Slottner does it again - participated in wind power decisions despite own shareholding

Minister of Civil Affairs Erik Slottner (KD) participated in several government decisions on wind power while owning shares in the company behind the projects. Now a new review shows that the same mistake has been repeated, even though the minister had already been made aware of a similar conflict of interest.

Ekots review shows that Erik Slottner participated in four government decisions concerning wind power projects linked to the company Eolus, in which he himself held shares. The decisions concerned, among other things, extended processing of permit applications for wind farms operated by the company's subsidiaries.

Professor: ”I am surprised”

Already a year ago, it was revealed that the Minister for Civil Affairs had participated in decisions concerning the same company. At the time, he said he needed to be more careful about issues of disqualification and conflicts of interest. Nevertheless, he later participated in further decisions without declaring a conflict of interest.

Olle Lundin, professor of administrative law at Uppsala University, reacts to the information and says that trust in the government risks being damaged when ministers participate in decisions that may affect companies in which they themselves have financial interests.

- I am surprised that this is taken so lightly. In the long run, it is a big problem. It is ultimately about our trust in the government.

Lundin argues that administrative decisions can also affect the value of a company's shares and thus create a conflict of interest for decision-makers.

- Yes, I do.

Recurrent revelations about ministers' shares

This is not the first case where a minister's private financial interests have come under scrutiny. In recent years, several ministers' shareholdings have come under scrutiny following allegations that they participated in decisions that could simultaneously affect companies in which they had financial interests.

Critics argue that such links create a risk that the public perceives that those in power may favor their own financial interests. The debate has therefore turned to what safeguards are needed to prevent bias, conflicts of interest and suspicions of corruption at the top of politics.

Sold the shares after the audit

Slottner did not want to be interviewed but stated in an email that in some cases he ”failed to report conflict of interest” and that this was unintentional. He also writes that after Ekot's questions he chose to sell his entire holding in Eolus.

The shares were sold for around SEK 19,000. Following earlier revelations, the Cabinet Office has also tightened its guidelines. The new rules state that ministers should avoid shareholdings that could lead to conflicts of interest and should not participate in decisions concerning companies in which they have financial interests.

For critics, the new review shows that the problem is not just about individual mistakes. The question now being asked is whether the current regulatory framework is sufficient to ensure that political decisions are made without the influence of private financial interests.