Lena Micko is a member of the Social Democrats' executive committee. She has been a municipal councilor in Linköping and chair of Sweden's municipalities and county councils (SKL).
Micko has often appeared in ministerial speculation, but is only now taking the steps into the government.
What will be your main task?
- It is enough to ensure that we have better conditions to fulfill the welfare mission at the local level.
- It looks different in the country's municipalities. Some have it tougher than others. But generally speaking, I think that you are quite tired of the detail management that is in many areas of the state.
- We need more resources for welfare. We have to work for that.
The Ministry of Finance has calculated that 90 billion is spent in the municipalities?
- More money will be needed for welfare, says Micko.
See a longer interview with the minister in the clip above