Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist took a private New Year’s trip to Finland

Criticism has been strong against Stefan Löfven after the Prime Minister’s visit to the Mall in central Stockholm in the days leading up to Christmas. MSB CEO Dan Eliasson was forced to resign after Expressen revealed that he had gone to the Canary Islands five days before Christmas.

The government’s message was clear before the Christmas holidays. At a press conference on December 8, Prime Minister Löfven presented the advice before Christmas, with a maximum of eight people in the same company and a recommendation not to travel unless absolutely necessary. The Minister of Social Affairs Lena Hallengren, S, completed:

– Avoid traveling. If travel is necessary after all, make sure it’s contagious, he said at the press conference.

On MSB’s krisinformation.se site, the advice of the Swedish Public Health Agency and the government was clear:

“Try to limit your group travel as much as possible. A transport in itself does not contribute to the spread of the infection, but there is a risk in meetings during the trip and at the destination. Before the next holidays and during Christmas, it is important to think about whether the planned trips are really necessary to carry them out ”..

Expressen has previously asked all government ministers if they made a trip outside Sweden’s borders during the fall and winter and if they followed any recommendations and advice that existed. Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist briefly answered “yes” to the questions and to the question of whether he wanted to elaborate on his answers, he just as briefly replied “no”.

Peter Hultqvist (S) took a private trip to Finland

Expressen can now reveal that Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist took a private trip to Finland this New Years weekend.

In September, the Swedish Foreign Ministry reversed the recommendation against unnecessary travel to Finland, but the country still has restrictions for incoming Swedish citizens.

Travelers to Finland must have “Acceptable reasons” for entry, and you might live in Finland, have a holiday home in the country, have a family member who is a Finnish citizen, or are on a business trip. State representatives who “Participate in international negotiations” he is also admitted to Finland, according to the instructions of the Finnish Border Guard.

The Institute of Health and Welfare, under the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, also recommends a voluntary quarantine for ten days for travelers from Sweden, among other places. Quarantine means that the person avoids contact with other people and stays at home. “Necessary movement”, such as visiting the doctor, is allowed, but does not include leisure activities. Those who are in voluntary quarantine should also avoid using public transportation.

I met the Minister of Defense of Finland

The long trip to Finland ended with a meeting with Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen on Monday, January 11. Shortly after, Peter Hultqvist traveled back to Sweden and was questioned on Tuesday morning on TV4’s Nyhetsmorgon on Tuesday morning; Among other things, criticisms directed at Löfven’s purchases and Eliasson’s trip over the Christmas weekend were raised in the interview:

– The rules that apply are those that must be respected, said Hultqvist in the program.

TV4: Do you feel comfortable because your decisions cannot be criticized later?

– Certainly there are things you can think of when it comes to everyone, but it is the rules that apply that must be adhered to.

Peter Hultqvist’s press secretary Toni Eriksson confirms that Hultqvist has been to Finland and that “Part of the trip was done privately”. The trip ended with a meeting with Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen on January 11:

“The Defense Minister has met with the Finnish Defense Minister. The decision on that meeting was made before Christmas. Part of the trip was conducted privately. In relation to him and before the meeting with the Finnish Defense Minister , Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist carried out a voluntary quarantine. All Swedish and Finnish crown and travel restrictions have been met. For security reasons, we do not comment on the Defense Minister’s private trips. There are strong reasons why others shouldn’t be able to map a minister’s travels “writes Toni Eriksson to Expressen.

So has he (Hultqvist, editor’s note) been in voluntary quarantine in Finland for ten days prior to meeting with the Finnish minister?

– In this case, I can say that the Finnish voluntary quarantine means that you have to stay somewhere in Finland for ten days. Then the quarantine is fulfilled. And in response, I have said that he has carried out that voluntary quarantine before meeting with the minister, says Toni Eriksson.

Niina Hyrsky, communications director for the Finnish Ministry of Defense, writes in an email to Expressen about the meeting between defense ministers:

“Defense ministers Antti Kaikkonen and Peter Hultqvist had a working meeting on Monday 11 January 21 and the meeting was held near Helsinki, in the Finnish capital region. The decision on the meeting was made before Christmas and the meeting was based on a mutual agreement between the ministers. “

Expressen has requested the meeting notes and information on when the decision was made to hold the meeting.

“No memoranda have been drawn up on the meeting between the defense ministers and no emails have been sent between ministers about the meeting.”writes Hannu Antikainen, managing director of the Finnish Ministry of Defense.

Niina Hyrsky from the Finnish Ministry of Defense writes in a follow-up email:

“Meeting in Finland was a decision that the ministers agreed together. The decision to meet was taken jointly and orally, by phone. “