Sweden will no longer have a socalled feminist diplomacy or an environment ministry, the country’s new government announced on Tuesday (18). A day earlier, the moderate Ulf Kristersson became prime minister after forming a coalition with three other parties, including the farright Swedish Democrats.
The Nordic nation’s diplomatic status was created in 2014 by thenForeign Minister Margot Wallström and was intended to encompass promoting economic emancipation worldwide, fighting sexual violence and increasing women’s political participation.
Since its enactment, the measure has been praised by feminist activists and raised tensions with Middle Eastern countries. In 2015, Wallstrom’s comments on women’s rights in Saudi Arabia prompted the Gulf state to summon its ambassador to Stockholm.
In practice it is difficult to measure the fruits of the status during the time it was in force. In a 2018 document, Sweden pointed out that the laws in Moldova and Somalia on women’s representation in politics were the result of feminist diplomacy, as well as the inclusion of gender equality principles in the peace agreement signed between the Colombian government and the FARC in year 2016.
The policy would also have contributed to new laws in some 20 countries, often linked to genderbased violence, female genital mutilation and child marriage.
Although there is no agreed definition of what constitutes a feminist foreign policy, the UN mandates that at least seven other countries undertake similar actions: Canada, France, Mexico, Spain, Luxembourg, Germany and Chile. The Netherlands and Belgium are still in the process of realigning diplomacy. Magdalena Andersson’s management announced in January the formation of a group of 16 countries with feminist diplomacy.
This Tuesday it was up to the new Chancellor Tobias Billström to announce the end of the title. According to him, “labels have a bad habit of asserting themselves over content.” However, he emphasized that “gender equality is a core value in Sweden and for this government”. With 13 men and 11 women, the new leadership is no longer equal.
Another change of direction took place in the country’s historical climate policy. Kristersson announced that the Environment Ministry would no longer be an independent department but would be linked to the Christian Democratic Partyled Ministry of Business and Energy.
Romina Pourmokhtari, 26, the youngest person in the country’s history, will lead the environmental division, according to British newspaper The Guardian. Of Iranian origin, she led the youth of the centreright Liberal Party and even proposed a tax on meat production in 2020 to help fight climate change.
In recent weeks, Pourmokhtari has openly criticized the Liberals’ rapprochement with Sweden’s Democrats, who support antiimmigrant concerns and oppose various green policies by the Andersson government.
Overall, the new government will consist of 12 Ministers from the Moderates in addition to the Prime Minister himself , 6 Christian Democrats and 5 Liberals. The extreme right will not lead ministries, although there are representatives of the Swedish Democrats in every portfolio.