Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) was received by Queen Silvia at the highlight of his three-day trip to Sweden. The 80-year-old welcomed the guest from Bavaria to the royal palace in central Stockholm on Thursday for talks in a small circle.
A "great honor" was the appointment, Söder had already declared at the beginning of his trip. And indeed, a reception with the Queen is unusual for a regional prime minister or other top politician outside of a national government.
However, Queen Silvia does have close ties to Bavaria: the 80-year-old met her future husband, Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf, at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. The royal couple have already visited Bavaria together. Queen Silvia was last in Bavaria last year for the opening of a new house for the World Childhood Foundation, which she founded.
At the start of his trip, Söder was received by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Wednesday evening. On Thursday afternoon, he met the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Civil Defense. On Friday, Söder will conclude his trip with a visit to the space center in Kiruna in the far north of Sweden.
After a visit to Israel in December, this is Söder's second trip abroad lasting several days in this legislative period. The return trip to Munich is planned for Friday evening.
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