imported>JJMC89 bot III: Moving :Category:Swedish women ambassadors to :Category:Women ambassadors of Sweden per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2025 August 27#Category:Afghan women ambassadors

2025-09-26T18:33:28Z

Moving Category:Swedish women ambassadors to Category:Women ambassadors of Sweden per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2025 August 27#Category:Afghan women ambassadors

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{{Short description|Swedish politician (born 1956)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Maria Leissner
| image = Kicking off the civil society regional dialogue on April 28 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Leissner in 2015
| birth_name = Annika Maria Leissner
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|01|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Gothenburg]], Sweden
| death_date =
| death_place =
| other_names =
| occupation = Politician, diplomat
| years_active = 1981–
| known_for =
| notable_works =
| party = [[Liberals (Sweden)|Liberals]]
| spouse =
| partner = Hans Holmgren (1982; died 1996)
| education = [[Uppsala University]]
}}

'''Annika ''Maria'' Leissner''' (born 21 January 1956) is a [[Sweden|Swedish]] politician and former party leader of the Swedish [[Liberals (Sweden)|Liberal People's Party]] (1995–97).<ref name="NE">{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.ne.se/maria-leissner|encyclopedia=[[Nationalencyklopedin]]|title=Maria Leissner|accessdate=2010-05-10|language=sv}}</ref>

==Early life==
Leissner was born on 21 January 1956 in [[Gothenburg]], Sweden, the son of Pehr Leissner, a doctor, and his wife Ulla (née Hallberg), a sociologist.<ref name="Jönsson (2000), p. 672">{{cite book |url=https://runeberg.org/vemardet/2001/0672.html |editor-last=Jönsson |editor-first=Lena |title=Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 2001 |trans-title=Who is it: Swedish biographical handbook. 2001 |year=2000 |publisher=Norstedt |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=9172850426 |id={{SELIBR|8261515}} |page=672}}</ref> She completed studies in Gothenburg and at [[Uppsala University]] (international economics) from 1975 to 1980.<ref name="Jönsson (2000), p. 672"/>

==Career==
Leissner was the federal secretary of the [[Liberal Youth of Sweden|People's Party Youth League]] from 1981 to 1983 and its federal chairman from 1983 to 1985. In 1985, he worked as an organizational secretary for [[Rädda Barnen]]. He served as a [[Member of Parliament (Sweden)|Member of Parliament]] for the Liberal People's Party from 1985 to 1991 and became the party leader in 1995.<ref name="Jönsson (2000), p. 672"/>

Leissner was chairman of the [[Swedish Committee for Afghanistan]] from 1991 to 1995 and the Women Can Foundation (''Stiftelsen Kvinnor kan'') from 1993 to 1995.<ref name="Jönsson (2000), p. 672"/> She served as the Swedish ambassador in [[Guatemala City]] from 2000 to 2004, with additional accreditations in [[Belmopan]], [[San José, Costa Rica|San José]] (from 2001), [[San Salvador]], and [[Tegucigalpa]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/handle/2077/59837/gupea_2077_59837_1.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |editor-last=Spiegelberg |editor-first=Christina |title=Sveriges statskalender 2004 |year=2004 |publisher=Fritzes |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=91-38-32120-3 |id={{SELIBR|89506762}} |pages=168, 170, 172, 174-175}}</ref>

In January 2007 she was appointed [[Ambassador-at-large]] for Democracy. In April 2012 she was appointed Secretary-General of [[Community of Democracies]].

On 5 October 2017, she took office as Stockholm-based ambassador of Sweden to [[Benin]].<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.regeringen.se/pressmeddelanden/2017/10/ny-ambassador-i-benin/ |publisher=[[Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)|Ministry for Foreign Affairs]] |title=Ny ambassadör i Benin |trans-title=New ambassador in Benin |date=5 October 2017 |access-date=12 December 2024 |language=sv}}</ref> Between 2017 and 2021, Leissner served as Stockholm-based ambassador not only to Benin, but also to [[The Gambia]], [[Guinea]], [[Ivory Coast]], [[Senegal]], and [[Sierra Leone]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fba.se/en/areas-of-expertise/dialogue-mediation/swedish-womens-mediation-network/maria-leissner/ |publisher=[[Folke Bernadotte Academy]] |title=Maria Leissner |access-date=23 April 2025 |quote=She was Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea and Senegal 2017 – 2021}}</ref>

==Personal life==
From 1982 to 1996, Leissner was in a domestic partnership with Hans Holmgren (1982–1996), the son of civil engineer Karl Olof Holmgren and Ingrid (née Stener).<ref name="Jönsson (2000), p. 672"/>

==Bibliography==
* {{Lang|sv|En generösare invandrar- och flyktingpolitik}} (1988)
* ''Democracy promotion in a transatlantic perspective'' (2009)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-partier/ledamot/maria-leissner_0351107680112 The Swedish Parliament: Maria Leissner (FP)]

{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{succession box|before=[[Bengt Westerberg]]|title=[[Liberals (Sweden)|Leader of the Swedish Liberal People's Party]]|years=1995–1997|after=[[Lars Leijonborg]]}}
{{succession box|before =Peter Örn | title = [[Liberal Youth of Sweden|Chairperson of the Liberal Youth of Sweden]] | years =1983–1985 | after =Thorbjörn Pettersson}}
{{s-dip}}
{{succession box |before=Staffan Wrigstad |title=[[List of ambassadors of Sweden to Guatemala|Ambassador of Sweden to Guatemala]] |years=2000–2004 |after=Eivor Halkjaer}}
{{succession box |before=Staffan Wrigstad |title=Ambassador of Sweden to Belize |years=2000–2004 |after=Eivor Halkjaer}}
{{succession box |before=Staffan Wrigstad |title=Ambassador of Sweden to Honduras |years=2000–2004 |after=Eivor Halkjaer}}
{{succession box |before=Staffan Wrigstad |title=Ambassador of Sweden to El Salvador |years=2000–2004 |after=Eivor Halkjaer}}
{{succession box |before=Klas Markensten |title=Ambassador of Sweden to Costa Rica |years=2001–2004 |after=Eivor Halkjaer}}
{{succession box |before=Per Carlson |title=Ambassador of Sweden to Benin |years=2017–2021 |after=Mia Rimby}}
{{succession box |before=Per Carlson |title=[[List of ambassadors of Sweden to Guinea|Ambassador of Sweden to Guinea]] |years=2017–2021 |after=Mia Rimby}}
{{succession box |before=Per Carlson |title=[[List of ambassadors of Sweden to Ivory Coast|Ambassador of Sweden to Ivory Coast]] |years=2018–2021 |after=Mia Rimby}}
{{succession box |before=Per Carlson |title=[[List of ambassadors of Sweden to Senegal|Ambassador of Sweden to Senegal]] |years=2019–2021 |after=Mia Rimby}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leissner, Maria}}
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Politicians from Gothenburg]]
[[Category:Diplomats from Gothenburg]]
[[Category:Liberals (Sweden) politicians]]
[[Category:Leaders of political parties in Sweden]]
[[Category:Women members of the Riksdag]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Guatemala]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Belize]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Honduras]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to El Salvador]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Benin]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to the Gambia]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Guinea]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Ivory Coast]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Senegal]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Sweden to Sierra Leone]]
[[Category:20th-century Swedish women politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Swedish politicians]]
[[Category:Women ambassadors of Sweden]]

{{Sweden-politician-stub}}

Maria Leissner - Revision history

imported>JJMC89 bot III: Moving :Category:Swedish women ambassadors to :Category:Women ambassadors of Sweden per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2025 August 27#Category:Afghan women ambassadors