The day following his election by parliament, the new conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, whose right-wing government relies for the first time on a majority including the far right, presented his team of 24 members. In which appears Romina Pourmokhtari, without significant experience of climate issues, born in November 1995 and member of the center-right Liberal party of which she led the youth until recently.
“The SDs – no thanks”
She had distinguished herself by regularly criticizing the rapprochements of the right with the nationalist Democrats of Sweden (SD), before the alliance forged for the victorious legislative elections of September 11. “Ulf Kristersson without the SDs – absolutely. Ulf Kristersson with the SD – no thank you,” she tweeted two years ago.
Born into a family of Iranian origin in the suburbs of Stockholm, the young woman inherited the climate and the environment, while erasing the previous record of precocity for a minister in Sweden (27 years). The global face of the youth strike for the climate movement, Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, 19, often criticizes Stockholm for no longer being at the forefront of climate issues.
The far right not in government
Main innovation of the new government, in a context of strong tensions with Russia: the creation of a ministry of “civil defense”, in addition to the traditional defense portfolio.
The executive mixes posts from the conservative party of Moderates (12 Moroccans, plus that of prime minister), Christian Democrats (6) and Liberals (5). But not Jimmie Åkesson’s SDs, who are only part of the majority in parliament. The anti-immigration party will, however, have cabinet members in all ministries.
Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch becomes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Energy. Former Immigration Minister Tobias Billström inherits Foreign Affairs, at the dawn of the Swedish presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2023, and with the main file of completing Swedish membership of the NATO, currently blocked by Turkey.
