Reinfeldt forced to flee dilapidated palace home

Burnt toast, faulty elevators and a host of other problems have forced Fredrik Reinfeldt and his family to evacuate the Swedish prime minister's official residence in Stockholm.

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The condition of the apartment in Sagerska Huset palace has reached such an all-time low that Reinfeldt and his family must vacate the building for six months.

The ventilation system is so poor that the fire brigade was called out recently when Fredrik Reinfeldt fixed himself a snack.

“It has, unfortunately, led to the fire department being called out when I made myself some toast," Reinfeldt said at a press conference on Friday.

He explained that the residence, which was built in 1884, is not adapted for a family with children.

According to Reinfeldt, the apartment is cold and some of the windows can’t be opened at all.

During rainstorms a few rooms have recently suffered flooding and during the winter the temperature in one of the children’s room fell below 15 degrees Celsius, causing the family to resort to bringing in portable heaters.

Reinfeldt, who likes taking care of the family laundry, has reportedly long desired a private laundry room to be installed in the apartment. Also the family feels that the kitchen could be a little larger.

However, a more serious hazard of the old building is the prime minister getting stuck between floors in the elevator on a number of occasions.

“That is a frightening experience in itself but it has also had as a consequence that we have been late for flights abroad,” Reinfeldt said.

The renovation of the prime minister’s Stockholm apartment is estimated to cost 15 million kronor ($2.49 million) and will take six months to complete.

In the mean time the family will occupy another apartment in central Stockholm at the cost of 60,000 kronor per month.