The Minister for Defence of
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
( sv, försvarsminister; formal title: sv, statsråd och chef för försvarsdepartementet) is a member of the
Government of Sweden
The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden ( sv, Konungariket Sveriges regering) is the national cabinet of Sweden, and the country's executive authority.
The Government consists of the Prime Ministerappointed and dismissed by the Speaker of the ...
( sv, Regeringen). 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 ( sv, statsminister ; literally translating to "Minister of State") is the head of government of Sweden. The prime minister and their cabinet (the government) exercise executive authority in the Kingdom of Sweden and are subj ...
.
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 ( sv, Lantförsvarsdepartementet) was in a broad sense, one of the eight ministries, in which the Swedish government administration was divided into. Its head was called Minister of War. The Ministry of Land Defence Departme ...
, and one for
Naval affairs, the
Ministry for Naval Affairs.
The current Minister for Defence is
PÃ¥l Jonson
PÃ¥l Henning Jonson (born 30 May 1972) is a Sweden, Swedish politician of the Moderate Party. He has served as Minister of Defence (Sweden), Minister for Defence in the Kristersson Cabinet, cabinet of Ulf Kristersson since 2022.
Biography
Jon ...
, who was appointed on 18 October 2022.
List of Swedish Ministers for Defence
Ministers for War (1840-1920)
*1840 - 1840
Bror Cederström (1780–1877)
*1840 - 1843
Axel Otto Mörner (1774–1852)
*1843 - 1844
Arfved Lovisin (1772–1847)
*1844 - 1848
Gustaf Peyron (1783–1852)
*1848 - 1853
Carl Ludvig von Hohenhausen (1787–1866)
*1853 - 1858
Nils Gyldenstolpe (1799–1864)
*1858 - 1862
Magnus Björnstjerna (1805–98)
*1862 - 1867
Alexander Reuterskiöld (1804–91)
*1867 - 1871
Gustaf Abelin (1819–1903)
*1871 - 1877
Oscar Weidenhielm (1816–84)
*1877 - 1880
Henrik Rosensvärd (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 (2October 1838 – 18December 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 ...
(1838–1918)
*1899 - 1903
Jesper Crusebjörn
Jesper Ingevald Crusebjörn (24 July 1843 – 24 June 1904) was a Swedish politician and officer of the Swedish Army, eventually attaining the rank of lieutenant general.
Life
He was the son of Frans Crusebjörn and Lovisa Fougt. He became a ...
(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 was also th ...
(1862–1936),
Rightist Party
*1907 - 1911
Olof Malm (1851–1939),
Rightist Party
*1911 - 1914
David Bergström (1858–1946),
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
*1914 - 1914
Hjalmar Hammarskjöld
Knut Hjalmar Leonard Hammarskjöld (; 4 February 1862 – 12 October 1953) was a Swedish politician, scholar, cabinet minister, Member of Parliament from 1923 to 1938 (first chamber), and Prime Minister of Sweden from 1914 to 1917.
In 1890, he m ...
(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
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
*1920 - 1920
Per Albin Hansson
Per Albin Hansson (28 October 1885 – 6 October 1946) was a Swedish politician, chairman of the Social Democrats from 1925 and two-time Prime Minister in four governments between 1932 and 1946, governing all that period save for a short-lived ...
(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
For ...
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, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jews ...
(1823–1911)
*1874 - 1880
Fredrik von Otter
Fredrik Wilhelm von Otter (11 April 1833 – 9 March 1910) was a Swedish ''friherre'', naval officer and politician, most notably serving as Prime Minister of Sweden from 1900 to 1902.
Life and work
Otter was born on the Fimmersta estate (TÃ ...
(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, Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld's Vega expedition, the first successful attempt to navi ...
(1842–1920)
*1905 - 1905
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 was also th ...
(1862–1936)
*1905 - 1906
Ludvig Sidner (1851–1917),
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
*1906 - 1907
Wilhelm Dyrssen
Admiral Wilhelm Dyrssen (26 March 1858 – 14 July 1929) was a senior Swedish Navy officer. He served as minister for naval affairs from 1906 to 1907, and the Inspector of the Navy's Exercises at Sea from 1907 to 1916, as well as commander of ...
(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's served as head of the Military Office of the Ministry for Naval Affairs (1906–1909), as Flag Captai ...
(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 Belleville Senators in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL) ...
(1851–1940),
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
*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 politician and diplomat. He served as Minister for Foreign Affairs
A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister ...
(1877–1959),
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
For ...
*1920 - 1920
Bernhard Eriksson
Bernhard Eriksson (19 April 1878 – 18 April 1952) was a Swedish social democratic politician. He was Minister for Naval Affairs in 1920 and Speaker of the Riksdags second chamber 1928–1932. He also served as Governor of Dalarna
Dalarna ...
(1878–1952),
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
For ...
Ministers for Defence (1920-)
Parties
Status
See also
*
Defence minister
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
*
Lord High Admiral of Sweden
The Lord High Admiral or Admiral of the Realm ( sv, Riksamiral) was a prominent and influential office in Sweden, from c. 1571 until 1676, excluding periods when the office was out of use. The office holder was a member of the Swedish Privy Counci ...
(historical antecedent)
*
Lord High Constable of Sweden The Lord High Constable ( sv, Riksmarsk or only ''Marsk'') was a prominent and influential office in Sweden, from the 13th century until 1676, excluding periods when the office was out of use. The office holder was a member of the Swedish Privy Cou ...
(historical antecedent)
External links
www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/2060
{{Government ministries of Sweden