Maja Lundbäck moved from Ebba Busch’s inner circle on energy policy to become head of Svenska kraftnät. Now, an investigation reveals that the job requirements were changed before she was appointed—even though the government has not disclosed who drafted the requirements.
On July 30, the government appointed the 36-year-old Maja Lundbäck as Director General of Svenska kraftnät. At that time, she had served as State Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Industry Ebba Busch (KD) and has had Svenska kraftnät in its portfolio of agencies, reports Svenska Dagbladet (SvD).
An investigation by SvD shows that the job requirements were changed compared to the hiring of the predecessor Per Eckemark. For example, the requirement of ”an understanding of” the political structure became ”experience working in” it—something Lundbäck had after just over three years at the Government Offices.
At the same time, two previously listed qualifications became mandatory: experience leading through other managers, and experience leading and developing operations within a government agency. According to SvD, it is not clear from Lundbäck’s résumé where and when she met these requirements.
Continued to lead the agency
Lundbäck expressed her interest on January 21. The recruitment process was subsequently transferred to the Ministry of Defense, but she continued to serve as State Secretary at Svenska kraftnät at the same time.
On April 1, she participated, among other things, in the interagency dialogue with the agency's top management. A total of 27 people applied for the job, but the names of the other candidates are confidential.
The government says that Lundbäck was excluded from the work on the requirements profile. The ministry, however, has not explained why the individual requirements were changed and states that there are no public records showing who participated in the work.
New two-bedroom apartment—the old one was sold
On the same day that Lundbäck was appointed, the government also decided that Svenska kraftnät would have a chief executive. The position of the then-deputy director general, Peter Wigert, was eliminated, and he was later paid a severance package of nearly 2.4 million kronor. No chief executive had yet been appointed when SvD published its investigation.
– Anyone looking at this from the outside shouldn't have any reason to doubt that it's merit that matters, says political scientist Göran Sundström.
No violation of the law has been established. But the process illustrates why transparency regarding top government appointments is crucial: requirements, candidates, and the basis for decision-making must be subject to scrutiny if citizens are to be able to monitor how political power is exercised.
Reminiscent of the Kinberg-Batra scandal
This isn’t the first time the government’s hiring practices have raised questions. In 2024, then-County Governor Anna Kinberg Batra faced serious criticism from the Parliamentary Ombudsman following three hires at the Stockholm County Administrative Board. According to the Ombudsman, in two of the cases she had already decided who would get the job. Following the scandal, she was forced to step down from her post.
No similar violation of the rules has been established in the Lundbäck case. But the question remains the same: Do top government positions go to the most qualified candidates—or can political connections and opaque processes influence who gets the job?
EBBA BLUFF & the rest of TIDÖ: The Scam. Damn it!
The entire 8-clover series—RUBBISH from start to finish.
Long live Switzerland & DIRECT DEMOCRACY.
She holds a master’s degree in energy engineering, whereas Ebba Bluff has only a high school diploma in the social sciences.