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
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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
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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
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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