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21 octobre 2004

Swedish Prime Minister Goeran Persson reshuffled his Cabinet on Thursday, making his finance minister vice premier and appointing three new ministers, including the first-ever immigrant, a Turkish-born politician. The changes, which had been hinted at by government observers, came as Persson aims to shore up support for his ruling Social Democrat party ahead of planned national elections in 2006 and 2010. The Social Democrats have 144 parliamentary seats, but they rely on legislative support from the Green and Left parties to govern. Persson noted that before the reshuffling, the Cabinet had been rocked by a failure to get Swedish voters to adopt the euro in a national referendum last year, as well as the stabbing death of Foreign Minister Anna Lindh. « This means a restart of the government, in the middle of an election period, after some quite bad setbacks, » Persson told reporters. Bosse Ringholm, the former finance minister, is now Persson’s No. 2, filling the position that had been vacant since Sept. 30 after Lars Engqvist resigned to become a county governor. Paer Nuder, the acting culture minister and policy coordination director, was named finance minister. Trade Minister Leif Pagrotsky traded his portfolio to become the culture and education minister, while Thomas Oestros, the former minister for science and education, became the new trade minister. Persson also appointed three new ministers, including Turkish-born Ibrahim Baylan, who will oversee the country’s elementary and high school issues in the remodeled Education and Culture Ministry. « Ibrahim is someone I’ve followed for many years, » he said. « Now he’s ready to be a minister, because he has knowledge of the issues and is politically mature. » Baylan, who came to Sweden when he was 10, said he hopes to make it easier for the many immigrant children in Sweden to adjust to the Swedish school system. « This is an opportunity for me to be part of improving our schools, » Baylan said. He said he will not try to influence Sweden’s work in the European Union regarding Turkey’s pending application for membership in the bloc, but said he thinks « the demands that Sweden and the EU have given to Turkey are good demands. » Jens Orback, a former journalist, will become the new minister for integration and gender equality issues, taking over from Mona Sahlin who will be the new enviroment minister. Sven-Erik Oestberg was appointed to a new ministerial post, overseeing economic issues for local governments. The announcements came on the same day that the four opposition parties who have surpassed the coalition government in the polls lately presented its « shadow government » to show who they would appoint to the different minister posts. Asked whether his decision to announce the new cabinet on Wednesday was an attempt to overshadow the opposition a strategy he has been accused of before Persson said he « had no idea » it fell on the same day. The last time the government Cabinet was widely reshuffled was in October 2002, when several ministers retired. Persson has been prime minister of the nation of 9 million people since 1996. Persson said he had no plans to retire or step down in the coming years. « I will stay as long as they want me, I have no plans at all to do anything else, » he said, smiling. « Now, we are going to win the elections. This is the framework for the next four years. »

On the Net : Sweden’s government : http://www.sweden.gov.