Kristersson’s wife traveled for free on the government plane

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s wife traveled with her husband on the government plane and stayed in a hotel paid for by the Government Office.

Only after an examination were deductions made for the trips, reports SVT Nyheter.

In July last year, the Prime Minister’s wife Birgitta Kristersson accompanied Ed with Ulf Kristersson on the government flight to Washington when Ulf Kristersson was to meet US President Joe Biden. On another occasion she accompanied him to Helsinki.

Since the prime minister’s wife lacked a formal mission, the rules state that he must pay for her travel. The cost must correspond to the full price for a similar trip by scheduled flight and 25 percent of the hotel costs must be paid privately.

In total, it is about SEK 16,000 that was not deducted from Kristersson’s monthly fee in connection with the trips. Only when SVT’s “Assignment review” asked questions about the trips over four months later was a deduction made from the prime minister’s fee.

Ministerial Councilor Hans Bäck tells SVT that the error is due to a misunderstanding between officials and Kristersson’s press secretary writes in an email to SVT that the Prime Minister followed the existing procedures.

Kristersson himself has declined to comment.