Swedish PM accused of conflict of interest over funding to relative’s foundation

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson participated in a government meeting that approved millions in additional funding for a foundation where his sister-in-law serves as a board member, SVT Nyheter reports, citing legal experts who call the situation a clear “conflict of interest by association.”

According to investigative reports by Aftonbladet, the foundation Teach for Sweden, where Marita Bildt—sister of Kristersson’s wife, Birgitta Ed—has been a board member since 2021, received a SEK 12 million (approx. €1 million) boost during an April 9 budget meeting attended by the prime minister. The grant came on top of SEK 15 million already allocated for the year, more than doubling state funding to the foundation since Bildt joined its leadership.

Olle Lundin, professor of administrative law at Uppsala University, told SVT that Kristersson’s involvement in the decision raises serious concerns. “My assessment is that he had a conflict of interest. He should not have been part of this meeting,” Lundin said, adding: “There are many other foundations that don’t receive funding—and then you have to ask, what’s the reasoning here?”

The additional funds were redirected from the budget for integration and gender equality initiatives, per documents reviewed by Aftonbladet. Ida Karlberg Gidlund, CEO of Teach for Sweden, defended the grant in a statement to SVT, calling state support “an important part of our financing” and expressing confidence in the Education Ministry’s process. “We’ve received budget funding since 2013, under different governments,” she said.

Kristersson’s press secretary, Hanna Strömberg, dismissed the allegations in a written response, stating that the prime minister “was not involved at the level of detail” regarding the foundation’s funding. She noted that the national budget covers 27 expenditure areas, “affecting all of Swedish society.”

Lundin countered that the case meets the criteria for delikatessjäv—a Swedish legal term describing a perceived conflict where an official’s personal connections, even if not directly influencing a decision, undermine public trust. “This is a fairly clear example where an external circumstance damages confidence in the process,” he said.

According to the Swedish Agency for Public Management, delikatessjäv applies when an official’s participation in a matter “easily raises suspicions of bias,” even if no actual misconduct occurs. This can include cases where an individual shows unusual engagement in a file linked to personal ties.