As recently as a few days ago, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson persistently defended his closest man.

PM Nilsson would remain in office, despite the illegal eel fishing and despite the lies to the police.

In light of this, the announcement late on Thursday came as a surprise.

The departure was a fact.

PM Nilsson himself claims that the decision is due to the preliminary investigation that was opened against him for species protection offences.

It is certainly a serious crime, but the fine of just over SEK 38,000 for poaching is just as serious.

As the Prime Minister's State Secretary, one of the highest officials in the state, you are expected to follow the law and also tell the truth, not least to the police.

The government's focus on law and order made it extra difficult for the government to deal with the many questions about PM Nilsson's crimes.

It probably also contributed to his being forced to resign.

Put himself above the law

The eel is endangered and it has been forbidden to fish for eels for private individuals since 2007. PM Nilsson overrode that law.

Perhaps even more serious was that he lied both to the authority concerned and to the police.

The case has received a lot of media attention.

The Social Democrats have demanded PM Nilsson's resignation and have also reported the matter to the Riksdag's constitutional committee.

PM Nilsson became a burden for Kristersson and for the government, a government whose first hundred days were marked by problems and criticism.

When the preliminary investigation into species protection crimes began, it was not difficult to see the series in the media if eel fishing were to continue.

Perhaps it was that realization that contributed to the conclusion that a departure was the only way out.

Didn't understand the political explosiveness

For Ulf Kristersson, however, the departure means a major loss of prestige.

PM Nilsson was his star recruit to the staff.

A well-known editor and opinion leader, who would help Kristersson raise his profile.

As political editor at Dagens Industri, PM Nilsson was also the opinion leader who, before the election, pushed the hardest on the question that the bourgeois parties should cooperate with the Sweden Democrats in order to win government power.

It was a message that suited Kristersson's strategy to build and gain acceptance for a government with the support of SD.

Kristersson has subsequently admitted that he knew about Nilsson's poaching when he was recruited.

Kristersson clearly did not understand the political explosiveness of this.

The resignation can therefore be seen as confirmation that the appointment was a mistake.

There may be more serious information

The fact that PM Nilsson is resigning right now could be due to several things.

As long as the preliminary investigation into species protection crimes is ongoing, it would lead to continued negative publicity for the government.

This attention would also risk overshadowing other things the government is doing, something Ulf Kristersson can hardly afford in a situation where both trust and opinion support are falling.

Another explanation could be that there is more serious information about poaching that has not yet been revealed, but which the parties concerned fear will come out.

Regardless, it can be stated that PM Nilsson's career as State Secretary was very short.

He did not have time to make any deeper impact on the government's work than to direct the spotlight on poaching, the endangered eel and his own lies through his own actions.

Ulf Kristersson says publicly that he regrets his departure, but deep down he probably breathes a sigh of relief at not having to answer more questions about his state secretary's conduct.