Sweden is facing a housing shortage crisis due to unpredictable house pricing issues; and now, the country's prime minister is linked to an ongoing housing scandal.
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven has currently been linked to a housing scandal after defending his foreign minister Margot Wallström as she faced criticism for accepting an apartment from the country's biggest Kommunal trade union while everyone's facing housing shortage.
Wallström was reported for accepting rents from the labor movement bosses while refusing these rented apartments to public housing queue. Löfven explained that he felt sorry for the issue to arise. However, she denied the issue of refusing these properties to the public housing.
The Swedish prime minister said his ministerial colleague was not guilty of any wrongdoing, but that he was sorry the issue had arisen in the first place.
"I think it would have been better if she had sorted accommodation in a different way. There's no formal error, as far as I know, but it would have been better," he said.
The foreign minister justified this scandalous issue to the media that she was deceived by the Kommunal trade union after renting a temporary apartment. She added that "she was not going to jump ahead of anyone on the waiting list."
Löfven said, "I think it would have been better is she had sorted accommodation in a different way. There's no formal error, as far as I know, but it would have been better."
Kommunal chairperson Annelie Nordström stated that the minister misunderstood. Her apartment was said to be reserved for short-term rentals. Thus saying that she did not bypass the queue.
After hearing the two different versions of the stories behind this apartment rental issue, the prime minister said that there is no other reason for him to believe other sources of information besides Wallström.
"I have been given information by Margot Wallström about how it happened and she has given it to the media as well. I have no reason to believe anything other than it is correct," he said.
The apartments are now under investigation by Aftonbladet which was later proved that the case is bigger than expected. Kommunal was forced to defend their selves after porn shows, booze parties and costly travels were exposed. Anders Bergström, the treasurer stepped down last Thursday after this.