The Minister for Defence of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

(; formal title: ) is a member of the

Government of Sweden The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden () is the Cabinet (government), national cabinet of Sweden, and the country's Executive (government), executive authority. The Government consists of the Prime Minister of Sweden, Prime Minister and their ...

(). The Minister heads the Ministry for Defence and is appointed and dismissed at the sole discretion of the

prime minister of Sweden The prime minister of Sweden (, "minister of state") is the head of government of the Sweden, Kingdom of Sweden. The prime minister and their cabinet (the government) exercise executive authority in the Kingdom of Sweden and are subject to th ...

. Although the Minister for Defence heads the Ministry of Defence, the Minister cannot as a general rule issue directives in his/her own right to the Supreme Commander or any other agency director-general in the defence portfolio due to the Swedish prohibition on ministerial rule, unless such authority is provided for in specific statutory provisions. Between 1840 and 1920, what corresponds to the Ministry for Defence today, was divided in two separate ministries with their own minister: one for Army affairs, the

Ministry of Land Defence Ministry of Land Defence () was in a broad sense, one of the eight ministries, in which the Government of Sweden, Swedish government administration was divided into. Its head was called Minister of War. The Ministry of Land Defence Department was es ...

, and one for Naval affairs, the Ministry for Naval Affairs. The current Minister for Defence is

Pål Jonson Pål Henning Jonson (born 30 May 1972) is a Swedish politician of the Moderate Party. He has served as Minister for Defence in the cabinet of Ulf Kristersson since 2022. Biography Jonson was born on 30 May 1972, in Älgå on the northwester ...

, who was appointed on 18 October 2022.

List of Swedish Ministers for Defence

Ministers for War (1840-1920)

*1840 - 1840

Bror Cederström Gustaf Albrecht Bror Cederström (21 September 1780 – 21 December 1877) was a Swedish baron and lieutenant general and Minister of War. Biography Cederström was born at Fornsigtuna, Sweden and was the only child of lieutenant general and later ...

(1780–1877) *1840 - 1843

Axel Otto Mörner Count Axel Otto Mörner (8 June 1774 – 20 October 1852) was a Swedish artist and general. Family Mörner was born in Lekaryd Parish in Jönköping County, Sweden and was the son of Lieutenant Colonel Count Carl Gustaf Mörner and Sofia Elisa ...

(1774–1852) *1843 - 1844 Arfved Lovisin (1772–1847) *1844 - 1848

Gustaf Peyron Gustav, Gustaf or Gustave may refer to: *Gustav (name), a male given name of Old Swedish origin Art, entertainment, and media * ''Primeval'' (film), a 2007 American horror film * ''Gustav'' (film series), a Hungarian series of animated short cart ...

(1783–1852) *1848 - 1853

Carl Ludvig von Hohenhausen Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", an episode of tel ...

(1787–1866) *1853 - 1858 Nils Gyldenstolpe (1799–1864) *1858 - 1862

Magnus Björnstjerna Count Magnus Fredrik Ferdinand Björnstjerna, (10 October 1779 – 6 October 1847), was a Swedish count and military general, son of the envoy to Sachsen Magnus Olof Björnstjerna and his wife, countess Vilhelmina von Hagen. He was the grandso ...

(1805–98) *1862 - 1867 Alexander Reuterskiöld (1804–91) *1867 - 1871 Gustaf Abelin (1819–1903) *1871 - 1877 Oscar Weidenhielm (1816–84) *1877 - 1880

Henrik Rosensvärd Henrik is a male given name of Germanic origin, primarily used in Scandinavia, Finland, Estonia, Hungary and Slovenia. In Poland, the name is spelt Henryk but pronounced similarly. Equivalents in other languages are Henry (English), Heiki (Estonia ...

(1816–90) *1880 - 1882 Otto Taube (1832–1906) *1882 - 1887

Axel Ryding Lieutenant General Knut ''Axel'' Ryding (28 August 1831 – 7 February 1897) was a Swedish Army officer. His senior commands include the post of Chief of the General Staff and commanding officer of the 3rd Military District and the 3rd Division. ...

(1831–97) *1887 - 1888 Gustaf Oscar Peyron (1828–1915) *1888 - 1892 Hjalmar Palmstierna (1836–1909) *1892 - 1899

Axel Rappe ''Friherre'' General Axel Emil Rappe (2 October 1838 – 18 December 1918) was a Swedish Army officer and Minister of War from 1892 and 1899. Early life Rappe was born on 2 October 1838 in Christinelund manor in Arby, Kalmar County, the son of ...

(1838–1918) *1899 - 1903 Jesper Crusebjörn (1843–1904) *1903 - 1905 Otto Virgin (1852–1922) *1905 - 1907

Lars Tingsten General Lars Herman Tingsten (13 July 1857 – 10 September 1937) was a Swedish Army officer. He was Minister for War from 1905 to 1907 and Chief of the General Staff from 1919 to 1922. Early life Tingsten was born on 13 July 1857 in Ingatorp ...

(1857–1937), nonpolitical *1907 - 1907

Arvid Lindman Salomon Arvid Achates Lindman (19 September 1862 – 9 December 1936) was a Swedish rear admiral, industrialist and conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of Sweden from 1906 to 1911 and again from 1928 to 1930. He has been des ...

(1862–1936), Rightist Party *1907 - 1911

Olof Malm Olov (or Olof) is a Swedish form of Olav/Olaf, meaning "ancestor's descendant". A common short form of the name is ''Olle''. The name may refer to: * Olle Åberg (1925–2013), Swedish middle-distance runner * Olle Åhlund (1920–1996), Swed ...

(1851–1939), Rightist Party *1911 - 1914

David Bergström David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Damas ...

(1858–1946), Liberal *1914 - 1914

Hjalmar Hammarskjöld Knut Hjalmar Leonard Hammarskjöld (; 4 February 1862 – 12 October 1953) was a Swedish politician and scholar who served as the Prime Minister of Sweden from 1914 to 1917. He was a member of the Riksdag from 1923 to 1938 in the first chamber ...

(1862–1953), nonpolitical *1914 - 1917 Emil Mörcke (1861–1951), nonpolitical *1917 - 1917 Joachim Åkerman (1868–1958), Rightist Party *1917 - 1920 Erik Nilson (1862–1925), Liberal *1920 - 1920

Per Albin Hansson Per Albin Hansson (28 October 1885 – 6 October 1946) was a Swedish politician, chairman of the Swedish Social Democratic Party, Social Democrats from 1925 and two-time Prime Minister of Sweden, Prime Minister in four Government of Sweden, gov ...

(1885–1946),

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Form ...

Ministers for Naval Affairs (1840-1920)

*1840 - 1844 Johan Lagerbjelke (1778–1856) *1844 - 1848 Carl August Gyllengranat (1787–1864) *1848 - 1849 Johan Fredrik Ehrenstam (1800–49) *1849 - 1852 Baltzar von Platen (1804–75) *1852 - 1857 Carl Ulner (1796–1859) *1857 - 1862 Carl Magnus Ehnemark (1803–74) *1862 - 1868 Baltzar von Platen (1804–75) *1868 - 1870 Magnus Thulstrup (1805–81) *1870 - 1874

Abraham Leijonhufvud Abraham (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father who began the covenantal relationship between the Jewish people and God; ...

(1823–1911) *1874 - 1880

Fredrik von Otter Fredrik Wilhelm von Otter (11 April 1833 – 9 March 1910) was a Swedish ''friherre'' (aristocrat), naval officer and politician who was Prime Minister of Sweden from 1900 to 1902. Life and work Otter was born on the Fimmersta estate (Töre ...

(1833–1910) *1880 - 1892 Carl-Gustaf von Otter (1827–1900) *1892 - 1898 Jarl Christersson (1833–1922) *1898 - 1901 Gerhard Dyrssen (1854–1938) *1901 - 1905

Louis Palander Adolf Arnold Louis Palander af Vega (2 October 1842 – 7 August 1920) was a Swedish naval officer, mostly remembered as the captain on Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld's Vega expedition, the first successful attempt to navigate the Northeast Passa ...

(1842–1920) *1905 - 1905

(1862–1936) *1905 - 1906 Ludvig Sidner (1851–1917), Liberal *1906 - 1907

Wilhelm Dyrssen Admiral (Sweden), Admiral Wilhelm Dyrssen (26 March 1858 – 14 July 1929) was a senior Swedish Navy officer. He served as Ministry for Naval Affairs (Sweden), minister for naval affairs from 1906 to 1907, and the Coastal Fleet, Inspector of the ...

(1858–1929), Rightist Party *1907 - 1910 Carl-August Ehrensvärd (1858–1933), Rightist Party *1910 - 1911

Henning von Krusenstierna Admiral Henning Wilhelm Mauritz von Krusenstierna (19 February 1862 – 30 October 1933) was a senior Swedish Navy officer. von Krusenstierna began his military career in the Swedish Navy in 1882 and participated in a world voyage aboard the fri ...

(1862–1933), Rightist Party *1911 - 1914

Jacob Larsson Jacob Larsson (born 29 April 1997) is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing with the SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers of the National League (NL). He was selected by the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League (NHL) 27th o ...

(1851–1940), Liberal *1914 - 1917 Dan Boström (1870–1925), nonpolitical *1917 - 1917 Hans Ericson (1868–1945), Rightist Party *1917 - 1920

Erik Palmstierna Erik Kule Palmstierna (10 November 1877 – 22 November 1959) was a Swedish Social Democratic Social democracy is a Social philosophy, social, Economic ideology, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, ...

(1877–1959),

*1920 - 1920 Bernhard Eriksson (1878–1952),

Ministers for Defence (1920-)

Parties Status

External links

www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/2060
{{Government ministries of Sweden

List of Swedish Ministers for Defence

Ministers for War (1840-1920)

Ministers for Naval Affairs (1840-1920)

Ministers for Defence (1920-)

See also

External links