Sweden’s climate and environment minister, Romina Pourmokhtari, brought her three-month-old son, Adam, to a formal meeting of EU climate ministers in Luxembourg this week, in what was described as the first time a baby has participated in an official Council of Ministers session. The 30-year-old minister, who was already Sweden’s youngest-ever cabinet minister when she took office in 2022, had recently returned from maternity leave.
Pourmokhtari said she wanted to show that women should not have to choose between work and family. She added, with a joking swipe, that making it work also requires “a partner who is not a dinosaur,” meaning someone willing to share childcare. Her husband accompanied her to Luxembourg and was on parental leave himself, caring for the baby outside the meeting room when needed.
The minister said the appearance was meant to highlight Sweden’s generous parental leave system, which offers about 16 months of paid leave, including 90 days reserved separately for each parent to encourage fathers to take part in raising children. The baby’s presence was welcomed by colleagues, including Poland’s deputy climate minister, Krzysztof Bolesta, who said, “I think it’s great. It’s not an obstacle, it’s just part of life.”
Beyond the personal message, Pourmokhtari argued that family-friendly policy has major economic and social value. She said governments have an interest in preventing workers from burning out while juggling careers and families, and she urged other countries to adopt flexible rules and affordable childcare so more women can reach top decision-making positions. The issue of parental leave is also a politically sensitive topic in Sweden’s election campaign.
