| Tobias Billström | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office October 6, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Barbro Holmberg |
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| Born | December 27, 1973 Malmö, Sweden |
| Political party | Moderate Party |
| Alma mater | Lund University University of Cambridge |
| Website | www.tobiasbillstrom.se |
Tobias Lennart Billström (born December 27, 1973 in Malmö) is a Swedish politician currently serving as Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy in the Swedish government. Billström, a member of the Moderate Party, has been a Member of Parliament since 2002 representing Malmö Municipality (seat 122). Due to Billström's duties as a minister, his seat in the parliament is currently occupied by his replacement, Staffan Appelros.[1] Billström was a member of the Parliamentary Committee for Social Insurance, and has also been Moderate Party spokesperson for migration and integration. He is chairman for the Moderate Party in Malmö.
Billström has a Master's degree in history and political science from Lund University, and a Master's degree in Historical studies from University of Cambridge.[2] Billström was appointed as Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy on October 6, 2006 in the centre-right cabinet led by Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.
At the age of 35, Billström is the youngest member of the cabinet. He is also the first openly bisexual person to serve as minister in a Swedish cabinet.
TV license controversy
On October 11, 2006, less than a week after he took office, it was revealed that Billström deliberately had neglected to pay his television licence for ten years, despite owning a television. Billström stated that his neglect was based on his political standpoint against public service, but that he had come to appreciate public service and that he believed that citizens and especially legislators should follow the law. Billström also expressed his ambition to repay his debt with interest.[3] However, on October 12, 2006 Radiotjänst i Kiruna AB, a private agency tasked with collecting the license fees, filed criminal charges against Billström together with two other ministers in the Reinfeldt Cabinet: Cecilia Stegö Chilò and Maria Borelius,[4] with the latter two resigning on October 14 and October 16, 2006. Billström has stated that he intends to remain in office and has no intention of resigning.[5]
References
- ^ Riksdag: Tobias Billström (m) (accessed on July 14, 2007) (Swedish)
- ^ Curriculum vitae of Tobias Billström (PDF-file) (English)
- ^ Fler ministrar betalar inte licens (Swedish), Svenska Dagbladet, October 11, 2006.
- ^ Ministers reported to police for unpaid TV licences (English), The Local, October 13, 2006.
- ^ "Jag tänker inte avgå", Dagens Nyheter, October 17, 2006 (Swedish)
External links
- Officiell website (Swedish)
- Tobias Billström at the Government Offices website (Swedish)
- Tobias Billström at the Riksdag website (Swedish)
- Billström's blog (inactive) (Swedish)
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Barbro Holmberg |
Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy 2006–present |
Incumbent |
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