Tobias Billström
M
Billström in 2016
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Assumed office
18 October 2022
Prime MinisterUlf Kristersson
Preceded byAnn Linde
Leader of the Moderate Party in the Riksdag
In office
3 October 2017 – October 2022
DeputyHans Wallmark
LeaderUlf Kristersson
Preceded byJessica Polfjärd
Succeeded byMattias Karlsson
First Deputy Speaker of the Riksdag
In office
29 September 2014 – 11 October 2017
MonarchCarl XVI Gustaf
Preceded bySusanne Eberstein
Succeeded byEwa Thalén Finné
Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy
In office
6 October 2006 – 29 September 2014
Prime MinisterFredrik Reinfeldt
Preceded byBarbro Holmberg
Succeeded byMorgan Johansson
Minister for Employment
In office
7 July 2010 – 5 October 2010
Prime MinisterFredrik Reinfeldt
Preceded bySven Otto Littorin
Succeeded byHillevi Engström
Member of the Riksdag
Assumed office
30 September 2002
ConstituencyMalmö Municipality (2002–2022)
Stockholm County (2022–)
Personal details
Born
Tobias Lennart Billström

(1973-12-27) 27 December 1973
Malmö, Sweden
Political partyModerate Party
Spouse
Sofia Åkerman
​
(m. 2009)​
Children1
Alma mater

Tobias Lennart Billström (born 27 December 1973) is a Swedish politician of the Moderate Party. He has served as Minister for Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of Ulf Kristersson since 18 October 2022[1] and has been Member of the Riksdag since the 2002 general election, representing Malmö Municipality (2002–2022) and Stockholm County (since 2022).

He previously served as Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy from 2006 to 2014 and briefly as Minister for Employment in 2010 in the cabinet of Fredrik Reinfeldt. He served as First Deputy Speaker of the Riksdag from 2014 to 2017.

Education

Billström has a Master of Philosophy in Historical Studies from the University of Cambridge and a fil. mag. in history from the University of Lund. His essays in history concerned subject areas of British colonial history, especially officers stationed in India and Jamaica. Billström became politically active through the Moderate Youth League. During his studies, he was active in the Confederation of Swedish Conservative and Liberal Students as chairman of Malmö Association FMS Gryphus, and sat on the board of the student union Lunds humanistkår. Billström began his studies in Lund in the Philosophy Department, where he read 20 points scientific basics for Victoria Höög.

Member of the Riksdag

Billström became a Member of the Riksdag at the 2002 Swedish general election; he subsequently became a deputy in the Education Committee, Employment Committee and in the Cultural Committee. In 2003, he became a member of the Education Committee where he received a special responsibility for issues related to higher education and research. In April 2005, Billström became a member of the Social Security Committee and Moderate Party spokesperson on issues related to migration and integration. During the period from 2003 to 2007, Billström was Chairman of the Moderate Party in Malmö. Billström became a member of the board of the Swedish Migration Board in November 2005, a position he left when he was appointed Minister in 2006.

Billström participated as a Member of the Riksdag in the discussion of migration policy. He opposed the temporary asylum law that was implemented by the social democratic Persson cabinet, arguing that the law was not fair and that it was based on collective judgment.

Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy

Billström became Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy on 6 October 2006.[2] Billström was stationed in the Ministry of Justice, unlike his immediate predecessors, who had been stationed in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Labour immigration

Once it took office in October 2006, the Reinfeldt Cabinet set a new aim for Swedish migration policy, which was to increase the opportunities for labour immigration. Billström emphasised the importance of creating a balance in the policy area where asylum issues often dominate.[3] He also pointed out that labour immigration today is a way to help developing countries beyond the traditional aid.[4]

Re-establishment support

The government implemented, on 1 August 2007, a re-establishment support to facilitate the repatriation of those who have had their asylum applications rejected.[5]

Middle East

Billström stated that countries in Europe and the world should help refugees from Iraq. He emphasised the need for a very strong common asylum and migration policy, and that this could give more Iraqis in need of protection to access this.

The work was given a start with the article that Billström wrote with Cecilia Malmström in the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet.[6] The message has since been represented to the Council of the European Union and at several international conferences where Billström represented Sweden, including in Geneva[7] and in Sharm el-Sheikh.[8]

From 30 March until 4 April 2007, Billström, as the first European Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy, made a trip to Syria and Jordan to create a picture of the situation of the Iraqi refugees residing there. At the time he was interviewed in Damascus by Sveriges Radio.[9]

In classified documents revealed by Wikileaks, Billström, together with Carl Bildt during the two men's visit to the American Ambassador Ryan Crocker in Baghdad in 2007, reported the Iraqi refugee situation in Sweden, specifically mentioning honour killings and the Swedish opinion of restricting immigration.[10]

Controversial statements

In an interview about illegal immigrants hidden in Sweden on 18 March 2013, Billström said that "Sometimes we have the impression that the person who is hidden lives with a nice blonde Swedish lady in her fifties or sixties who wants to help. But that's not true. The vast majority [of hidden illegal immigrants] live with their compatriots who are not blond and blue-eyed."[11]

The statement was severely criticised by both opposition parties as well as the other governing parties in the Alliance coalition government. The leader of the Moderate Youth League, youth league of the Moderate Party, Erik Bengtzboe also criticised the statement, and called for Billström to apologise and to think about what he had said.[12]

Some even called for Billström's resignation from the position of Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy.[13] The right-wing Sweden Democrats party leader Jimmie Åkesson welcomed Billström's statement and said "that he was on the right track".[14]

In the early afternoon on the same day, Billström officially apologised for his statement and said that his words came out in the wrong way, and that what he said was not what he really meant. Fredrik Reinfeldt, the Prime Minister of Sweden, welcomed Billström's apology.[15]

In response to the attacks on Gaza by Israel following the al-aqsa flood, Billström said that Israels response had been proportionate.[16] This received heavy criticism,[17] from among others actionaid and amnesty.[18] An official complaint was filed by Swedens left party.[19]

First Deputy Speaker

Billström was elected First Deputy Speaker on 29 September 2014. He resigned from the position in October 2017, to become Moderate Party leader in the Riksdag.

Minister for Foreign Affairs (2022-present)

Billström with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto in Washington, D.C., 8 December 2022

On 18 October 2022, he was announced as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Kristersson Cabinet.[20] On his first day Billström stated that he would not use the term "feminist foreign policy" as his predecessor.[21]

List of international trips made by Tobias Billström

Since becoming Minister for Foreign Affairs, Billström has made a number of international trips.

List of international trips
Country Location(s) Dates Source
2022
 Finland Helsinki 21 October 2022 [22]
 Estonia Tallinn 1 November 2022 [23]
 Finland Helsinki 2 November 2022
 Germany Berlin 10 November 2022 [24]
 Belgium Brussels 14 November 2022 [25]
 Jordan Amman 15–17 November 2022 [26]
 France Paris 21 November 2022 [27]
 Lithuania Vilnius 22 November 2022 [28]
 Ukraine Kyiv 28 November 2022 [29]
 Romania Bucharest 29–30 November 2022 [30]
 Poland Łódź 1–2 December 2022 [31]
 United States Washington D.C. 6–8 December 2022 [32]
 Belgium Brussels 12 December 2022 [33]
 Turkey Ankara 21–22 December 2022 [34]
2023
 Belgium Brussels 23 January 2023 [35]
 Latvia Riga 27 January 2023 [36]
 Norway Tromsø 31 January 2023 [37]
 Finland Helsinki 7 February 2023 [38]
 Germany Munich 17–19 February 2023 [39]
 Belgium Brussels 19 February 2023 [40]
 India New Delhi 2–4 March 2023 [41]
 Italy Rome 3 April 2023 [42]
 Serbia Belgrad 19–20 April 2023 [43]
 Montenegro Podgorica
 Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo
 Kosovo Pristina
 Moldova Chișinău 26–27 April 2023 [44]
 Estonia Tallinn 2–4 May 2023 [45]
 Iceland Reykjavik 16–17 May 2023 [46]
 Belgium Brussels 22 May 2023 [47]
 Norway Oslo 31 May–1 June 2023 [48]
 Germany Wismar 1 June–2 June 2023 [49]
 Belgium Brussels 8 June 2023 [50]
 Poland Warsaw 12 June 2023 [51]
 Iceland Ísafjörður 12–13 June 2023 [52]
 France Paris 16 June 2023 [53]
 Luxembourg Luxembourg 26 June 2023 [54]
 United States Washington D.C. 4–5 July 2023 [55]
 Belgium Brussels 6 July 2023 [56]
 Lithuania Vilnius 10–12 July 2023 [57]
 Latvia Riga 6–7 September 2023 [58]
 United States New York City 18–26 September 2023 [59]
 Netherlands The Hague 28 September 2023 [60]
 Oman Muscat 9–10 October 2023 [61]
 Saudi Arabia Riyadh
 Luxembourg Luxembourg City 23 October 2023 [62]
 Norway Oslo 1 November 2023 [63]
 Germany Berlin 2 November 2023 [64]
 Lithuania Vilnius 6 November 2023 [65]
 Finland Helsinki 8 November 2023 [66]

Other activities

Personal life

He is the first openly bisexual person to serve as minister in a Swedish cabinet.[69] He is married to Sofia Åkerman with whom he has one daughter.

TV license controversy

On 11 October 2006, less than a week after he took office, it was revealed that Billström deliberately had neglected to pay his television licence for ten years, despite owning a television. Billström stated that his neglect was based on his political standpoint against public service, but that he had come to appreciate public service and that he believed that citizens and especially legislators should follow the law. Billström also expressed his ambition to repay his debt with interest.[70] However, on 12 October 2006, Radiotjänst i Kiruna AB, a private agency tasked with collecting the license fees, filed criminal charges against Billström together with two other ministers in the Reinfeldt Cabinet: Cecilia Stegö Chilò and Maria Borelius, with the latter two resigning on 14 and 16 October 2006. Billström stated that he intended to remain in office and had no intention of resigning.[71]

Honours

National
Foreign

References

  1. ↑ "Sweden's new Government". Government of Sweden. 18 October 2022. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  2. ↑ Malmöbon Tobias Billström vill öppna för arbetskraftsinvandring. Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2022. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ↑ "We need labour immigration". Göteborgs-Posten. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  4. ↑ "Guest workers best assistance". Realtid. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  5. ↑ "sr.se: Asylum seekers get money to move home". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  6. ↑ "Svenska Dagbladet 12 February 2007: EU must take responsibility for Iraq – SvD". Svenska Dagbladet. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  7. ↑ "regeringen.se: Speech at UNHCR's international conference on Iraq". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  8. ↑ "regeringen.se: Speech at the ministerial meeting in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  9. ↑ "sr.se: Billström met Damascus refugees". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  10. ↑ Åkerman, Mikaela (21 January 2011). "Ministrar ville stoppa våg av irakier". Archived from the original on 12 April 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022 – via www.svd.se.
  11. ↑ "Billström: "De är inte blonda och blåögda"". Aftonbladet. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  12. ↑ "Moderate Youth League calls for apologize after Billström statement". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  13. ↑ "Billström sågas av egna – men hyllas av SD". Aftonbladet. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  14. ↑ "Billström sågas av egna – men hyllas av SD". Aftonbladet. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  15. ↑ "Reinfeldt: Bra att han har bett om ursäkt". Expressen. Archived from the original on 27 November 2021. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  16. ↑ "Billström står fast vid uttalandet: Israel har rätt att försvara sig". Sveriges Radio. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  17. ↑ "Hur är 5 791 döda proportionerligt, Tobias Billström?". Aftonbladet.
  18. ↑ "Amnesty om Billströms hyckleri: Skulle fördöma andra som agerar som Israel". ETC.
  19. ↑ "Vänsterpartiet KU-anmäler Billström för Israeluttalande". Altinget.
  20. ↑ "Sweden's new PM Kristersson appoints cabinet". Reuters. 18 October 2022. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  21. ↑ "Sweden ditches 'feminist foreign policy'". BBC News. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  22. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström besöker Helsingfors för möte med utrikesminister Pekka Haavisto (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  23. ↑ "Utrikesministern besöker Tallinn och Helsingfors (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  24. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström till Berlin den 10 november (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
  25. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström till Bryssel (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  26. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström till Bryssel (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  27. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström besöker Paris och deltar i internationell givarkonferens för Moldavien (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
  28. ↑ "Lithuanian and Swedish Foreign Ministers to hold a meeting in Vilnius". 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  29. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström träffar Ukrainas president Volodymyr Zelenskyj i Kiev tillsammans med nordiska och baltiska kollegor (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  30. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström reser till Bukarest för Natos utrikesministermöte (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  31. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström deltar i OSSE:s ministerrådsmöte i Łódź (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  32. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström besöker Washington den 6-8 december (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  33. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström deltar i EU:s utrikesministermöte (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  34. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström besöker Turkiet (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  35. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström deltar i EU:s utrikesråd (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  36. ↑ "Ukraina och svenska prioriteringarna för EU- ordförandeskapet i fokus när utrikesminister Tobias Billström besöker Lettland (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  37. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström reser till Tromsö för deltagande i Arctic Frontiers (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 1 February 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  38. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström besöker Finland (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 7 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  39. ↑ "Statsministern, utrikesministern, försvarsministern och ministern för civilt försvar deltar i Munich Security Conference (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 16 March 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  40. ↑ "Tobias Billström deltar i EU:s utrikesministermöte (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 16 March 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  41. ↑ "Tobias Billström deltar i utrikespolitiska konferensen Raisina Dialogue (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 16 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  42. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström deltar i konferens om Västra Balkan (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 23 April 2023. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  43. ↑ "Pressmeddelande från Utrikesdepartementet: Samarbete och säkerhetsfrågor på agendan när utrikesminister Tobias Billström reser till Serbien, Montenegro, Bosnien och Hercegovina och Kosovo (in Swedish)". www.regeringen.se (in Swedish). 23 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  44. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström reser till Moldavien tillsammans med nordiska och baltiska utrikesministerkollegor" (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 26 April 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  45. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström medverkar i Sveriges statsbesök till Estland" (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 1 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  46. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström deltar i Europarådets toppmöte i Reykjavik" (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  47. ↑ "Tobias Billström deltar i EU:s utrikesministermöte" (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  48. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström reser till Oslo för Natos informella utrikesministermöte" (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  49. ↑ "Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Council of Baltic Sea States". gettyimages. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  50. ↑ "Sverige träffar Natos chef" (in Swedish). 8 Sidor. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  51. ↑ "Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom visits Warsaw". epaimages. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  52. ↑ "Utanríkisráðherrar Norðurlanda funduðu á Ísafirði" (in Icelandic). stjornarradid.is. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  53. ↑ "Sveriges anslutning till Nato i fokus när Tobias Billström besöker Paris (in Swedish)" (in Swedish). 7 July 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  54. ↑ "Tobias Billström deltar i EU:s utrikesministermöte (in Swedish)" (in Swedish). 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  55. ↑ "Utrikesminister Billström åker till Washington (in Swedish)". www.sr.se (in Swedish). 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  56. ↑ "Sweden, Finland and Turkey head to Brussels for final NATO talks before Vilnius summit". www.sr.se. 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  57. ↑ "Statsminister Ulf Kristersson deltar vid Natos toppmöte i Vilnius" (in Swedish). 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  58. ↑ "Tobias Billström deltar i nordiskt-baltiskt utrikesministermöte" (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 7 September 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  59. ↑ "Regeringen deltar vid FN:s generalförsamlings öppnande i New York" (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  60. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström reser till Haag" (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  61. ↑ "Klimatfrågor och stödet till Ukraina i fokus när utrikesminister Tobias Billström besöker Gulfländerna" (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 8 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  62. ↑ "Tobias Billström deltog i EU:s utrikesministermöte" (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  63. ↑ "Tobias Billström deltar vid Nordiska rådets session i Oslo" (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  64. ↑ "Utrikesminister Tobias Billström deltar i konferens om EU:s utvidgning och reformarbete" (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 1 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  65. ↑ "Tobias Billström besöker Vilnius för att diskutera Belarus" (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 5 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  66. ↑ "Billström och Jonson i möte med Valtonen och Häkkänen i Finland" (in Swedish). Regeringen och Regeringskansliet. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  67. ↑ Transatlantic Council on Migration Archived 25 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine Migration Policy Institute (MPI).
  68. ↑ Executive Board Archived 3 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies.
  69. ↑ "The Swedish presidency of the EU". European Voice. 6 June 2009. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  70. ↑ "Fler ministrar betalar inte licens". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 11 October 2006. Archived from the original on 10 October 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2006.
  71. ↑ Bergbom, Kalle; Hall, Thomas (17 October 2006). "Jag tänker inte avgå". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2011.
  72. ↑ "president.ee". president.ee (in Estonian). Retrieved 7 May 2023.
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