Anna from the Swedish Energy Agency

The true story about how Sweden’s gas coordinator lost her job due to climate engagement.

About democracy, freedom of speech and association, security clearances, gas, vulnerability, but also resilience.

In media res:

Translation: I have late this evening had a good conversation with the Director General of the Swedish Energy Agency to get information about the really sensational and serious disclosure made in the magazine Fokus and thereafter been mentioned by Peter Wennblad (in the the editorial column of one of Sweden’s largest daily magazines Svenska Daglandet).

During the discussion with the Director General it emerged that the authority had dealt with the situation in substance and will get to the bottom of how this situation could have arisen in the first place and ensure that it cannot happen again.

What exactly is it that is not supposed to happen again??

Intro

My real name is actually not Anna. But this is the story about my departure from the Swedish Energy Agency in the spring of 2024. It all started with an accusation that I was a “climate activist.” Shortly after, my probationary employment was immediately terminated, and soon after that, my security clearance was revoked. The story has drawn a lot of attention; it has resulted in over a hundred publications and has spread far beyond Sweden’s borders. Many opinions have been written down, but since only I can truly share my own testimony, I’ve decided to write it down here, to avoid misunderstandings and rumors.

Maybe I have done this blog a bit extra for my former colleagues at the Swedish Energy Agency; I understand that many of them must be wondering what on earth is really behind this story, and I’ve also learned that false information has been circulating. (I did not lie during the employment process!)

And maybe I’ve written this in particular for you, who care about standing up for what is right and defending democracy. But otherwise, I’ve written it for anyone who feels inclined to read it. The whole thing seems so absurd that it’s easy to assume there must be something else behind it, something secret and classified. But there is nothing else—at least as far as I know—beyond what I’m telling you here. Several people I’ve spoken with have described the story as completely terrifying. It’s certainly one of the strangest things I’ve experienced in my entire life.

But fundamentally, this isn’t about me. It’s about democracy, freedom of speech, and Sweden in 2024. Sharing what has happened to me here is my way of trying to show just how bizarre things can get when security clearances become politicized. I’ve also written this for everyone worldwide who faces opposition or obstacles because of their climate or democracy advocacy. I hope it can lead to something positive and, perhaps somewhere, a slightly more open society.

But then of course, it’s also about gas.

Welcome!