Sweden's Borg eyes post-election exit

Sweden’s finance minister Anders Borg has admitted to deriving little enjoyment from his work and says he is looking forward to becoming a “normal person” with a “normal job” after the next general election.

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In a candid interview with Sweden’s TV4, Borg said he has assured Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt that he would remain in his post at least until the 2014 election.

“I’ve promised Fredrik I’ll stay on for this term of government and the start of the next term if we win the next election,” said Borg. “But the day I quit politics, it will feel like I’m heaving a sigh of relief.”

The 43-year-old Moderate Party politician is a hugely popular figure in Sweden and is credited by vast swathes of the electorate with having almost single-handedly helped the country ride out the worst of the global financial crisis.

His emphasis on fiscal rectitude and an unswerving trust in the decades-old Swedish employment model has even led to grudging admiration among opposition ranks. But Borg revealed that the recent credit crunch had taken a personal toll.

“During the crisis I woke up every night at four or five in the morning and lay there thinking,” said Borg. “It’s better now, but I have to admit that in autumn 2008 and spring 2009 there were few nights that I slept more than four or five hours.”

Borg said he felt he was doing his duty now, but would be more than prepared to return to normal life and start shopping for groceries again at his local ICA store in Katrineholm without the pressures of government.

“For me, politics is not something that’s enjoyable; there's a lot of duty and responsibility,” he said.