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yesterday

Swedish Minister Brings Three‑Month‑Old to EU Climate Meeting in Institutional First

She presented the visit as a live example of how Sweden’s parental‑leave system lets parents combine high‑level work with childcare.

Swedish environment minister Romina Pourmokhtari sits in a meeting room with her baby, at a meeting of EU climate ministers in Luxembourg, June 25, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Kate Abnett
Mothers are particularly affected by the challenge of juggling work and childcare
Sweden's climate minister Romina Pourmokhtari | Social media

Overview

  • Romina Pourmokhtari brought her three‑month‑old son Adam to an EU ministers’ climate meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday, June 25, 2026, to show parenting and ministerial duties can coexist.
  • An EU Council official said the meeting was the first known occasion a baby attended a gathering of EU ministers, and colleagues at the table reacted positively.
  • Pourmokhtari, 30, has just returned from parental leave and travelled with her husband who is also on leave and looked after Adam during the talks.
  • She used the moment to spotlight Sweden’s parental‑leave model, which offers about 16 months of paid leave with 90 days reserved for each parent that cannot be transferred.
  • The gesture links to recent EU moves to ease motherhood barriers, such as proxy voting for new mothers in the European Parliament, and could boost pressure to make political institutions more parent‑friendly.