Isabella Lövin (born 3 February 1963) is a Swedish politician for the Green Party. She served as Minister for International Development Cooperation from 2014 to 2019, as Minister for the Environment from 2019 to 2021 and as honorary Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden from 2016 to 2021. She led the Green Party as co-spokesperson from 2016 to 2021, sharing the task with Gustav Fridolin (2014-2019) and Per Bolund (2019-2021).

Isabella Lövin
Official portrait, 2024
Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden
(honorary title)
In office
25 May 2016 – 5 February 2021
Serving with
Margot Wallström (2016–2019)
Morgan Johansson (2019–2021)
MonarchCarl XVI Gustaf
Prime MinisterStefan Löfven
Preceded byÅsa Romson
Succeeded byPer Bolund
Minister for the Environment
In office
21 January 2019 – 5 February 2021
MonarchCarl XVI Gustaf
Prime MinisterStefan Löfven
Preceded byKarolina Skog
Succeeded byPer Bolund
Minister for International Development Cooperation
In office
17 December 2020 – 5 February 2021
MonarchCarl XVI Gustaf
Prime MinisterStefan Löfven
Preceded byPeter Eriksson
Succeeded byPer Olsson Fridh
In office
3 October 2014 – 21 January 2019
MonarchCarl XVI Gustaf
Prime MinisterStefan Löfven
Preceded byHillevi Engström
Succeeded byPeter Eriksson
Spokesperson of the Green Party
In office
13 May 2016 – 31 January 2021
Serving with
Gustav Fridolin (2016–2019)
Per Bolund (2019–2021)
Preceded byÅsa Romson
Succeeded byMärta Stenevi
Member of the European Parliament
Assumed office
16 July 2024
ConstituencySweden
In office
1 July 2009 – 3 October 2014
ConstituencySweden
Personal details
Born (1963-02-03) 3 February 1963 (age 61)
Helsingborg, Sweden
Political partyGreen Party
Parent

An author and journalist by profession, Lövin served as a Member of European Parliament (MEP) from the 2009 election until becoming cabinet minister in October 2014. Her area in the European Parliament was fisheries questions.[1] Lövin has been awarded with Stora Journalistpriset for her work in the field of journalism, particularly her articles about fishery.[2]

On 26 August 2020, Lövin announced her resignation from politics altogether.[3] She will remain in office until a new spokesperson is appointed in 2021.[4]

Early life and education

edit

Lövin is the daughter of artist Björn Lövin. She studied film studies, political science, sociology and Italian at Stockholm University. She also studied at the University College of Film, Radio, Television and Theatre.

Career

edit

Lövin has been reporter and freelance writer for Damernas Värld, Veckorevyn, Elle and Vi Föräldrar, and written chronicles about the environment in Expressen's Sunday supplement "Green Sunday". From 1994 to 1997, Lövin worked as a reporter and producer at Sveriges Radio P1's community editorial board for programs such as Slussen and Tendens. Subsequently, she worked as editorial secretary and editor of Månadsjournalen until 2002 when she, after having been an editor at food magazine Allt om Mat, worked as editor of magazine Leva! in 2003. In 2004, Lövin was re freelance writer and in 2005 she wrote columns for Allt om Mat and concurrently served as a freelance web editor for Femina.

Her 2007 book on fishing policy was published into English in 2012 under the title Silent seas: the fish race to the bottom.[5]

Political career

edit
 
In 2017, the Swedish climate law is signed by Isabella Lövin, surrounded by her political staffers

Member of the European Parliament, 2009–2014

edit

Lövin was elected to the European Parliament in the 2009 European Parliament election, as a member of the Green Party. She was re-elected in the 2014 European Parliament election and was appointed as vice chair of the Committee on Fisheries.[6] She served as special rapporteur of the external dimension of the Common Fisheries Policy and the role of the EU in fighting illegal fisheries globally.[7]

In September 2010 Lövin voted in favour of the Draft report on enhancing the enforcement of intellectual property rights in the internal market.[8] The critics, among them the Pirate Party and the Young Greens, found this motion contradictory to the Green Party's stance on CopyRight.[9] Lövin stated that the vote was aligned with party politics and that her vote had been in favour of protecting the rights of small artists to get paid for their work.[10]

In 2013, Lövin was one of four Members of the European Parliament who were turned back by Moroccan authorities en route to the disputed territory of Western Sahara; the cross-party group of MEPs had been on a fact-finding mission on human rights in the region.[11]

Minister for International Development Cooperation, 2014–2019

edit

Lövin was appointed Minister for International Development Cooperation on 3 October 2014 by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

Green Party spokesperson, 2016–2021

edit

On 9 May 2016, Lövin was nominated by her party's national election committee to succeed Åsa Romson as one of two spokespersons of the Green Party.

Lövin gained international recognition in February 2017 from her post on social media showing her surrounded by seven female colleagues while signing a climate goal referral.[12] This was perceived by many in the public as a criticism of US president Donald Trumps signing of executive orders on abortion rights in the company of only male colleagues.[13] Lövin has commented that the photograph demonstrates that Sweden is a feminist government and that it is up to the observer to interpret its message.[14]

Minister for the Environment, 2019–2021

edit

Lövin was appointed Minister for the Environment on 21 January 2019 by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven.

Other activities

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Lövin: Fullständigt galet". Göteborgs-Posten. 7 May 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  2. ^ "Manifest och journalist MP:s vapen". Sveriges Radio. 10 May 2009. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2010.
  3. ^ "DEBATT: Isabella Lövin: Därför lämnar jag politiken". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 26 August 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-08-26. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  4. ^ "Miljöpartiets Isabella Lövin lämnar politiken". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). 2020-08-26. Archived from the original on 2020-08-26. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  5. ^ Lövin, Isabella (22 June 2012). Silent seas: the fish race to the bottom. Rothersthope, United Kingdom: Paragon Publishing. ISBN 978-1-908341-53-2. Originally published in Swedish in 2007 as Tyst hav – Jakten på den sista matfisken.
  6. ^ "European Parliament MEPs, Isabella LÖVIN". Archived from the original on 2017-06-05.
  7. ^ "Isabella Lövin | Open Government Partnership". www.opengovpartnership.org. Archived from the original on 2017-07-16. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  8. ^ "Miljöpartiet de gröna - Jag röstade för konstnärers rätt till levebröd". 2011-12-18. Archived from the original on 2011-12-18. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  9. ^ "Miljöpartiets parlamentariker sviker sina gräsrötter". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 2011-10-13. ISSN 1101-2412. Archived from the original on 2019-06-01. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  10. ^ Anders SelnesChefredaktörred@europaportalen. se (2011-10-14). "Grönt bråk om fildelning och upphovsrätt". Nyhetssajten Europaportalen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2019-06-01. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  11. ^ Andrew Gardner (March 6, 2013), Morocco bars four MEPs Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine European Voice.
  12. ^ Agencies (2017-02-04). "Is the Swedish deputy PM trolling Trump with this all-female photo?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  13. ^ "What you need to know about Sweden's party leaders ahead of the 2018 election". www.thelocal.se. 2017-09-11. Archived from the original on 2019-06-29. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  14. ^ Agencies (2017-02-04). "Is the Swedish deputy PM trolling Trump with this all-female photo?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  15. ^ Board of Governors Archived 2018-08-21 at the Wayback Machine Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), World Bank Group.
  16. ^ Board of Governors Archived 2019-03-04 at the Wayback Machine World Bank.
edit
Party political offices
Preceded by Spokesperson of the Green Party
Serving with:
Gustav Fridolin (2016–2019)
Per Bolund (2019– )

2016–2021
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by
Member of the European Parliament from Sweden
2009–2014
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for International Development Cooperation
2014–2019
Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for the Climate
2016–2021
Succeeded by
Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden
(honorary title)
Serving with:
Margot Wallström (2016–2019)
Morgan Johansson (2019–2021

2016–2021
Preceded by Minister for the Environment
2019–2021
Preceded by Minister for International Development Cooperation
(acting)

2020–2021
Succeeded by