Mohamsson, who was elected party leader on Tuesday, has just over a year to turn the party's poor opinion figures around. She must quickly make herself known to the Swedish people.
As Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's (The Moderate Party) new Minister of Education, Mohamsson will be responsible for The Liberals' key issue – school. But she has also requested and been given responsibility for integration policy.
According to her, it has nothing to do with needing to be seen as much as possible.
No, it's because they are important issues and the foundation for Sweden to function, says Mohamsson.
School is the best tool for integration.
Bourgeois bureaucrat
In her first party leader speech in Visby, Mohamsson said that those who make an effort will get a better life.
TT: Is that your main message to immigrants?
No, it's that in Sweden, you have fantastic opportunities, but also responsibilities. Such as being diligent.
Mohamsson says she belongs to the generation that has seen the downside of the free school reform and claims that more needs to be done to put knowledge before profits. However, she does not want to comment today on whether a ban on profit-taking is needed.
Mohamsson takes over primary school from the current Minister of Education Lotta Edholm, who will now be responsible for upper secondary school, college, and research.
The other new face in Kristersson's government is Johan Britz, who will become the new Minister of Labor after Mats Person. He describes himself as a 50-year-old "bourgeois bureaucrat", a social liberal who has worked in the political backstage throughout his professional life.
Classic Liberal
Britz comes from the government's coordination office and has worked eleven years in the government office, four years in the parliament, and eight years for the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise. According to Mohamsson, Britz has made Sweden more bourgeois.
He thinks that unemployment is far too high, but no change in labor market policy is to be expected.
We need to continue what we're doing. Invest more in education, make it more profitable to work and less profitable to live on benefits, says Britz.
Both ministers call themselves Classic Liberals, but Mohamsson assures that The Liberals will not reclaim their old name.
For her, it's now a matter of quickly getting into the new party leader job and getting acquainted with both school and integration policy.
I'm new on the job, so there will probably be one or two investigations and other things to get into, she says.
Linnéa Engholm/TT
Peter Wallberg/TT
Facts: The Liberals' ministers
TT
Minister of Education with responsibility for school and integration: Simona Mohamsson. (New)
Minister for upper secondary school, college, and research: Lotta Edholm
Minister for Labor and Work Life: Johan Britz. (New)
Minister for Gender Equality: Nina Larsson
Minister for Climate and Environment: Romina Pourmokhtari
