Swedish govt chooses new foreign minister after summer break

COPENHAGEN – Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven has chosen the country’s foreign trade minister to become Sweden’s new foreign minister as he shuffled his two-party, centre-left minority government.

Lofven says Ann Linde replaces Margot Wallstrom, who announced Friday that she wanted to step down after almost five years in the post to spend more time with her family.

Lofven told Sweden’s Parliament as it reconvened after its summer break on Tuesday that employment minister Ylva Johansson, who became Sweden’s new European Union commissioner, was replaced by union leader Eva Nordmark. And Anna Hallberg takes over the foreign trade portfolio from the 57-year-old Linde. All are Social Democrats like Lofven.

No changes in Sweden’s foreign policy are expected.