MINISTER MALMSTROM ANNOUNCED AS SWEDEN'S NEW EU

UNCLAS STOCKHOLM 000723 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL EU SW SUBJECT: MINISTER MALMSTROM ANNOUNCED AS SWEDEN'S NEW EU COMMISSIONER Summary -------------- ¶1. On November 17, PM Reinfeldt announced Cecilia Malmstrom, Minister for EU Affairs, as Sweden's new EU Commissioner. "She is a devout European with genuine academic background and experience as MEP", said Reinfeldt. Despite rumors that the position would be kept within the Moderate Party, PM Reinfeldt presented the decision as an agreement of his center-right Alliance. Malmstrom's portfolio is yet to be announced, but Sweden has expressed interest in portfolios of "influential and legislative" nature. Malmstrom will remain EU Minister until she is ratified as Commissioner. End Summary. ¶2. Malmstrom has strong qualifications. She is well educated, speaks six languages and has a Ph.D. in political science. She is a strong supporter of the EU as a European project and President of the Commission Barroso previously expressed he would like to see Sweden appoint a woman. Malmstrom's time in Brussels has given her an extensive political network, and she is known to be polite and professional. Her logical and composed debate style makes her more of a bureaucrat than a politician. Malmstrom is an uncontroversial choice and the nomination has the support of the red-green opposition. Through her nomination the Liberal Party will become more influential in the government and in the EU, but the party loses a strong name in the national election campaign 2010. ¶3. The media asked about FM Bildt's prospects of being a candidate for any of the high-level EU positions. While Reinfeldt said Sweden is unlikely to get the High Representative position, he was more reluctant to go into details about the President position as the deliberations are still ongoing. Bio Note -------------- ¶4. Cecilia Malmstrom, 41, is a Liberal Party politician currently serving as Minister for EU Affairs. Prior to her ministerial appointment in 2006, she served as a Member of the European Parliament where she was a member of the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs and the ELDR Group spokeswoman on foreign affairs. Malmstrom supports integration of Sweden to the Euro zone and in August 2007 she was one of the politicians calling for another referendum on the Euro. ¶5. Malmstrom has a Ph.D in political science from Gothenburg University. She is also the author of several books articles and essays on regional parties, regionalism, Spanish politics, European politics, immigration and terrorism. Malmstrom is fluent in Swedish, English, Spanish and French and also speaks German and Italian. Malmstrom currently resides in Gothenburg with her husband and two twin daughters. Comment -------------- ¶6. By appointing a Liberal Party member and not a person from his own Moderate Party, Reinfeldt is stressing for the Swedish public the unity of the Alliance for the upcoming elections. End Comment. BARZUN