LETTER FROM MALMÖ

On January 22, 2023, Birgitta Ed began wearing a Roman collar. This was hardly surprising, as after seven years of study and a master's degree in theology, this former communications consultant had just been ordained as a priest by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden, in a ceremony held at Strängnäs Cathedral. However, this 56-year-old mother of three isn't just anyone: Since 1991, she has been married to Ulf Kristersson, the Swedish Conservative Party leader, who became prime minister in 2022.

In this context, Ed's persistence in constantly wearing a black shirt fastened with a clerical collar has not gone unnoticed. This is even more striking given that Swedes, not without a touch of pride, describe their country as one of the least religious in the world. Not forgetting the fact that 5.5 of its 10 million inhabitants continue to pay the clerical tax, making them official members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which has only been separate from the state since January 1, 2000.

Despite the controversy, Ed continues to wear her clerical attire, whether at a royal dinner hosted by King Carl XVI Gustaf in honor of a foreign head of state visiting Stockholm, or at the Nobel Prize ceremony. Sometimes, she adorns her Roman-collared shirt – which she wears under an evening gown for special occasions – with a huge silver cross. In an interview with the tabloid Expressen on December 25, 2023, she said she only takes it off to sleep or go swimming.

Some Swedes applaud, while others criticize the mix of symbols. Take, for instance, the photo posted on her husband's Instagram account in September: Dressed in a Roman collar under a black blouse with white patterns, Ed smiled at the lens, a glass of beer in hand, with three bottles and two cans in front of her, a religious card placed among them. In the caption, Kristersson announced that his government had decided to lower taxes on beer produced in Swedish microbreweries.

"Can someone explain to me why she's wearing her Roman collar when she's advertising privately sold alcohol?" wrote Anna Ardin, a deacon with close ties to the Social Democratic Party, on her X account, prompting dozens of comments. "What's problematic is the confusion of roles. Is she sitting there as a representative of the Church of Sweden or as part of government policy?" asked theologian Joel Halldorf in the Expressen newspaper. Eventually, Ed, who claimed that the photo had been posted without her knowledge, demanded that it be deleted.

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