Ebba Busch

Ebba-Elisabeth Busch[2] (née Busch-Christensen, formerly Busch Thor while married; born 11 February 1987) is a Swedish politician serving as the Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden and Minister for Energy, Business and Industry since October 2022.[3] She has served as Leader of the Christian Democrats since April 2015.

Ebba Busch
KD
Busch in 2022
Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden
Assumed office
18 October 2022
Prime MinisterUlf Kristersson
Preceded byMorgan Johansson
Minister for Energy, Business and Industry
Assumed office
18 October 2022
Prime MinisterUlf Kristersson
Preceded byKhashayar Farmanbar (Energy)
Karl-Petter Thorwaldsson (Business and Industry)
Leader of the Christian Democrats
Assumed office
25 April 2015
Party secretaryAcko Ankarberg Johansson
Peter Kullgren
Johan Ingerö
Liza-Maria Norlin
Preceded byGöran Hägglund
Member of the Riksdag
Assumed office
23 September 2018
ConstituencyVästra Götaland County East
Personal details
Born
Ebba Elisabeth Busch-Christensen

(1987-02-11) 11 February 1987
Uppsala, Sweden
Citizenship
  • Sweden
  • Norway[1]
Political partyChristian Democrats
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2013; div. 2020)​
Children2
Alma materUppsala University

Early life and education

Born to a Swedish mother and Norwegian father, Busch identifies as both Norwegian and Swedish.[4] Growing up in Gunsta, near Uppsala, she was a student at the Christian Livets Ord primary school. She later studied the IB Diploma Programme at Katedralskolan in Uppsala, and peace and conflict studies at Uppsala University.[5]

She is a member of the Church of Sweden.[6]

Political career
Busch speaking at Sergels Torg in Stockholm the day before the Swedish election in 2018

Busch was the municipal party political secretary for the Christian Democrats councillor Gustaf von Essen in the Uppsala Municipality. In 2009, she assumed responsibility for the budget when Essen went on sick leave, and at the age of 22 she became a substitute municipal councillor.[7] Ahead of the election for municipal councillors in Uppsala in 2010, the party suggested that Busch should be placed third on the election ballot, while the incumbent councillor Gustav von Essen would be first.[8] The party youth organization chairman Charlie Weimers, who did not get to vote in the election, wrote that he thought the party should have Busch at the top of the ballot.[9]

In the end, a closed vote within the party decided the top name on the ballot, and Busch beat von Essen by a margin of two votes.[10][11] At the election, Busch received 1,679 votes, against only 220 for von Essen.[12] Busch served as vice chairman of the Christian Democrat youth organisation until 5 June 2011.

Busch made several comments to the media during 2010 criticizing the then party chairman Göran Hägglund, and what she perceived as his weak leadership following the 2006 General Election. Ahead of the January 2012 leadership election within the party, she supported Hägglund's opponent Mats Odell.[13] She was also herself a candidate for the post of deputy party chairman at the same election, but lost to Maria Larsson.[13] Alf Svensson, former party leader, has described his disappointment with Busch's worldview.[14]

Party leader (2016–present)

In 2015, Busch was announced as the suggested successor of Göran Hägglund as party leader of the Christian Democratic party, and was formally elected on 25 April.[15] Her time as leader was long characterized by an uncertainty on how to profile the party, and consistent low numbers in opinion polls. Her early attempts to gain votes by adopting tougher positions on immigration and law and order were thwarted when the Moderate Party usurped that space. This was followed by a return to a focus on more traditional Christian Democratic issues, such as healthcare and family politics. At the same time, Busch continued to position the party in a more conservative direction on other issues like the opposition to Mosque prayer calls and gender science at preschools.[16][17][18] At the same time, she also came under attack from social conservatives inside her own party for participating in the Stockholm Pride Parade.[19]

The Christian Democrats received only 2.9% in a big opinion poll published in May 2018, and the party's fortunes looked bleak. But support quickly grew as the election campaign got under way with the first debate in mid-August. Busch's strong performance in this and other debates was credited in large part for the party's surge in the polls.[20][21] She ended up leading her party to its best electoral performance in 12 years, finishing well above the 4% threshold. In March 2019, Busch announced that her party was ready to start negotiations with the Sweden Democrats in the Riksdag, making her the first party leader to express a willingness to cooperate with the SD.[22]

Political views
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Migration

In 2016 Busch, in a TV-debate with the party leaders of the other seven parties, said that asylum seekers who commit sexual harassment must be rejected and must be deported with a hint that the government accepts the abuse.[23]

When interviewed by Dagens Nyheter in February of 2018, Busch claimed that immigration to Sweden has led to a crisis regarding values[24] and later on, ahead of the 2018 Swedish general election, said that heading towards multiculturalism is a mistake and argued against it.[25]

Busch reiterated her party’s new harsher stance on immigration in 2019 in a debate article with her party’s spokesperson on migration, Hans Eklind, where they wrote that they deem it necessary to decrease the amount of granted asylums in Sweden to the same level of neighboring countries, which would result in a much smaller immigration.[26]

Foreign policy

Busch is positive about free trade and supports EU cooperation, but believes that the principle of subsidiarity must be protected and is against increased supranationalism in social matters and giving the EU taxation rights.[27] She believes that Turkish membership in the EU should be rejected.[28]

Busch has criticized former Foreign Minister Margot Wallström's stance towards Israel and handling of the Israel-Palestine conflict, arguing that Wallström has been too one-sided and debated for Palestine rather than acting as a diplomat. She wishes to move the Swedish embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and was positive about the US decision to move its embassy there in 2017.[29][30]

Minister and Deputy Prime Minister (2022–present)

Since 18 October 2022, she is the Minister for Energy as well as Minister for Business and Industry in the Ulf Kristersson Cabinet.[31] She is also Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden for the same cabinet.[32]

On 27 October 2022, Busch and prime minister Ulf Kristersson announced a 55 billion (SEK) subsidy compensation in connection to the high increase of power bills, the subsidy will only be paid out in the energy price zones three and four in the southern parts of Sweden.[33]

Personal life

In 2013, Ebba Busch married IK Sirius football player Niklas Thor.[34] She has a son, Birger, born in May 2015[35] and a daughter, Elise, born in February 2017.[36]

On 5 December 2019, Busch announced on her Instagram account that she and her husband had filed for divorce.[37]

She is a Protestant and a member of the Church of Sweden.[38]

Defamation conviction

In March 2021, a criminal investigation was launched against Busch for defamation against the opposing counsel in a legal conflict relating to Busch's purchase of a house. Busch pointed out the opposing lawyer's own criminal conviction from 15 years prior. The lawyer sued Busch for defamation, as Swedish law allows even true claims about another person to count as defamation.[39]

Busch pleaded guilty to a charge of grave defamation in July 2021 and sentenced to probation and a SEK 60,000 fine.[40]

Honours

References
  1. "Ebba Busch Thor: "Jag vaknade och var ledsen varje morgon"". 7 July 2018. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  2. "Ebba-Elisabeth Busch". Upplysning.se. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  3. "Sweden's new Government". Government of Sweden. 18 October 2022. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  4. "Hurra for syttende mai!!". ebbabusch.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  5. Karl-Anders Lindahl (11 March 2015) 8 snabba fakta som ger dig allt du behöver veta om Ebba Busch Thor Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine (in Swedish) Nyheter24.se
  6. Jacob Zetterman (23 April 2015). "Ebba Busch Thor: Den kristna tron passar bra för partiledare" (in Swedish). Dagen. Archived from the original on 10 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  7. direktpress Ebba Busch Archived 8 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  8. Segersam (4 February 2010). "Segersams blogg". Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  9. "Ebba Busch for Mayor!". Charlie Weimers. 11 February 2010. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  10. Segersam (13 February 2010). "Segersams blogg". Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  11. "Busch i täten för kristdemokrater". 13 February 2010. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  12. Uppsala - Busc i täten för Kristdemokraterna Archived 3 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 11 February 2015
  13. Världen idag. "LIVE: Kristdemokraternas extra riksting har startat". Världen Idag. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  14. "KD-profiler kritiska till högervridning". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 18 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  15. Sveriges Radio (13 March 2015). "Ebba Busch Thor to lead the Christian Democrats". Sveriges Radio. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
  16. "Ebba Busch Thor tar ställning mot böneutrop". Smålandsposten (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  17. "Ebba Busch Thor kritisk till "genusflum"". Dagen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 12 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  18. "KD: Inför särskild hedersbrottslag". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  19. "Ebba Busch Thor kritiseras internt". Expressen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  20. "Analyser: Busch Thor vann – var ettrig och skicklig". Omni (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  21. "Tittarnas dom: Ebba Busch Thor vann debatten". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  22. Hamidi-Nia, Gilda (21 March 2019). "KD-ledaren öppnar för SD-samarbete" (in Swedish). Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  23. Nyheter, S. V. T.; Näslund, Leif (29 May 2016). "Busch Thor: "Utvisa de som trakasserar"". SVT Nyheter. Retrieved 11 March 2023 – via www.svt.se.
  24. ""Värderingskrisen har blivit mer påtaglig på grund av den stora invandringen"". Dagens Nyheter. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2023 – via www.dn.se.
  25. Nyheter, S. V. T.; Chatterjee, Phelan (27 August 2018). "KD-ledaren: "Mångkulturalism inte rätt väg"". SVT Nyheter. Retrieved 11 March 2023 – via www.svt.se.
  26. ""Strama åt migrationen till våra grannländers nivå" | SvD Debatt". Svenska Dagbladet. 16 June 2019. Retrieved 11 March 2023 – via www.svd.se.
  27. TT (3 May 2019). "KD: Gör EU lagom igen". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  28. "KD vill stoppa EU:s medlemsförhandlingar med Turkiet". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 3 May 2019. ISSN 1101-2447. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  29. "Ebba Busch Thor för ambassadflytt till Jerusalem | Keren Kajemet Sverige". www.kkl.nu. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  30. ""Att hålla hand med Trump räddar inte KD" | SvD Debatt". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 7 December 2017. ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  31. Sweden, Radio (18 October 2022). "Ulf Kristersson names ministers in his three-party government". Sveriges Radio. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  32. "KEY POINTS: Everything you need to know about Sweden's new government". The Local. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  33. "Sweden's new government announces 55bn kronor power price subsidy". The Local. 27 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  34. "Nu har vi fått tillbaka en av stans bästa spelare". 8 October 2013. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  35. Nyheter, S. V. T.; Burström, Hasse (10 May 2015). "KD-ledaren Ebba Busch Thor har blivit mamma". svt Nyheter. Archived from the original on 13 May 2015. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  36. "Ebba Busch Thor har blivit mamma". Expressen. 8 February 2017. Archived from the original on 8 February 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  37. Nyheter, S. V. T. (5 December 2019). "Ebba Busch Thor och Niklas Busch Thor skiljer sig". SVT Nyheter. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2019 – via www.svt.se.
  38. Zetterman, Av Jacob (23 April 2015). "Busch Thor: Kristen tro passar bra för partiledare". Dagen (in Swedish).
  39. "KD-ledaren erkänner grovt förtal – men anser sig vara oskyldig". DN.SE (in Swedish). 2 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  40. "Förtalade mannens advokat: Kommer söka skadestånd". DN.SE (in Swedish). 2 July 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  41. "Bäst klädda gästerna på kungens jubileumsmiddag".
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