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POLITICS

KEY POINTS: Everything you need to know about Sweden’s new government

Magdalena Andersson is Sweden's new prime minister, and her new cabinet has been announced. But what are her plans for Sweden, and who are the ministers who will help her carry them out?

Published: 30 November 2021 13:41 CET
Updated: 30 November 2021 16:26 CET
Andersson's new ministers in her new government
“This government will be working hard - so make sure you take nice pictures now, because you won’t see them looking this lively again,” said Andersson to photographers in parliament. Photo: Sören Andersson/TT

What does Andersson want to achieve with her new government?

In her speech to parliament before announcing her ministers, Andersson mentioned the fight against crime and segregation, “driving the green industrial revolution” and “taking back control of welfare” as her three main priorities.

“Every minister in the government that takes office today will be tasked, within their area of responsibility and with the support of the relevant government agencies, with leaving no stone unturned in bringing an end to gang crime and segregation,” said Andersson.

She also underlined the importance of individuals, stating that “we all need to do our part”, and that “no one individual can break segregation or stop the shootings or the gangs on their own”.

“Everyone can do something,” Andersson said.

“Help out in local sports associations so that there are recreational activities for our children and young people. Stay and talk for a few minutes with someone who needs to improve their Swedish to enter into Swedish society,” she continued.

For a full English translation of her statement of government policy, click here.

Who are the new ministers in Andersson’s cabinet?

Andersson’s new Social Democrat government is a major shake-up, featuring a lot of new faces not seen in the previous cabinet – over a third of her ministers are new.

Changes to the cabinet are Mikael Damberg (previously Minister for Home Affairs) taking over Andersson’s role as Minister for Finance; Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson (previously leader of the Swedish Trade Union LO) who will be taking over as Minister for Business, Industry and Innovation from Ibrahim Baylan, who is retiring from politics after two decades as a top-ranking Social Democrat; and Anna-Caren Sätherberg, who will be the new Minister for Rural Affairs – a role which did not exist in the previous government.

Furthermore, Johan Danielsson, member of the EU parliament, will be taking over as Minister for Housing and Deputy Minister of Employment from outgoing Green Party politician Märta Stenevi – whose official title was “Minister for Gender Equality and Housing, with responsibility for urban development, anti-segregation and anti-discrimination”.

Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Minister of Finance Mikael Damberg with the rest of the new government on their way to meet with the King at the skifteskonselj for the formal transition of power. Photo: Sören Andersson/TT

Additionally, Matilda Ernkrans is leaving her role as Minister for Higher Education and research and joining the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as Minister for International Development Cooperation (taking over from the Green Party’s Per Olsson Fridh). There will be two new additions to the Ministry of Finance: Max Elger (currently political advisor to Magdalena Andersson) who will become Minister for Financial Markets, taking over from the Green Party’s Åsa Lindhagen, and Ida Karkiainen who will be the new Minister for Public Administration, taking over from Social Democrat Lena Micko, who chose to step down after two years in the role.

Anders Ygeman, formerly Minister for Energy and Digital Development under the Ministry of Infrastructure, has been moved to the Ministry of Justice, where he will be working as Minister for Integration and Migration, another new ministerial role – the previous government had a Minister for Justice and Migration, Morgan Johansson, whose new role will be as a combined Minister for Justice and Home Affairs instead.

Finally, Khashayar Farmanbar will be taking over Ygeman’s previous role as Minister for Energy and Digital Development, and Annika Strandhäll will be taking over from Green Party MP Per Bolund as Minister for Environment and Climate.

Two of Andersson’s new ministers have not held poltical roles before.

The first is Lina Axelsson Kihlblom, who will be the new Minister for Schools. Axelsson Kihlblom is known from TV series Rektorerna or “The Headteachers”, where she worked on improving low school results in Ronnaskolan, Södertälje. She is also making history as Sweden’s first out trans woman in a ministerial role.

The second minister brought in from outside of politics is Jeanette Gustafsdotter, the incoming Minister for Culture, who is taking over from the Green Party’s Amanda Lind, whose official title was “Minister for Culture and Democracy, with responsibility for sport”. Gustafsdotter was – until now – general secretary of the Swedish Museums Association.

The other ministers in Andersson’s cabinet remain the same as the last government.

Another particular minister to note in Andersson’s new cabinet is Infrastructure Minister Tomas Eneroth, who is currently being investigated on suspicion of sexual harassment after placing his hand on a woman’s back during the Social Democrats’ party congress earlier in November.

Andersson commented the investigation in a press conference after announcing her cabinet, stating that it was “good that the situation is being investigated,” and that she is “very proud to be leader of a party where members take up issues like this and make sure that they get investigated”.

On the incident in question, Andersson stated that “there is no doubt about what has happened, and in this case Tomas Eneroth has asked the woman for an apology. He has been clear that it was accidental on his part. I see no reason not to believe that,” she continued.

Here is a full run-down of Andersson’s new cabinet:

Prime Minister’s Office

Prime Minister: Magdalena Andersson

Minister for EU Affairs: Hans Dahlgren

Ministry of Employment

Minister for Employment and Equality: Eva Nordmark

Minister for Housing and Deputy Minister of Employment: Johan Danielsson

Ministry of Finance

Minister for Finance: Mikael Damberg

Minister for Financial Markets: Max Elger

Minister for Public Administration: Ida Karkiainen

Ministry of Defence

Minister for Defence: Peter Hultqvist

Ministry of Infrastructure

Minister for Infrastructure: Tomas Eneroth

Minister for Energy and Digital Development: Khashayar Farmanbar

Ministry of Justice

Minister for Justice and Home Affairs: Morgan Johansson

Minister for Integration and Migration: Anders Ygeman

Ministry of Culture

Minister for Culture: Jeanette Gustafsdotter

Ministry of the Environment

Minister for Environment and Climate: Annika Strandhäll

Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation

Minister for Business, Industry and Innovation: Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson

Minister for Rural Affairs: Anna-Caren Sätherberg

Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

Minister for Health and Social Affairs: Lena Hallengren

Minister for Social Security: Ardalan Shekarabi

Ministry of Education and Research

Minister for Education: Anna Ekström

Minister for Schools: Lina Axelsson Kihlblom

Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Minister for Foreign Affairs: Ann Linde

Minister for Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs: Anna Hallberg

Minister for International Development Cooperation: Matilda Ernkrans

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POLITICS

‘Very little debate’ on consequences of Sweden’s crime and migration clampdown

Sweden’s political leaders are putting the population’s well-being at risk by moving the country in a more authoritarian direction, according to a recent report.

Published: 29 April 2024 08:56 CEST
'Very little debate' on consequences of Sweden's crime and migration clampdown

The Liberties Rule of Law report shows Sweden backsliding across more areas than any other of the 19 European Union member states monitored, fuelling concerns that the country risks breaching its international human rights obligations, the report says.

“We’ve seen this regression in other countries for a number of years, such as Poland and Hungary, but now we see it also in countries like Sweden,” says John Stauffer, legal director of the human rights organisation Civil Rights Defenders, which co-authored the Swedish section of the report.

The report, compiled by independent civil liberties groups, examines six common challenges facing European Union member states.

Sweden is shown to be regressing in five of these areas: the justice system, media environment, checks and balances, enabling framework for civil society and systemic human rights issues.

The only area where Sweden has not regressed since 2022 is in its anti-corruption framework, where there has been no movement in either a positive or negative direction.

Source: Liberties Rule of Law report

As politicians scramble to combat an escalation in gang crime, laws are being rushed through with too little consideration for basic rights, according to Civil Rights Defenders.

Stauffer cites Sweden’s new stop-and-search zones as a case in point. From April 25th, police in Sweden can temporarily declare any area a “security zone” if there is deemed to be a risk of shootings or explosive attacks stemming from gang conflicts.

Once an area has received this designation, police will be able to search people and cars in the area without any concrete suspicion.

“This is definitely a piece of legislation where we see that it’s problematic from a human rights perspective,” says Stauffer, adding that it “will result in ethnic profiling and discrimination”.

Civil Rights Defenders sought to prevent the new law and will try to challenge it in the courts once it comes into force, Stauffer tells The Local in an interview for the Sweden in Focus Extra podcast. 

He also notes that victims of racial discrimination at the hands of the Swedish authorities had very little chance of getting a fair hearing as actions by the police or judiciary are “not even covered by the Discrimination Act”.

READ ALSO: ‘Civil rights groups in Sweden can fight this government’s repressive proposals’

Stauffer also expresses concerns that an ongoing migration clampdown risks splitting Sweden into a sort of A and B team, where “the government limits access to rights based on your legal basis for being in the country”.

The report says the government’s migration policies take a “divisive ‘us vs them’ approach, which threatens to increase rather than reduce existing social inequalities and exclude certain groups from becoming part of society”.

Proposals such as the introduction of a requirement for civil servants to report undocumented migrants to the authorities would increase societal mistrust and ultimately weaken the rule of law in Sweden, the report says.

The lack of opposition to the kind of surveillance measures that might previously have sparked an outcry is a major concern, says Stauffer.

Politicians’ consistent depiction of Sweden as a country in crisis “affects the public and creates support for these harsh measures”, says Stauffer. “And there is very little talk and debate about the negative consequences.”

Hear John Stauffer from Civil Rights Defender discuss the Liberties Rule of Law report in the The Local’s Sweden in Focus Extra podcast for Membership+ subscribers.

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