Löfven took the defensive again in yesterday’s press conference explaining that the Committee of the Constitution’s (KU’s) conclusions backed the government’s position that it has the right to hire and fire general directors. Which no one had contested. What he didn’t address was that the Committee had severely criticised the manner in which Social Secretary Annika Strandhäll (”beachslab”) fired Försäkringskassan’s general director Ann Begler way back in April. Begler had followed instructions from the (same) government to get the number of people getting finanacial support from public funds down, and she’d done a good job of it too.
Too bad that to get those numbers down, some people had to get a No on their request for money – which made them unhappy, and vocal about it. Not good in an election year, and Begler had to go. She too was vocal about that decision, and yesterday the KU backed her – you can’t just get kicked the way she was and you certainly can’t say, as Strandhäll did, that ”oh, this was mutual and everyone knew it was in the works la-ti-da”. Instead, this was a serious example of a government minister exceeding her power limits.
Since the Center Party took themselves out of the no-confidence vote on Strandhäll, which was initiated by the Moderates only last week, Strandhäll remains in her position and only slightly tweaked. If she is indeed going to keep her position as one of Lofven’s chosen few she might do well to harden those hurt puppy-dog eyes a bit. Maybe even take to some indignant jowl-shaking like her boss.