Party colleagues Elisabeth Svantesson and Tobias Billstrom were appointed as finance minister and foreign minister, by Sweden’s new right-wing prime minister, Moderates leader Ulf Kristersson.
Sweden’s parliament confirmed Kristersson on Monday after more than month of talks to forge a coalition agreement and agree a policy platform with the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, who will support the government in parliament.
The new right-wing government faces a number of major challenges.
The economy is heading into a recession and inflation is running at nearly 10%.
Russia’s war in Ukraine has destabilised the Baltic region – Sweden’s backyard – and the government needs to find the funds to boost military spending to 2% of GDP, as well as easing the pain of sky-high electricity prices and cutting taxes.
Meanwhile, Turkey could still block Sweden’s application to join NATO.
“It’s a very tough situation which could get considerably worse,” Kristersson told parliament when outlining his government’s agenda.
Pal Jonson, also from Kristersson’s Moderates, will be the minister of defence.