Ulrica Messing (born 31 January 1968 in Hällefors^[1]) is a Swedish politician and civil servant who currently serves as Governor of Blekinge County since 2021.^[2] A member of the Social Democratic Party, she previously served as Minister for Infrastructure from 2000 to 2006.

Messing was Member of Parliament (MP) from 1991 to 2007, representing Gävleborg County. She was chairman of the parliamentary Committee for Defence from 2006 to 2007, when she resigned from Parliament and ended her political career.

Political career

Messing completed high school in 1987. She began her political career in the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League and was a member of the Municipal Council in Hofors Municipality from 1989. In 1991 she was elected to the Riksdag as a Member of Parliament. From 1993 she has been a member of the National Board of the Swedish Social Democratic Party.

In 1996 Prime Minister Göran Persson made her a minister. She first served in the Ministry of Labour, from 1998 in the Ministry of Culture, and from 2000 in the Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications.^[3]

During her time as Minister for Communications, Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications from 2000 to 2006 she was in charge of Swedish arms exports. During her tenure the volume of Sweden's arms exports grew to become the ninth largest in the world (2005). It increased from 4,4 billion SEK in 2000 to 8,6 billion SEK in 2006. One arms deal during this time that attracted particular criticism was when the Swedish company SAAB exported airplanes to the Pakistan military in a deal worth 8,3 billion SEK, about 1,2 billion USD.

Personal life

She is married to Swedish businessman and multimillionaire Torsten Jansson since 2009.^[4]

In 2008 Messing opened a design store called Porthouse Interior in Gothenburg.^[5]