26-year-old Romina Pourmokhtari named as Sweden's climate minister in new government

A 26-year-old Sweden woman was named as climate minister in the new government and she became the youngest person to lead a ministry in the home nation of teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg. Newly elected prime minister Ulf Kristersson, who heads a right-wing coalition supported by the far-right Sweden Democrats, proposed the nomination as one of the cabinet members.

Romina Pourmokhtari, 26, who was formerly in charge of the Liberal Party's youth section, is not known to have climate as her political profile. The young minister has previously been a vocal opponent of Kristersson's decision to bring his party closer to the Sweden Democrats (SD).

In a tweet from 2020, she stated, "Ulf Kristersson without SD - Definitely. Ulf Kristersson with SD - No thanks."

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The young woman, who was born in the Stockholm suburbs to an Iranian family, received the climate and environment portfolio and broke the previous record for the youngest minister, which stood at 27 years old. Teen climate activist Thunberg, whose vast worldwide campaign involving millions of adolescents has triggered a flood of debate on the risks of climate change, is also a native of Sweden.

Sweden's coalition government was announced on Friday after Kristersson penned a deal with his partners and the nationalist and anti-immigration Sweden Democrats. As the nation is dealing with tensions with Russia, Kristersson also announced the formation of a new minister post for "civil defence."

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The Sweden Democrats were the big winners in the election, and emerged as the second-largest party, trailing only the Social Democrats, who have dominated Swedish politics since the 1930s.

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• Climate Minister
• Liberal party
• Romina Pourmokhtari
• Sweden
• Sweden Democrats
• Ulf Kristersson
• Greta Thunberg