Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)

Leader of the Sweden Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden

Statsråd och chef för utrikesdepartementet

Lesser coat of arms of Sweden

Incumbent
Maria Malmer Stenergard

since 10 September 2024

Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Style| Excellency
was used up to the 1970s in Sweden; but is still used in diplomatic writing[1]
Member of| Government of Sweden
National Security Council
Seat| Arvfurstens palats, Stockholm, Sweden
Appointer| The Prime Minister
Term length| No fixed term
Serves as long as the Prime Minister sees fit
Formation| 6 June 1809 (as Prime Minister of Foreign Affairs)
20 March 1876 (as Minister for Foreign Affairs)
6 June 1974 (as Councilor of State and Head of the Foreign Department)
First holder| Oscar Björnstjerna
Deputy| State Secretary for Foreign Affairs
Website| www.sweden.gov.se

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Swedish: utrikesminister) is the foreign minister of Sweden and the head of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The current Minister for Foreign Affairs is Maria Malmer Stenergard of the Moderate Party.

## History

[edit]

The office was instituted in 1809 as a result of the constitutional Instrument of Government promulgated in the same year. Until 1876 the office was called Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs (Swedish: statsminister för utrikes ärendena, commonly known as utrikesstatsminister), similar to the office of Prime Minister for Justice (Swedish: justitiestatsminister). The Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs initially served as head of the Cabinet of Foreign Mail Exchange at the Royal Office. Following the ministry reform in 1840, the Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs became head of the newly instituted Ministry for Foreign Affairs. In 1876 the office proper of Prime Minister of Sweden was created and at the same time the Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs was nominally demoted to a mere Minister. The holder of the office did however continue to be styled as "Your excellency", until 1974 when the new Instrument of Government came into force. Before the parliamentary breakthrough in the early 20th century, that title had been granted exclusively to members of the most prominent noble families.

## Office holders

[edit]

### Prime Ministers for Foreign Affairs (1809–1876)

[edit]

Portrait | Name  | Took office  | Left office  | Political party

|
|
|
|

| Lars von Engeström | 9 June 1809  | 8 June 1824  | Independent
| Gustaf af Wetterstedt | 8 June 1824  | 15 May 1837  | Independent
| Adolf Mörner (acting)  | 15 May 1837  | 30 January 1838  | Independent
| Gustaf Algernon Stierneld | 30 January 1838  | 11 July 1842  | Independent
| Albrecht Elof Ihre (acting)  | 5 September 1840  | 29 December 1842  | Independent
| Albrecht Elof Ihre | 29 December 1842  | 10 April 1848  | Independent
| Gustaf Algernon Stierneld | 10 April 1848  | 8 September 1856  | Independent
| Elias Lagerheim | 8 September 1856  | 16 March 1858  | Independent
| Ludvig Manderström | 16 March 1858  | 4 June 1868  | Independent
| Carl Wachtmeister | 4 June 1868  | 14 October 1871  | Independent
| Baltzar von Platen | 10 November 1871  | 17 December 1872  | Independent
| Oscar Björnstjerna | 17 December 1872  | 20 March 1876  | Independent

### Ministers for Foreign Affairs (1876–present)

[edit]

Parties

No party

Lantmanna Party

Social Democrat

Conservative / Moderate Party

Liberal / People's Party

Centre Party

Status

Denotes acting Minister for Foreign Affairs

No.  | Portrait  | Minister
(Born–Died) | Tenure  | Political party  | Cabinet

|
|
|
|
|

Took office  | Left office  | Duration
1  |  | Oscar Björnstjerna
(1819–1905) | 20 March 1876  | 19 April 1880  | 4 years, 30 days  | Independent |  | De Geer Sr. (II)
2  |  | Carl Hochschild
(1831–1898) | 27 April 1880  | 25 September 1885  | 5 years, 151 days  | Independent |  | Posse
| Thyselius
3  |  | Albert Ehrensvärd the Elder
(1821–1901) | 25 September 1885  | 12 June 1889  | 3 years, 260 days  | Independent |  | Themptander
| Gillis Bildt
4  |  | Gustaf Åkerhielm
(1833–1900) | 12 June 1889  | 12 October 1889  | 122 days  | Protectionist Party
5  |  | Carl Lewenhaupt
(1835–1906) | 12 October 1889  | 1 June 1895  | 5 years, 232 days  | Independent |  | Åkerhielm
| Boström (I)
6  |  | Ludvig Douglas
(1849–1916) | 1 June 1895  | 13 October 1899  | 4 years, 134 days  | Independent
7  |  | Alfred Lagerheim
(1843–1924) | 20 December 1899  | 7 December 1904  | 4 years, 353 days  | Lantmanna Party |  | von Otter
| Boström (II)
8  |  | August Gyldenstolpe
(1849–1928) | 22 December 1904  | 2 August 1905  | 223 days  | Independent |  | Ramstedt
9  |  | Fredrik Wachtmeister
(1855–1919) | 2 August 1905  | 7 November 1905  | 97 days  | Protectionist Party |  | Lundeberg
10  |  | Eric Trolle
(1863–1934) | 7 November 1905  | 17 March 1909  | 3 years, 130 days  | Independent |  | Staaff (I)
| Lindman (I)
11  |  | Arvid Taube
(1853–1916) | 30 April 1909  | 7 October 1911  | 2 years, 160 days  | General Electoral League
12  |  | Albert Ehrensvärd the Younger
(1867–1940) | 7 October 1911  | 17 February 1914  | 2 years, 133 days  | Liberal Coalition Party |  | Staaff (I)
13  |  | Knut Wallenberg
(1853–1938) | 17 February 1914  | 30 March 1917  | 3 years, 41 days  | National Party |  | Hammarskjöld
14  |  | Arvid Lindman
(1862–1936) | 30 March 1917  | 19 October 1917  | 203 days  | General Electoral League |  | Swartz
15  |  | Johannes Hellner
(1866–1947) | 19 October 1917  | 10 March 1920  | 2 years, 143 days  | Liberal Coalition Party |  | Edén
16  |  | Erik Palmstierna
(1877–1959) | 10 March 1920  | 27 October 1920  | 231 days  | Social Democrats |  | Branting (I)
17  |  | Herman Wrangel
(1857–1934) | 27 October 1920  | 13 October 1921  | 351 days  | Independent |  | De Geer Jr.
| von Sydow
18  |  | Hjalmar Branting
(1860–1925) | 13 October 1921  | 19 April 1923  | 1 year, 188 days  | Social Democrats |  | Branting (II)
19  |  | Carl Hederstierna
(1861–1928) | 19 April 1923  | 11 November 1923  | 206 days  | General Electoral League |  | Trygger
20  |  | Erik Marks von Würtemberg
(1861–1937) | 11 November 1923  | 18 October 1924  | 342 days  | General Electoral League
21  |  | Östen Undén
(1886–1974) | 18 October 1924  | 7 June 1926  | 1 year, 232 days  | Social Democrats |  | Branting (III)
| Sandler
22  |  | Eliel Löfgren
(1872–1940) | 7 June 1926  | 2 October 1928  | 2 years, 117 days  | Liberal Party |  | Ekman (I)
23  |  | Ernst Trygger
(1857–1943) | 2 October 1928  | 7 June 1930  | 1 year, 248 days  | National Party |  | Lindman (II)
24  |  | Fredrik Ramel
(1872–1947) | 7 June 1930  | 24 September 1932  | 2 years, 109 days  | Independent |  | Ekman (II)
| Hamrin
25  |  | Rickard Sandler
(1884–1964) | 24 September 1932  | 19 June 1936  | 3 years, 269 days  | Social Democrats |  | Hansson (I)
26  |  | Karl Gustaf Westman
(1876–1944) | 19 June 1936  | 28 September 1936  | 101 days  | Farmer's League |  | Pehrsson-Bramstorp
27  |  | Rickard Sandler
(1884–1964) | 28 September 1936  | 13 December 1939  | 3 years, 76 days  | Social Democrats |  | Hansson (II)
28  |  | Christian Günther
(1886–1966) | 13 December 1939  | 31 July 1945  | 5 years, 230 days  | Independent |  | Hansson (III)
29  |  | Östen Undén
(1886–1974) | 31 July 1945  | 19 September 1962  | 17 years, 50 days  | Social Democrats |  | Hansson (IV)
| Erlander (I)
| Erlander (II)
| Erlander (III)
30  |  | Torsten Nilsson
(1905–1997) | 19 September 1962  | 30 June 1971  | 8 years, 284 days  | Social Democrats |  | Erlander (III)
| Palme (I)
31  |  | Krister Wickman
(1924–1993) | 30 June 1971  | 3 November 1973  | 2 years, 126 days  | Social Democrats
32  |  | Sven Andersson
(1910–1987) | 3 November 1973  | 8 October 1976  | 2 years, 340 days  | Social Democrats
33  |  | Karin Söder
(1928–2015) | 8 October 1976  | 18 October 1978  | 2 years, 10 days  | Centre Party |  | Fälldin (I)
34  |  | Hans Blix
(born 1928) | 18 October 1978  | 12 October 1979  | 359 days  | People's Party |  | Ullsten
35  |  | Ola Ullsten
(1931–2018) | 12 October 1979  | 8 October 1982  | 2 years, 361 days  | People's Party |  | Fälldin (II)
| Fälldin (III)
36  |  | Lennart Bodström
(1928–2015) | 8 October 1982  | 17 October 1985  | 3 years, 9 days  | Social Democrats |  | Palme (II)
37  |  | Sten Andersson
(1923–2006) | 17 October 1985  | 4 October 1991  | 5 years, 352 days  | Social Democrats |  | Palme (II)
| Carlsson (I)
| Carlsson (II)
38  |  | Margaretha af Ugglas
(born 1939) | 4 October 1991  | 7 October 1994  | 3 years, 3 days  | Moderate Party |  | Carl Bildt
39  |  | Lena Hjelm-Wallén
(born 1943) | 7 October 1994  | 7 October 1998  | 4 years, 0 days  | Social Democrats |  | Carlsson (III)
| Persson
40  |  | Anna Lindh
(1957–2003) | 7 October 1998  | 11 September 2003  | 4 years, 339 days  | Social Democrats
–  |  | Jan O. Karlsson
(1939–2016) | 11 September 2003  | 10 October 2003  | 29 days  | Social Democrats
41  |  | Laila Freivalds
(born 1942) | 10 October 2003  | 21 March 2006  | 2 years, 162 days  | Social Democrats
–  |  | Bo Ringholm
(born 1942) | 21 March 2006  | 27 March 2006  | 6 days  | Social Democrats
–  |  | Carin Jämtin
(born 1964) | 27 March 2006  | 24 April 2006  | 28 days  | Social Democrats
42  |  | Jan Eliasson
(born 1940) | 24 April 2006  | 6 October 2006  | 165 days  | Social Democrats
43  |  | Carl Bildt
(born 1949) | 6 October 2006  | 3 October 2014  | 7 years, 362 days  | Moderate Party |  | Reinfeldt
44  |  | Margot Wallström
(born 1954) | 3 October 2014  | 10 September 2019  | 4 years, 342 days  | Social Democrats |  | Löfven (I)
Löfven (II)
45  |  | Ann Linde
(born 1961) | 10 September 2019  | 18 October 2022  | 3 years, 38 days  | Social Democrats |  | Löfven (II) · (III)
Andersson
46  |  | Tobias Billström
(born 1973) | 18 October 2022  | 10 September 2024  | 1 year, 328 days  | Moderate Party |  | Kristersson
47  |  | Maria Malmer Stenergard
(born 1981) | 10 September 2024  | Incumbent  | 185 days

#### Timeline

[edit]

#### Statistics

[edit]

#  | Minister for Foreign Affairs  | Date of birth  | Age at ascension
(first term) | Time in office
(total) | Age at retirement
(last term) | Date of death  | Longevity

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1  | Oscar Björnstjerna | (1819-03-06)6 March 1819  | 57 years, 14 days | 4 years, 30 days | 61 years, 44 days | (1905-09-02)2 September 1905  | 86 years, 180 days
2  | Carl Hochschild | (1831-09-13)13 September 1831  | 48 years, 227 days | 5 years, 151 days | 54 years, 12 days | (1898-12-12)12 December 1898  | 67 years, 90 days
3  | Albert Ehrensvärd, Sr. | (1821-01-10)10 January 1821  | 64 years, 258 days | 3 years, 260 days | 68 years, 153 days | (1901-01-31)31 January 1901  | 80 years, 21 days
4  | Gustaf Åkerhielm | (1833-06-24)24 June 1833  | 55 years, 353 days | 0 years, 122 days | 56 years, 110 days | (1900-04-02)2 April 1900  | 66 years, 282 days
5  | Carl Lewenhaupt | (1835-03-19)19 March 1835  | 54 years, 207 days | 5 years, 232 days | 60 years, 74 days | (1906-12-10)10 December 1906  | 71 years, 266 days
6  | Ludvig Douglas | (1849-11-24)24 November 1849  | 45 years, 189 days | 4 years, 134 days | 49 years, 323 days | (1916-07-20)20 July 1916  | 66 years, 239 days
7  | Alfred Lagerheim | (1843-10-04)4 October 1843  | 56 years, 77 days | 4 years, 353 days | 61 years, 64 days | (1924-05-23)23 May 1924  | 80 years, 232 days
8  | August Gyldenstolpe | (1849-07-22)22 July 1849  | 55 years, 153 days | 0 years, 223 days | 56 years, 11 days | (1928-06-30)30 June 1928  | 78 years, 344 days
9  | Fredrik Wachtmeister | (1855-02-10)10 February 1855  | 50 years, 173 days | 0 years, 97 days | 50 years, 270 days | (1919-09-06)6 September 1919  | 64 years, 208 days
10  | Eric Trolle | (1863-09-23)23 September 1863  | 41 years, 349 days | 3 years, 130 days | 45 years, 114 days | (1934-04-21)21 April 1934  | 70 years, 149 days
11  | Arvid Taube | (1853-01-19)19 January 1853  | 56 years, 101 days | 2 years, 160 days | 58 years, 261 days | (1916-10-14)14 October 1916  | 63 years, 269 days
12  | Albert Ehrensvärd, Jr. | (1867-05-09)9 May 1867  | 44 years, 151 days | 2 years, 133 days | 46 years, 284 days | (1940-03-06)6 March 1940  | 72 years, 302 days
13  | Knut Wallenberg | (1853-05-19)19 May 1853  | 60 years, 274 days | 3 years, 41 days | 63 years, 315 days | (1938-06-01)1 June 1938  | 85 years, 13 days
14  | Arvid Lindman | (1862-09-19)19 September 1862  | 46 years, 55 days | 0 years, 203 days | 48 years, 198 days | (1936-12-09)9 December 1936  | 74 years, 81 days
15  | Johannes Hellner | (1866-04-22)22 April 1866  | 51 years, 180 days | 2 years, 143 days | 53 years, 323 days | (1947-02-19)19 February 1947  | 80 years, 303 days
16  | Erik Palmstierna | (1877-11-10)10 November 1877  | 42 years, 121 days | 0 years, 231 days | 42 years, 352 days | (1959-10-22)22 October 1959  | 81 years, 346 days
17  | Herman Wrangel | (1857-08-13)13 August 1857  | 63 years, 75 days | 0 years, 351 days | 64 years, 61 days | (1934-10-09)9 October 1934  | 77 years, 57 days
18  | Hjalmar Branting | (1860-11-23)23 November 1860  | 60 years, 324 days | 1 year, 188 days | 62 years, 147 days | (1925-02-24)24 February 1925  | 64 years, 93 days
19  | Carl Hederstierna | (1861-12-01)1 December 1861  | 61 years, 139 days | 0 years, 206 days | 61 years, 345 days | (1928-11-17)17 November 1928  | 66 years, 352 days
20  | Erik Marks von Würtemberg | (1861-05-11)11 May 1861  | 62 years, 184 days | 0 years, 342 days | 63 years, 160 days | (1937-07-22)22 July 1937  | 76 years, 72 days
21  | Östen Undén | (1886-08-25)25 August 1886  | 38 years, 54 days | 18 years, 282 days | 76 years, 25 days | (1974-01-14)14 January 1974  | 87 years, 142 days
22  | Eliel Löfgren | (1872-03-15)15 March 1872  | 54 years, 84 days | 2 years, 117 days | 56 years, 201 days | (1940-04-08)8 April 1940  | 68 years, 24 days
23  | Ernst Trygger | (1857-10-27)27 October 1857  | 70 years, 341 days | 1 years, 248 days | 72 years, 223 days | (1943-09-23)23 September 1943  | 85 years, 331 days
24  | Fredrik Ramel | (1872-12-09)9 December 1872  | 57 years, 180 days | 2 years, 109 days | 59 years, 290 days | (1947-10-30)30 October 1947  | 74 years, 325 days
25  | Rickard Sandler | (1884-01-29)29 January 1884  | 48 years, 239 days | 6 years, 345 days | 55 years, 318 days | (1964-11-12)12 November 1964  | 80 years, 288 days
26  | Karl Gustaf Westman | (1876-08-18)18 August 1876  | 59 years, 306 days | 0 years, 101 days | 60 years, 41 days | (1944-01-24)24 January 1944  | 67 years, 159 days
27  | Christian Günther | (1886-12-05)5 December 1886  | 53 years, 8 days | 5 years, 230 days | 58 years, 238 days | (1966-03-06)6 March 1966  | 79 years, 91 days
28  | Torsten Nilsson | (1905-04-01)1 April 1905  | 57 years, 171 days | 8 years, 284 days | 66 years, 90 days | (1997-12-14)14 December 1997  | 92 years, 257 days
29  | Krister Wickman | (1924-04-13)13 April 1924  | 47 years, 78 days | 2 years, 126 days | 49 years, 204 days | (1993-09-10)10 September 1993  | 69 years, 150 days
30  | Sven Andersson | (1910-04-05)5 April 1910  | 63 years, 212 days | 2 years, 340 days | 66 years, 186 days | (1987-09-21)21 September 1987  | 77 years, 169 days
31  | Karin Söder | (1928-11-30)30 November 1928  | 47 years, 313 days | 2 years, 10 days | 49 years, 322 days | (2015-12-19)19 December 2015  | 87 years, 19 days
32  | Hans Blix | (1928-06-28)28 June 1928  | 50 years, 112 days | 0 years, 359 days | 51 years, 106 days | Living  | 96 years, 259 days (Living)
33  | Ola Ullsten | (1931-06-23)23 June 1931  | 48 years, 111 days | 2 years, 361 days | 51 years, 107 days | (2018-05-28)28 May 2018  | 86 years, 339 days
34  | Lennart Bodström | (1928-04-20)20 April 1928  | 54 years, 171 days | 3 years, 9 days | 57 years, 180 days | (2015-04-30)30 April 2015  | 87 years, 10 days
35  | Sten Andersson | (1923-04-20)20 April 1923  | 62 years, 180 days | 5 years, 352 days | 68 years, 167 days | (2006-09-13)13 September 2006  | 83 years, 210 days
36  | Margaretha af Ugglas | (1939-01-05)5 January 1939  | 52 years, 272 days | 3 years, 3 days | 55 years, 275 days | Living  | 86 years, 68 days (Living)
37  | Lena Hjelm-Wallén | (1943-01-14)14 January 1943  | 51 years, 266 days | 4 years, 0 days | 55 years, 266 days | Living  | 82 years, 59 days (Living)
38  | Anna Lindh | (1957-06-19)19 June 1957  | 41 years, 110 days | 4 years, 339 days | 46 years, 84 days | (2003-09-11)11 September 2003  | 46 years, 84 days
39  | Laila Freivalds | (1942-06-22)22 June 1942  | 61 years, 110 days | 2 years, 162 days | 63 years, 272 days | Living  | 82 years, 265 days (Living)
40  | Jan Eliasson | (1940-09-17)17 September 1940  | 65 years, 219 days | 0 years, 165 days | 66 years, 19 days | Living  | 84 years, 178 days (Living)
41  | Carl Bildt | (1949-07-15)15 July 1949  | 57 years, 83 days | 7 years, 362 days | 65 years, 80 days | Living  | 75 years, 242 days (Living)
42  | Margot Wallström | (1954-09-28)28 September 1954  | 60 years, 5 days | 4 years, 342 days | 64 years, 347 days | Living  | 70 years, 167 days (Living)
43  | Ann Linde | (1961-12-04)4 December 1961  | 57 years, 280 days | 3 years, 38 days | 60 years, 318 days | Living  | 63 years, 100 days (Living)
44  | Tobias Billström | (1973-12-27)27 December 1973  | 48 years, 295 days | 1 years, 328 days | 50 years, 258 days | Living  | 51 years, 77 days (Living)
45 | Maria Malmer Stenergard | (1981-03-23)23 March 1981 | 43 years, 171 days | 185 days (Ongoing) | Incumbent | Living | 43 years, 356 days (Living)

## See also

[edit]

* State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Protocol and Liaison Service, United Nations. Retrieved 6 July 2013 Archived 1 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine

## External links

[edit]

* https://web.archive.org/web/20120506050731/http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/2059

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