Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds quit today after a row over the closure of a website with cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, embarrassing Prime Minister Goran Persson six months ahead of elections.
Social Democrat (SDP) leader Mr Persson, behind in polls that favour the conservative opposition in September's vote, had for months resisted calls to sack the unpopular minister over her response to the Asian tsunami, in which 500 Swedes died.
Laila Freivalds
But she was forced to resign when it was revealed this week that she had not given full information about her role in the closure of a site belonging to a far-right political party which published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad offensive to Muslims.
"Under the current circumstances I find it impossible to conduct my work and therefore choose to resign," Ms Freivalds said at a joint news conference with the prime minister.
"It was her own decision," said Mr Persson, who had previously criticised a junior foreign ministry official for putting pressure on a private internet hosting company to close the website belonging to an anti-immigrant Swedish political party.
Such pressure violates constitutional guarantees of free speech.
Ms Freivalds originally said she did not know her ministry had contacted the company, but documents published this week in the Swedish media proved that she had been informed.
It was Ms Freivalds' second dramatic exit from Mr Persson's cabinet. She had to resign as justice minister in 2000 following revelations of property dealings contrary to government policy.
The Social Democrats, who have governed Sweden for six of the last seven decades, have a minority government which relies on the support of the Greens and the Left party in parliament. Together they have about 47 per cent of support in opinion polls versus about 50 per cent for the centre-right opposition.