JOHN GUSTAVSSON
137 31 Haninge
Summary
Highly-motivated Economics PhD with experience of economic & regulatory policy-making gained at the highest levels of European politics. Effective communicator with a proven track record in academic and professional writing, public speaking, and lecturing.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
11
11
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Political secretary
Haninge Municipality
Haninge
2025.02 - Current
- Responsible for policy development and research for the Sweden Democrats, a party which forms part of the governing coalition in the municipality of Haninge (population 100 000) in the Stockholm region.
- Have developed innovative, never-before-implemented policies on diverse areas ranging from transparency to social welfare, integration, education, and wildlife management.
- Responsible for planning and revamping campaign strategy for the election next year, and for training activists.
Policy researcher & ghostwriter
European Conservatives and Reformists
Remote
2022.04 - Current
- Ghostwriter and policy researcher for the European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament, working as an independent service provider.
- Conducted a research and policy development project focused on how to stem the growth of EU bureaucracy. As part of this project I evaluated the recently introduced 'one in, one out' regulation framework by the European Commission and formulated a more efficient alternative for regulatory offsetting.
Political commentator
Multiple
Remote
2020.11 - Current
- Frequent contributor to the National Review and the Dispatch, contributing 1-2 long-form commentary pieces per month to each magazine. Author profiles: https://www.nationalreview.com/author/john-gustavsson/ and https://thedispatch.com/author/john-gustavsson/
- Full-time columnist at Bulletin, a Swedish online newspaper. Columns are routinely among the top five most read pieces on the site in any given day.
- Cover topics spanning economic and regulatory strategies, financial policy, and the political landscape within Europe.
Senior research executive
Verian Group
Brussels, Belgium
2023.10 - 2024.07
- Played a key role in a team that developed a handbook for the European Commission and tax authorities in three member states, applying behavioural economics to enhance tax compliance.
- Improved data accuracy by introducing new measures to identify and address inattentive participants in surveys and experiments.
- Gave presentations and met with clients.
Lecturer in Economics
DIS Stockholm
Stockholm, Sweden
2022.01 - 2023.05
- Taught 'Economics of gender', an intermediate-level college course, during the spring terms of 2022 & 2023 at DIS, a non-profit study abroad foundation.
- Responsible for designing syllabus and learning objectives, as well as for planning field studies.
- Instruction was provided exclusively in English.
Accredited parliamentary assistant
European Parliament
Brussels, Belgium
2019.07 - 2020.12
- Worked as policy adviser-grade accredited parliamentary assistant as part of a small, multi-disciplinary team of APAs for an elected Member of the European Parliament (MEP).
- Worked with a wide variety of political issues and areas, mostly related to economic, financial and energy policy. Examples include the European Green Deal, the Single Resolution Mechanism and the European Investment Bank.
- Responsible for providing legislative vote recommendations based on available evidence and MEP's political goals, as well as evaluating and drafting new policy proposals.
- Drafted and developed two separate policy proposals that subsequently passed.
- Performed extensive secondary research on political topics, with a focus on economic and regulatory policies, and delivered briefs & presentations on findings
- Met and corresponded with stakeholders including voters and party officials as well as special interest groups.
- Responsible for speech writing and for coaching MEP ahead of interviews and debates.
Political secretary
Örebro Municipality
Örebro, Sweden
2019.01 - 2019.07
- Worked as a political secretary for Örebro municipality (population 150,000) on behalf of a political party.
- Responsible for policy evaluation and for developing the party's local economic policies at a time when Örebro was one of the most indebted municipalities in Sweden.
- Developed a number of policy proposals to tackle the debt crisis, including a proposal to establish an innovative municipal crowdfunding system for the local cultural and creative sectors that would have replaced some of the municipal funding.
- Developed a proposal to increase transparency and accountability by making it easier for taxpayers to find out how much money they as individuals paid towards different (municipal) spending areas.
- Developed a proposal, based on behavioural economic research, that aimed to reduce waste and over-use of public resources through a targeted information campaign that would inform inhabitants of the full cost of the free and subsidised services provided by the municipality (thus hopefully discouraging overuse).
- Played a key role in the local party’s election efforts for the 2018, 2022, and 2024 campaigns
Political secretary
Örebro Municipality
Örebro, Sweden
2018.01 - 2018.04
- Employed remotely as a part-time political secretary on a four-month contract, assisting the Örebro chapter of a political party in preparation for the upcoming election.
- Duties involved planning the election campaign, advising on the party's messaging, and formulating policy proposals aligned with the campaign's objectives.
Education
PhD - Economics
Maynooth University
2014.09 - 2020.12
MSc - Behavioural Economics
University of Nottingham
2012.09 - 2014.07
BA - Finance and Economics
Maynooth University
2009.09 - 2012.09
Skills
- Policy research & development
- Original & secondary (desk) research
- Academic & professional writing
- Public speaking & debating
- Data collection, analysis & interpretation
- Survey & experimental research
- Proficient in MS Office & STATA
Timeline
Political secretary
Haninge Municipality
2025.02 - Current
Senior research executive
Verian Group
2023.10 - 2024.07
Policy researcher & ghostwriter
European Conservatives and Reformists
2022.04 - Current
Lecturer in Economics
DIS Stockholm
2022.01 - 2023.05
Political commentator
Multiple
2020.11 - Current
Accredited parliamentary assistant
European Parliament
2019.07 - 2020.12
Political secretary
Örebro Municipality
2019.01 - 2019.07
Political secretary
Örebro Municipality
2018.01 - 2018.04
PhD - Economics
Maynooth University
2014.09 - 2020.12
MSc - Behavioural Economics
University of Nottingham
2012.09 - 2014.07
BA - Finance and Economics
Maynooth University
2009.09 - 2012.09