Under the impression of numerous crises, a new government led by the conservative Ulf Kristersson took over business in Sweden on Tuesday. His coalition of moderates, Christian Democrats and Liberals is taking over "a country that is in the middle of several parallel crises," Kristersson said in the Swedish parliament on Tuesday. Among other things, he addressed Sweden's problems with gang crime and the energy crisis. "It's a serious situation that can get worse," said the 58-year-old.
Climate minister from Thunberg's generation
The Conservative government team includes 26-year-old Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari, the youngest cabinet member Sweden has ever had. Referring to her department, the liberal politician with Iranian roots said: "We need a minister who understands the importance of these issues."
The new cabinet, which Kristersson presented on Tuesday, consists of the prime minister and 23 ministers. Twelve of them belong to Kristersson's conservative Moderaterna party, six to the Christian Democrats and five to the Liberals. 13 are men, eleven are women.
The new Swedish foreign minister is the experienced conservative politician Tobias Billström. Ebba Busch, party leader of the Christian Democrats, is the new energy and economics minister and deputy prime minister. Liberal leader Johan Pehrson is labor market and integration minister.
combating gang violence
One of the main projects of the new government is to combat escalating gang violence in Sweden. "Crime now threatens the system. It damages the trust on which Swedish society is built," said Kristersson. The government also wants to tighten immigration policy and, among other things, significantly reduce the number of quota refugees to 900. "Sweden cannot continue to take on such a great responsibility," said the new conservative migration minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard.
The change of government was announced on Tuesday by King Carl XVI. Gustaf officially accomplished. Previously, Kristersson had been elected prime minister on Monday. He succeeds Social Democrat Magdalena Andersson after his conservative-right camp won a narrow majority in Sweden's September 11 general election.
Depending on the favor of the right
However, the second strongest political force was not Kristersson's conservatives, but the right-wing Sweden Democrats. In order to achieve a majority, the new three-party coalition is dependent on the right. The cooperation between the minority government and the Sweden Democrats, which the parties have agreed to in a joint agreement, is new territory in Sweden.
