Swedish minister attends EU meeting with baby, says she won't choose between roles

Swedish Minister for Climate and Environment Romina Pourmokhtari attended a European Union environment ministers' meeting in Luxembourg with her three-month-old son. Pourmokhtari, 30, explained her decision was to avoid choosing between her family and her political duties.

"It's not so much a message as a fact: I don't want to have to choose between being a present mother – because he is only three months old – and being a present minister," Pourmokhtari said upon arrival. She added that becoming a mother prompted her to question the compatibility of these roles, concluding that it is possible to balance them.

"The possibility of doing this was something I wanted to see, and it is possible, which is why I brought him with me. And I am happy if I can set an example without having to choose between these two people: a present mother and a present minister," she stated.

During the meeting, discussions also covered the European Commission's proposal to relax CO2 emission reduction targets for cars and vans. Pourmokhtari supported maintaining ambitious climate goals and cautioned against dependence on imported fossil fuels. "The increase in oil prices is another example of our vulnerability when we import fossil fuels," she noted, adding that electric car sales continue to grow strongly in Europe.