Sweden’s Minister of foreign Affairs Tobias Billström has said he will leave his post and quit politics altogether.
Billström did not elaborate on the reason for the departure in his announcement on September 4, surprising many and leaving the door open for speculation.
“It is with a mixture of sadness and pride that I have informed the Prime Minister today that in connection with the opening of the Riksdag [the Swedish Parliament] on Tuesday [September 10], I am leaving my post as Minister of Foreign Affairs”, Billström said on X.
“It has not been an easy decision but something that I have thought about and processed for some time.”
Det är med en blandning av vemod och stolthet som jag idag har meddelat statsministern att jag i samband med riksdagens öppnande på tisdag lämnar posten som utrikesminister.
Det har inte varit ett enkelt beslut men något som jag har tänkt på och processat under en tid. Jag har…— Tobias Billström (@TobiasBillstrom) September 4, 2024
He went on to refer to his 25-year-long political career and his achievements as foreign minister.
“Sweden is finally in NATO. We have now left over 200 years of non-alignment and it would not have been possible without the hard work put in by the government as well as by the officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and elsewhere in the government office. The importance for the security of Sweden and our Nordic-Baltic friends can hardly be overestimated.
“We are in the most serious security policy situation since World War II and this government has carried out a historic restructuring of Swedish security policy. We now belong to the core of the countries that support Ukraine and have also put forward a long-term policy to counter Russian expansionism,” Billström said.
“The situation in the Middle East is also serious and Sweden is fighting, together with the EU, the USA and other countries, to stabilise the situation. In the long run, a two-state solution is the only reasonable one.
“There is thus no shortage of tasks for my successor, to whom I wish the best of luck,” he added.
“For my own part, I will now completely leave politics. This means that I am also leaving my seat in the Riksdag. What I will do next is still open. But I am only 50 years old and look forward to contributing and working hard in other contexts where my commitment comes into its own.
“In conclusion, I would like to thank the prime minister for the trust to be group leader and part of the party leadership for five years and then foreign minister for two years.”
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson commented on Instagram, saying: “He has more than fulfilled his duty. Over the past two years, we have changed our foreign policy and left 200 years of non-alignment behind us, we are now members of NATO. And Nordic-Baltic co-operation has probably never been stronger.
“Tobias has personally exuded calm and competence. He values the opinions of others without deviating from our shared course.”I strongly believe in the importance of moving between politics, administration, and business, so that you gain experience from more than one field. So don’t be surprised if we see Tobias Billström in a whole new public role in the future—whether in Sweden or abroad. Until our paths cross again, I wish Tobias the best of luck in his future endeavours,” Kristersson concluded.
There have been suggestions of a rift between the two men.
Newspaper Expressen commentator Viktor Barth-Kron said: “Something is not right here,” and pointed out that Billström had been a migration minister in arduous circumstances in the past but had fought hard for political survival.
“That the same Billström is now throwing in the towel after not even two years on the much fancier chair as Sweden’s ‘man in the world’, is a very big surprise.” He added that the soon-to-be former foreign minister was relatively young and had never shown any signs of dwindling political energy.
According to newspapers such as Expressen and SVT, Billström reportedly clashed with Kristersson over what he was said to have regarded as the Prime Minister’s tendency to take the spotlight during Sweden’s NATO accession process.
The two were also believed to have held differing views on the Gaza conflict.
Tensions were said to have been further heightened by Kristersson’s appointment of a close friend, Henrik Landerholm, as Sweden’s first National Security Adviser in November 2022, consolidating the PM’s influence over foreign policy.
Of Billström’s decision, Social Democrat politician Anna Strandhäll noted: “This came as a surprise. It is rare for someone to not only step down from one of the country’s most significant ministerial roles alongside the Prime Minister but also to exit politics entirely during their term of office. Moreover, this occurs amid a highly uncertain security situation, leaving several unanswered questions.”
Fredrik Lundh Sammeli, another Social Democrat MP, also questioned Billström’s decision. “Damn, I didn’t believe this. Billström gives up and leaves or is fired from the board. Why is that?”
Anna Erhardt, Kristersson’s spokesperson, denied rumours of a rift and told the press: “Tobias Billstrom has had a very close and good collaboration with the Prime Minister.”
Kristersson’s press secretary Siri Steijer likewise said “there is no conflict” between the PM and the foreign minister.
Billström has been part of his Moderate Party’s party leadership for five years and then foreign minister for two years. He first became a Member of Parliament in 2002.
