Tweeting Bildt to journo: ‘Look for a proper job’

Citing anonymous sources at government offices, Niklas Svensson at newspaper Expressen said Bildt was the only government minister not to unreservedly commit to a full term when Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt in 2010 asked every member of the cabinet to stay in office for a full four years.

According to Svensson’s sources, Bildt is already in the process of planning his exit.

In the article, however, Bildt dismissed the claims as ”nonsense” before taking to the internet to ram home his point.

The web-savvy minister, who has long run an influential blog, used his Twitter account to respond directly to Expressen’s experienced political reporter:

”@niklassvensson Sources in the readership consider it likely that Niklas Svensson will leave Expressen. To look for a proper job,” Bildt wrote.

”No, @carlbildt, I’m not looking for a new job. Your sources are wrong,” Svensson responded.

”Them too?” came Bildt’s curt reply.

In the eyes of many Twitter users, this two-word parting shot gave Bildt a clear victory in the brief online spat.

”@niklassvensson Haha, you just got totally owned by @carlbildt! ;)” wrote user @qpaqex.

Although he refused to admit defeat, Svensson did note that there was nothing quite like a duel with arguably Sweden’s most charismatic cabinet minister to get opinions flying round the net.

“Have never before experienced such vitality on twitter as when @carlbildt retaliated this morning. He gets people going, undoubtedly. And he is kind of funny.”