A minister is rarely photographed alone. State secretaries, security guards, reporters, photographers and officials are constantly hovering around ministers and therefore have to become accustomed to seeing themselves on the TV and in newspapers from time to time. One of the people who has popped up quite frequently in news coverage this autumn is Johanna Martin, Press Secretary to Minister for Enterprise and Energy Maud Olofsson.

Maud Olofsson has many issues to deal with. As minister responsible for enterprise, energy and tourism, Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Centre Party, as well as Chair of the EU Energy and Competitiveness Councils, she has had a busy autumn to say the least. As have all of the people who work closely with her.

Accessibility important

Johanna’s job as Press Secretary involves managing relations between the Minister and the media. She responds to questions from journalists and books interviews, makes sure that the photographers get the pictures they need, and plans participation in news programmes and breakfast television. She has to scan the media every day to keep abreast of what journalists from various countries may be interested in, and press conferences have to be prepared.

“The Minister has a tough schedule, and the more she has to do, the more work there is for us,” says Johanna.

“Our aim is to be as accessible and service-minded as possible, but it is, of course, always a balancing act between meeting people’s expectations and what is feasible for the Minister.”

European issues

Johanna did not notice any major changes in her work when Sweden took over the Presidency from the Czech Republic earlier this year.

“A lot of political issues these days are so European by nature, and even before the Presidency we went to Council meetings in Brussels,” says Johanna, who also stresses that the expectations of, and pressure on the country holding the Presidency are much greater.

“But I must say that things have gone incredibly well this autumn. In our areas of responsibility we have achieved all the objectives we set and delivered results on several important issues. We have reached agreement on energy efficiency measures, we have established an energy council between the United States and the EU, and we have seriously moved the discussion on an eco-efficient economy further up the European agenda. On top of this, regulatory reform work has been stepped up and the issue of women’s entrepreneurship has been given a real boost with the Commission taking the initiative to create an ambassador network for women’s entrepreneurship,” says Johanna.

Part of the excitement

Even though the autumn has had its intense periods for Johanna, she still says that she enjoys her job, and that being a press secretary has almost become a kind of lifestyle.

“If you have a ‘normal’ job you don’t have to be available round the clock and it’s easier to plan your free time. In my job, I never know when I arrive in the morning whether I’ll be able to go home at five o’clock, whether I’ll have to stay until ten o‘clock in the evening, or whether I’ll have to go on a last-minute trip to deal with something unexpected that has come up. It can be difficult, but that’s also part of the excitement,” concludes Johanna.