While visiting Sweden in late August, I was invited to the home of then Deputy Prime Minister Bosse Ringholm in an old, verdant residential area outside Stockholm. Ringholm and his wife were proud of their residence, which they said was more than a century old. It impressed me as a simple but neat residence.
Ringholm is an economic expert who has served as head of the Swedish Labor Market Committee and finance minister. Mrs. Ringholm has long worked for the Swedish Institute. She has taken care of me on several occasions during my visits to Sweden.
At 7 p.m., the appointed time, the deputy prime minister came home driving a car himself. That day, Mrs. Ringholm had come home from work shortly after 5 p.m. and prepared dinner. Of course, the couple has no servants. We had a Swedish-style help-yourself dinner. The deputy prime minister brought tea and dessert to the table. Ringholm talked about fertility rates and other economic issues.