Swedish minister quits after drink-driving

Sweden's minister for secondary and adult education, Aida Hadzialic, 29, came out publicly confirming that she had been stopped by police in the southern city of Malmo with a moderately high blood alcohol level.

Tests apparently showed that Hadzialic had an alcohol level of 0.2 grams per liter of blood, which is considered above the legal limit in Sweden but is low compared to most other countries.

"That was the biggest mistake of my life. I will take responsibility. I announce my intention to resign from my ministerial post," Hadzialic told a press conference in Stockholm.

"I understand that a lot of people are disappointed in me. And I am angry with myself, and certainly I deeply regret it," added the young politician.

Crash of a rising star

Hadzialic was born in Bosnia and immigrated with her parents to Sweden in 1992 at the age of five, fleeing the war in the Balkans. She became involved in the Social Democrats' youth movement while still in high school and was later elected a municipal councilor at the age of 23.

In 2014, aged 27, she became the youngest-ever government minister in Sweden's history and was seen as the future of the Social Democratic party.

Hadzialic is not the only politician to drop out since Sweden's political left returned to power in 2014. Deputy premier and environment minister Asa Romson from the Green party resigned earlier in the year after a series of public gaffes, including her description of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US as "the accidents of September 11."

Housing minister Mehmet Kaplan had to step down in April after comparing Israelis to the Nazis. Mona Sahlin, the Swedish national coordinator for protecting democracy against violent extremism, was forced to resign in May after media revealed that she had made false income declarations for her bodyguard in order to help him obtain bank loans.

ss/jm (AFP, Reuters)