister for Justice in Sweden.
She has received much criticism in her role as a Minister of Justice, most notably for her part in the FRA law
FRA law
The FRA law is a Swedish legislative package that authorizes the state to warrantlessly wiretap all telephone and Internet traffic that crosses Sweden's borders...
as well as her proposal to send pink envelopes to suspected sex offenders, with the head of the Swedish Bar Association
Swedish Bar Association
The Swedish Bar Association or Sveriges advokatsamfund is an organisation for Swedish members of the Bar practicing law under the title of advokat , a title which is protected by law and reserved for members of the Association....
Anne Ramberg calling the latter "a non acceptable outlook on mankind. It is a return to medieval times".
Personal life
Ask was formerly in a relationship with Moderate Party politician Christer G. Wennerholm, with whom she has one child. She has a second child from another relationship.External links
- Beatrice Ask at the Government Offices of SwedenGovernment of SwedenThe Government of the Kingdom of Sweden is the supreme executive authority of Sweden. It consists of the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers appointed by the Prime Minister. The Government is responsible for their actions to the Riksdag, which is the legislative assembly...
- Beatrice Ask at the Parliament of SwedenParliament of SwedenThe Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
- Beatrice Ask at the Moderate PartyModerate PartyThe Moderate Party is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1904 as the General Electoral League by a group of conservatives in the Swedish parliament...
- Beatrice Ask