Sweden’s new right-wing government has sparked an outcry after scrapping the Ministry of Environment in a move the opposition has branded “devastating”.
Previously, the ministry was a high-profile stand-alone department with a minister in the cabinet, but now it will operate as part of another ministry instead.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson unveiled his new cabinet on Tuesday, and although he did appoint a Minister of Climate and Environment — 26-year-old Liberal MP Romina Pourmokhtari— she will work under Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch, the new Minister for Energy, Business and Industry, rather than lead her own ministry.
The leader of the Swedish Greens, Per Bolund, noted that for the first time in 35 years Sweden would have no dedicated environment ministry.
“It is impossible to describe more clearly how little this government values the environment and the climate. This is a historic decision with devastating consequences for environmental issues”, said Bolund.
Pär Holmgren, a Swedish Green Party MEP, said, “expect huge cuts in green funding leading to a devastating impact on climate policies that we, the Greens, worked so hard to put in place.”
Isabella Lövin, chairperson of the board at the Stockholm Environmental Institute and herself a former minister of environment, said that green issues in Sweden had been “set back 35 years”.
Not so much a “get rid of”, more like a reshuffle.
Rolled it right into the Department of War did they?
Sh*t, there’s goes my grift.
“set back 35 years”
Sweden’s Ministry of Environment was set up in 1987. It’s remarkable to find a bureaucrat who can do arithmetic.
I thought the CEO of IKEA was elected prime minister of Sweden. Now he has to assemble his cabinet.
Hey Sweden, you’d better read the fine print on your NATO membership contract. There’s been a lot of mission creep at NATO, and there might be something about your environmental responsibilities as a member. Just a thought.
We should do similarly with the EPA and for that matter Department of “Education”.
^^^^But never ever gonna happened tard boys. We just love our regulations way too much! Biden to give some much needed boost/power to the EPA soon@
^^^^ Jane,You ignorant slut.