Margot Wallström facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margot Wallström
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Wallström in 2023
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| Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden | |
| In office 3 October 2014 – 10 September 2019 |
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| Monarch | Carl XVI Gustaf |
| Prime Minister | Stefan Löfven |
| Preceded by | Jan Björklund |
| Succeeded by | Morgan Johansson |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 3 October 2014 – 10 September 2019 |
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| Prime Minister | Stefan Löfven |
| Preceded by | Carl Bildt |
| Succeeded by | Ann Linde |
| Minister for Nordic Cooperation | |
| In office 25 May 2016 – 21 January 2019 |
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| Prime Minister | Stefan Löfven |
| Preceded by | Kristina Persson |
| Succeeded by | Ann Linde |
| United Nations Special Representative on ... in Conflict | |
| In office April 2010 – 22 June 2012 |
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| Secretary General | Ban Ki-moon |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Zainab Bangura |
| First Vice-President of the European Commission | |
| In office 22 November 2004 – 9 February 2010 |
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| President | José Manuel Barroso |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Catherine Ashton |
| European Commissioner for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy | |
| In office 22 November 2004 – 9 February 2010 |
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| President | José Manuel Barroso |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Maroš Šefčovič (Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration) |
| European Commissioner for the Environment | |
| In office 13 September 1999 – 11 November 2004 |
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| President | Romano Prodi |
| Preceded by | Ritt Bjerregaard |
| Succeeded by | Stavros Dimas |
| Minister for Consumer Affairs | |
| In office 4 October 1988 – 4 October 1991 |
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| Prime Minister | Ingvar Carlsson |
| Preceded by | Bengt K. Å. Johansson |
| Succeeded by | Inger Davidson |
| Member of the Riksdag | |
| In office 19 September 1982 – 11 September 1999 |
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| Constituency | Värmland |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Margot Elisabeth Wallström
28 September 1954 Skellefteå, Sweden |
| Political party | Social Democrats |
| Spouse |
Håkan Olsson
(m. 1984) |
| Children | 2 |
| Signature |  |
Margot Elisabeth Wallström (born 28 September 1954) is a Swedish politician. She was the Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden and Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2014 to 2019. She also served as Minister for Nordic Cooperation during that time.
..... She also held important positions in the European Commission. She was the Vice-President of the European Commission from 2004 to 2010 and the European Commissioner for the Environment from 1999 to 2004. In Sweden, she was a Member of the Riksdag (parliament) from 1982 to 1999.
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Early Life and Early Career
Margot Wallström was born in Skellefteå, Sweden. After finishing high school, she started working at a bank in 1973. She also worked as an accountant for a short time. Later, from 1993 to 1994, she was the CEO of a local TV network in Värmland, Sweden. Before becoming a European Commissioner, she worked for a global media company in Sri Lanka.
Political Journey
Wallström has had a long and active career in politics. She worked in the Swedish parliament, the Swedish government, and for the European Commission. She was elected to parliament when she was 25 years old.
European Commissioner for the Environment (1999–2004)
As the Environment Commissioner, Wallström worked on important rules to protect the environment. One of her key projects was a new law called REACH. This law made sure that companies making industrial chemicals had to test and register their products to make them safer.
In 2004, she approved the import of a type of genetically modified corn from the United States. This corn was used for animal feed. She explained that it had been carefully tested and was considered safe.
First Vice-President of the European Commission (2004–2010)
In 2004, Wallström became the first member of the European Commission to have a blog. Her blog became a place where people discussed the rules and policies of the European Union.
After some countries voted against a new EU treaty, Wallström started "plan D." This plan was about democracy, dialogue, and debate. It aimed to help people feel more connected to the European Union. Because of her work, some people called her "the Citizens Commissioner." Others called her "the Propaganda Commissioner."
In 2006, Wallström suggested turning the EU's video service into an EU news agency. This idea was stopped after news organizations said it would harm the work of reporters.
After the 2006 Swedish election, Wallström was seen as a possible leader for her political party. However, she decided not to run for the position.
Between 2006 and 2007, Wallström was part of a group that helped rewrite the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. This new version became known as the Treaty of Lisbon.
In December 2006, a survey found Margot Wallström to be the most popular woman in Sweden. She was very humble about it, saying it might be "because I'm so far away."
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden (2014–2019)
When Stefan Löfven became Prime Minister of Sweden in 2014, Margot Wallström was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This meant she was in charge of Sweden's relationships with other countries.
In October 2014, Wallström made Sweden the first EU country to recognize the State of Palestine. She hoped this would help bring peace by making the parties more equal in negotiations. This decision led to some diplomatic discussions with Israel.
In December 2014, she spoke with the Russian ambassador about a Russian military jet incident near Sweden. She also called the Russian ambassador again in 2015 to discuss Russia's comments about Sweden possibly joining NATO.
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In January 2015, Wallström criticized the treatment of a human rights activist blogger in Saudi Arabia. She called it a "cruel attempt to silence modern forms of expression." In May 2015, the UN Secretary-General appointed her to a group working on humanitarian aid.
One of Wallström's main goals was to get Sweden a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. This goal was achieved in 2016.
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In February 2018, Wallström canceled a visit to Turkey. This was to show her concern about a Turkish military operation in northern Syria. In December 2018, she met with Iran's deputy foreign minister.
Political Views
When her party formed the government in 2014, Wallström promised a "feminist" foreign policy. She has spoken out about the lack of women's rights in Saudi Arabia.
On 10 March 2015, Sweden announced it would end a weapons export agreement with Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia reacted by stopping visas for Swedish business people. They also boycotted Wallström's speech at the Arab League.
Wallström has also asked for more articles on Wikipedia about topics related to women.
Other Activities
Margot Wallström has been involved with several organizations outside of her political roles.
Non-profit Organizations
- Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), Board Member (since 2020)
- Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy (CFFP), Advisory Board Member
- European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Member
- International Crisis Group, Board of Trustees Member
- International Gender Champions (IGC), Member
- Institute for Human Rights & Business (IHRB), Chair of the International Advisory Council
- Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice (MRFCJ), International Advisory Council Member
- Svenska PostkodStiftelsen, Board of Directors Member
- Enough Project, Fellow
- Lund University, Chairwoman of the University Board (2012–2014)
Awards and Recognition
- 2001 – Honorary doctor at Chalmers University, Sweden
- 2002 – European Commissioner of the Year (by European Voice)
- 2004 – Honorary doctor at Mälardalen University, Sweden
- 2005 – Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree, University of Massachusetts Lowell
- 2008 – Göteborg Award for Sustainable Development
- 2009 – Monismanien Prize for Freedom of Speech
- 2016 – Grand Star of the Order of Jerusalem, State of Palestine
Personal Life
Margot Wallström has been married to Håkan Olsson since 1984. They have two sons. She lives in Stockholm and Värmland.
See also
In Spanish: Margot Wallström para niños
- List of foreign ministers in 2017
- List of current foreign ministers
