The day after he was elected to parliament, new conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson, whose right-wing government is confident of a majority including the far right for the first time, presented his 24-member committee. Among them is Romina Bourmokhtari, born in November 1995 without significant experience on climate issues and until recently a member of the centre-right Liberal Party, which led the youth.
“SDs – no thanks”
He distinguished himself by consistently criticizing the right’s rapprochement with Sweden’s Nationalist Democrats (SD), before the coalition was formed for successful legislative elections on 11 September. “Ulf Kristerson without SDs – absolutely. Ulf Kristerson with SD – no thanks,” he tweeted two years ago.
The young woman, born in a family of Iranian origin in the suburbs of Stockholm, destroyed the previous record for a minister in Sweden (27 years) and acquired climate and environment. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, 19, the global face of the youth movement on strike for climate, often criticizes Stockholm for not being at the forefront of climate issues anymore.
The far right is not in government
A major innovation of the new government, against a background of strong tensions with Russia: the creation of a “civil defense” ministry, in addition to the traditional defense portfolio.
The administration is a mix of positions from the conservative party of moderates (12 Moroccans and the prime minister), Christian Democrats (6) and liberals (5). But not Jimmy Akesson’s SDs, who are only part of the majority in Parliament. However, the anti-immigration party will have cabinet members in all ministries.
Christian Democratic Party leader Eppa Bush was sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Energy. Former immigration minister Tobias Billström takes over foreign affairs at the dawn of the Swedish presidency of the EU in the first half of 2023, with the key file to complete Swedish membership of NATO, currently blocked by Turkey.
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