Laila Freivalds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laila Freivalds
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Laila Freivalds in November 2004
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| Acting Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden | |
| In office 1 October 2004 – 1 November 2004 |
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| Prime Minister | Göran Persson |
| Preceded by | Jan O. Karlsson |
| Succeeded by | Bo Ringholm |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 10 October 2003 – 21 March 2006 |
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| Prime Minister | Göran Persson |
| Preceded by | Jan O. Karlsson (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Bo Ringholm (Acting) |
| Minister for Justice | |
| In office 7 October 1994 – 21 September 2000 |
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| Prime Minister | Ingvar Carlsson Göran Persson |
| Preceded by | Gun Hellsvik |
| Succeeded by | Lena Hjelm-Wallén |
| In office 4 October 1988 – 4 October 1991 |
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| Prime Minister | Ingvar Carlsson |
| Preceded by | Thage G. Peterson |
| Succeeded by | Gun Hellsvik |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 June 1942 Riga, Reichskommissariat Ostland (now Latvia) |
| Political party | Social Democratic |
| Alma mater | Uppsala University |
Laila Freivalds (born 22 June 1942) is a Swedish politician who was a member of the Social Democratic Party. She held several important government jobs, including Minister for Justice and Minister for Foreign Affairs. For a short time in 2004, she was also the acting Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden.
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Early Life and Education
Freivalds was born in Riga, the capital of Latvia, during World War II. To stay safe, her family escaped the war and moved to Sweden.
She grew up in Sweden and went to Uppsala University, where she studied law. She graduated in 1970. After university, she worked in the Swedish court system for several years. Later, she took on important roles at the Swedish Consumer Agency, an organization that protects the rights of shoppers.
Career in Government
In 1988, Freivalds began her career in national politics when she was appointed Minister for Justice. This role put her in charge of Sweden's legal system, including the police and courts. She held this job until 1991. After her party returned to power, she became Minister for Justice again from 1994 to 2000.
In 2000, she left her position after a public disagreement. The issue was about her apartment. She had tried to change her rented home into a condominium (an apartment that you own). This went against a housing law that she had helped to create as a minister.
Minister for Foreign Affairs
In 2003, after the tragic death of Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, Freivalds was asked to take over the important job of Minister for Foreign Affairs. In this role, she was responsible for Sweden's relationships with other countries.
Challenges and Resignation
As Foreign Minister, Freivalds faced major challenges. One of the biggest was the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Many Swedes were on vacation in Asia when the tsunami hit. The Swedish government was criticized for reacting too slowly to help its citizens. Freivalds later admitted that her department should have acted faster.
The 2006 Resignation
Freivalds's time as Foreign Minister ended in March 2006. She resigned after a controversy about freedom of speech.
During a debate over some cartoons published in a Danish newspaper, a Swedish political group called the Sweden Democrats posted a similar cartoon on their website. Soon after, the website was shut down by its internet service provider. It was discovered that someone from the government had contacted the provider.
At first, Freivalds told the media that one of her staff members had acted without her knowing. However, thanks to a special Swedish law called Offentlighetsprincipen (The Principle of Public Access), the truth came out. This law allows the public to see most government documents. These documents showed that Freivalds had been informed about the contact with the internet provider.
Closing a website because of its content was seen by many as a threat to the freedom of the press, which is protected in the Swedish constitution. After it became clear she had not told the truth about her involvement, she resigned from her job.
After she left, Bo Ringholm served as the acting Foreign Minister for a short time. Then, Jan Eliasson was appointed to the position.
