Sweden Nominates Ylva Johansson for European Commission Post

(Bloomberg) --

Sweden nominated Employment Minister Ylva Johansson for the European Commission.

“Johansson is very competent with long experience of government work, EU work in the council of ministers and contacts with the EU Commission,” Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said at a press conference in Stockholm.

The pick comes as the process to assign key portfolios such as competition and climate change has begun. After being confirmed by the European Parliament last month, EU Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen will now assign nominations from member states to take charge of proposing and monitoring legislation across the continent over the next five years.

The nominees will go before European Parliament committees starting Sept. 30 to answer questions from lawmakers and will then during the week of Oct. 21 be subject to confirmation by the assembly in Strasbourg, France.

Sweden had a key post during the past term, with Cecilia Malmstrom heading up the commission’s trade post.

A Swedish commissioner should have an important legislative portfolio, Lofven said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Rafaela Lindeberg in Stockholm at rlindeberg@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jonas Bergman at jbergman@bloomberg.net

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