Christian Engström
Encyclopedia
Lars Christian Engström is a Swedish
computer programmer
, activist
and politician
. He is deputy chairman of the Swedish Pirate Party. Engström was elected a Member of the European Parliament
(MEP) in the 2009 election
.
. He graduated from Stockholm University
in 1983 with a degree in mathematics
and computer science
. While studying, Engström worked as a tutor
at the university, teaching object-oriented programming
in Simula
. From 1978 he also worked part-time as a programmer
at a small company which specialized in phonetic similarity searches for trademark names. After finishing his studies he started working full-time at the company. He became a partner in the firm in 1987 and in 1991 he became vice president. In 1997 the company was sold to the leading European trademark search house CompuMark. Engström stayed on in a similar capacity as before until 2001, when he left the company to set up his own consultancy firm Glindra AB.
within the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure
(FFII), lobbying against software patents. He was active in the campaign against the EU software patent directive, which was rejected by the European Parliament
in July 2005. He also co-founded the Swedish section of FFII and served as its deputy chairman during the first year.
In the late 1980s, Engström became a member of the Swedish Liberal People's Party
. He served as a lay assessor
for the party in the Stockholm District Court between 1992 and 1998 and was active in local politics in Bromma
, Stockholm
. He left the Liberal People's Party on 1 January 2006, following the founding of the Pirate Party.
Engström was elected a Member of the European Parliament
(MEP) in the election
held on 7 June 2009, in which the Pirate Party won 7.1 % of the votes and received one mandate. Engström was placed as his party's top candidate and received 43,808 votes (19 % of the Pirate Party's total votes). After negotiations with some of the political groups of the European Parliament it was announced on 25 June 2009 that Engström will join the green group (Greens–EFA).
, Stockholm County
.
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....
computer programmer
Programmer
A programmer, computer programmer or coder is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. One who practices or professes a formal approach to...
, activist
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He is deputy chairman of the Swedish Pirate Party. Engström was elected a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(MEP) in the 2009 election
European Parliament election, 2009 (Sweden)
The European Parliament election of 2009 in Sweden was held on 7 June 2009 and determined the makeup of the Swedish delegation to the European Parliament. The election was held using a modified form of the Sainte-Laguë method of party-list proportional representation using the entire country as a...
.
Education and career
Christian Engström was born in Högalid, StockholmStockholm
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...
. He graduated from Stockholm University
Stockholm University
Stockholm University is a state university in Stockholm, Sweden. It has over 28,000 students at four faculties, making it one of the largest universities in Scandinavia. The institution is also frequently regarded as one of the top 100 universities in the world...
in 1983 with a degree in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
. While studying, Engström worked as a tutor
Tutor
A tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
at the university, teaching object-oriented programming
Object-oriented programming
Object-oriented programming is a programming paradigm using "objects" – data structures consisting of data fields and methods together with their interactions – to design applications and computer programs. Programming techniques may include features such as data abstraction,...
in Simula
Simula
Simula is a name for two programming languages, Simula I and Simula 67, developed in the 1960s at the Norwegian Computing Center in Oslo, by Ole-Johan Dahl and Kristen Nygaard...
. From 1978 he also worked part-time as a programmer
Programmer
A programmer, computer programmer or coder is someone who writes computer software. The term computer programmer can refer to a specialist in one area of computer programming or to a generalist who writes code for many kinds of software. One who practices or professes a formal approach to...
at a small company which specialized in phonetic similarity searches for trademark names. After finishing his studies he started working full-time at the company. He became a partner in the firm in 1987 and in 1991 he became vice president. In 1997 the company was sold to the leading European trademark search house CompuMark. Engström stayed on in a similar capacity as before until 2001, when he left the company to set up his own consultancy firm Glindra AB.
Activism and politics
For five years Engström worked as an unpaid activistActivism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
within the Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure
Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure
The Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure or FFII is a non-profit organisation based in Munich, Germany, dedicated to establishing a free market in information technology, by the removal of barriers to competition...
(FFII), lobbying against software patents. He was active in the campaign against the EU software patent directive, which was rejected by the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in July 2005. He also co-founded the Swedish section of FFII and served as its deputy chairman during the first year.
In the late 1980s, Engström became a member of the Swedish Liberal People's Party
Liberal People's Party (Sweden)
The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006...
. He served as a lay assessor
Lay assessor
Lay assessors are used by the government of the United Kingdom to evaluate the quality of service provided by government agencies to the public and citizens of the United Kingdom....
for the party in the Stockholm District Court between 1992 and 1998 and was active in local politics in Bromma
Bromma borough
Bromma is a so called borough in the western part of Stockholm, Sweden, forming part of the Stockholm Municipality. Bromma is primarily made up of the parish with the same name, and the parish of Västerled...
, 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...
. He left the Liberal People's Party on 1 January 2006, following the founding of the Pirate Party.
Engström was elected a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
(MEP) in the election
European Parliament election, 2009 (Sweden)
The European Parliament election of 2009 in Sweden was held on 7 June 2009 and determined the makeup of the Swedish delegation to the European Parliament. The election was held using a modified form of the Sainte-Laguë method of party-list proportional representation using the entire country as a...
held on 7 June 2009, in which the Pirate Party won 7.1 % of the votes and received one mandate. Engström was placed as his party's top candidate and received 43,808 votes (19 % of the Pirate Party's total votes). After negotiations with some of the political groups of the European Parliament it was announced on 25 June 2009 that Engström will join the green group (Greens–EFA).
Personal life
Engström is married and has one son. He lives with his family in NackaNacka
Nacka is the municipal seat of Nacka Municipality and part of Stockholm urban area in Sweden. The municipality's name harks back to an 16th century industrial operation established by the Crown at Nacka farmstead where conditions for water mills are good...
, Stockholm County
Stockholm County
Stockholm County is a county or län on the Baltic sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. Stockholm County is divided by the historic provinces of Uppland and Södermanland...
.
External links
- Christian Engström's blog
- The Pirate Party Makes a Bid for the European Parliament Wired.com article, features interview with Christian Engström.