Criticism of the governor and former moderate leader Anna Kinberg Batra is growing. Aftonbladet has previously revealed that friends of hers got top jobs at the County Administrative Board, and on Wednesday TV4 Nyheterna was able to report that there is great internal dissatisfaction with the governor at the County Administrative Board
The Social Democrats have previously come out and said that the government should consider whether Kinberg Batra can remain in office. Now former Civil Affairs Minister Ida Karkiainen (S) says that she has difficulty seeing how the destroyed trust in Anna Kinberg Batra and the authority management can be restored.
“The trust is so damaged”
S demands an external independent review of the circumstances surrounding the governor and believes that the internal review that the authority’s internal auditor must do is not sufficient.
– When trust is so damaged, it is a stupid idea to internally carry out an investigation and an internal review of what has happened. Then it is much better to bring in an external reviewer who can look at this with objective eyes. It is perhaps something that had created a certain trust in this situation, but I don’t think investigating this internally is such a good idea, says Ida Karkiainen (S) to TV4 Nyheterna.
Source: The internal review is “hoax”
A source within the County Administrative Board in Stockholm tells TV4 Nyheterna that the internal review of the authority is “nonsense” and is not necessary as there are already clear internal guidelines for appointments at the County Administrative Board, but states that it is Anna Kinberg Batra who has not chosen to follow these .
– There is no reason to do this, it’s just a matter of the government protecting Anna Kinberg Batra by shifting the focus from her as a person to something else, says the source to TV4 Nyheterna.
A: “Damages trust”
The Social Democrats are now sharply criticizing the government, which they believe must take greater responsibility to restore trust in the County Board in Stockholm. Ida Karkiainen (S) says that the government needs to show what signals they have sent to the authority and clarify how the government sees the importance of recruiting based on merit and skill and not based on friendships.
– The government that has to take this responsibility now and needs to think carefully about whether this is a situation that can be saved at all, says Ida Karkiainen (S) to TV4 Nyheterna.
If you were the civil minister again, how would you have acted?
– Above all, I had made sure that they had told us about the measures they had taken. But I had also very carefully considered whether this head of the authority will be able to restore trust in the authority, she continues.
It sounds like you had considered the possibility of simply firing the head of the authority?
– That should have been considered, yes, says Ida Karkiainen (S) to TV4 Nyheterna.
TV4 Nyheterna is looking for Governor Anna Kinberg Batra and the government through Civil Affairs Minister Erik Slottner (KD).