Swedish minister attends EU meeting with 3-month-old son — a first in EU history

A Swedish minister has drawn widespread attention after attending an EU ministerial meeting with her 3-month-old son — the first time a baby has appeared at such a gathering in the bloc's history.

Romina Pourmokhtari, 30, Sweden's minister for climate and the environment, brought her son Adam to an EU environment ministers' meeting in Luxembourg on Wednesday (local time), drawing surprised reactions from her counterparts, Reuters reported.

Pourmokhtari arrived at the meeting wearing a baby carrier with Adam strapped to her chest. Fellow EU ministers welcomed the unexpected guest, presenting her with gifts for the baby.

Reuters cited an EU Council official as confirming it was the first time a baby had attended an EU ministerial meeting.

Having recently returned from parental leave, Pourmokhtari said she wanted to set an example showing that women should not have to choose between work and family. "Of course you need a very modern partner who is ready to do this together — not someone prehistoric like a dinosaur," she told Reuters.

Her husband accompanied her on the trip. He is on parental leave to care for their son and will remain so until Sweden's general election in September.

The EU has broadly pursued family-friendly policies, and the European Parliament recently amended its internal rules to allow lawmakers who have given birth to cast proxy votes, easing the burden on female members.

Sweden's parental leave system is also considered world-class, though it is funded through high taxes — an issue that has emerged as a point of contention in the upcoming general election.

Pourmokhtari said that thanks to policies such as 16 months of paid parental leave and strong institutional support, having her husband care for their child while she works had become "much less controversial."

Pourmokhtari took office in 2022 at the age of 26, becoming the youngest minister in Swedish history at the time. Her father is an immigrant who sought political asylum in Sweden from Iran.