The Swedish government today (31 July) nominated Cecilia Malmström for a second term as European commissioner.

Sweden becomes the second member state – after the Czech Republic – to nominate a woman for the next Commission (15 men have been nominated).

Click here for the list of nominees for the next Commission

Malmström commented on her nomination on Twitter, saying that she was “happy and honoured” to be put forward for a second term. Since 2010 she has been European commissioner for home affairs. In 2006-10, she was minister of European affairs in the centre-right government led by Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt. He said that “it is a pleasure to be able to nominate Cecilia”.

Nominating Malmström boosts Sweden’s chances of getting a more important portfolio in the Jean-Claude Juncker Commission. Juncker has been under increasing pressure to improve the gender balance of the Commission. The nine women in the Barroso II Commission last month wrote a letter to Juncker saying that the next college should have at least ten women, a goal that seems more and more unlikely. Malmström is the fourth member of the Barroso II Commission to be nominated for the next college. The other are Johannes Hahn (Austria), Neven Mimica (Croatia), and Maroš Šefčovič (Slovakia).

Malmström  is a member of the Liberal People’s Party, which is affiliated to the ALDE group in the European Parliament. From 1999 to 2006 she was an MEP and initiated a petition calling for the Parliament to have a single seat and abandon the trips to Strasbourg.

Sweden is to hold a general election on 14 September.

Click here for European Voice’s profile of Cecilia Malmström