# Minister for Defence (Sweden)

The Minister for Defence of Sweden (Swedish: försvarsminister; formal title: Swedish: statsråd och chef för försvarsdepartementet) is a member of the Government of Sweden (Swedish: Regeringen). The Minister heads the Ministry for Defence and is appointed and dismissed at the sole discretion of the prime minister of Sweden.
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, and one for Naval affairs, the Ministry for Naval Affairs.
The current Minister for Defence is Pål Jonson, 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 (1831–97)
* 1887 - 1888 Gustaf Oscar Peyron (1828–1915)
* 1888 - 1892 Hjalmar Palmstierna (1836–1909)
* 1892 - 1899 Axel Rappe (1838–1918)
* 1899 - 1903 Jesper Crusebjörn (1843–1904)
* 1903 - 1905 Otto Virgin (1852–1922)
* 1905 - 1907 Lars Tingsten (1857–1937), nonpolitical
* 1907 - 1907 Arvid Lindman (1862–1936), Rightist Party
* 1907 - 1911 Olof Malm (1851–1939), Rightist Party
* 1911 - 1914 David Bergström (1858–1946), Liberal
* 1914 - 1914 Hjalmar Hammarskjöld (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 (1885–1946), Social Democratic Party

### 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 (1823–1911)
* 1874 - 1880 Fredrik von Otter (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 (1842–1920)
* 1905 - 1905 Arvid Lindman (1862–1936)
* 1905 - 1906 Ludvig Sidner (1851–1917), Liberal
* 1906 - 1907 Wilhelm Dyrssen (1858–1929), Rightist Party
* 1907 - 1910 Carl-August Ehrensvärd (1858–1933), Rightist Party
* 1910 - 1911 Henning von Krusenstierna (1862–1933), Rightist Party
* 1911 - 1914 Jacob Larsson (1851–1940), Liberal
* 1914 - 1917 Dan Boström (1870–1925), nonpolitical
* 1917 - 1917 Hans Ericson (1868–1945), Rightist Party
* 1917 - 1920 Erik Palmstierna (1877–1959), Social Democratic Party
* 1920 - 1920 Bernhard Eriksson (1878–1952), Social Democratic Party

### Ministers for Defence (1920-)

Parties
Status
| No. | Portrait | Minister (Born–Died) | Tenure | Tenure | Tenure | Political party | Cabinet |
| No. | Portrait | Minister (Born–Died) | Took office | Left office | Duration | Political party | Cabinet |
| 1 | | Per Albin Hansson (1885–1946) | 1 July 1920 | 27 October 1920 | 118 days | Social Democrats | Branting I Cabinet S/SAP |
| 2 | | Carl Gustaf Hammarskjöld (1865–1940) | 27 October 1920 | 6 June 1921 | 222 days | Electoral League | De Geer Cabinet Von Sydow Cabinet |
| 3 | | Otto Lybeck (1871–1947) | 6 June 1921 | 13 October 1921 | 129 days | Independent | Von Sydow Cabinet |
| (1) | | Per Albin Hansson (1885–1946) | 13 October 1921 | 19 April 1923 | 1 year, 188 days | Social Democrats | Branting II Cabinet S/SAP |
| 4 | | Carl Malmroth (1874–1934) | 19 April 1923 | 18 October 1924 | 1 year, 182 days | Independent | Trygger Cabinet Electoral League |
| (1) | | Per Albin Hansson (1885–1946) | 18 October 1924 | 7 June 1926 | 1 year, 232 days | Social Democrats | Branting III Cabinet Sandler Cabinet S/SAP |
| 5 | | Gustav Rosén (1876–1942) | 7 June 1926 | 2 October 1928 | 2 years, 117 days | Liberals | Ekman I Cabinet L–L |
| 6 | | Harald Malmberg (1879–1948) | 2 October 1928 | 7 June 1930 | 1 year, 248 days | Electoral League | Lindman II Cabinet Electoral League |
| 7 | | Carl Gustaf Ekman (1872–1945) | 7 June 1930 | 19 June 1931 | 1 year, 12 days | Liberals | Ekman II Cabinet L |
| 8 | | Anton Rundqvist (1885–1973) | 19 June 1931 | 24 September 1932 | 1 year, 97 days | Independent | Hamrin Cabinet L |
| 9 | | Ivar Vennerström (1881–1945) | 4 September 1932 | 19 June 1936 | 3 years, 269 days | Social Democrats | Hansson I Cabinet S/SAP |
| 10 | | Janne Nilsson (1882–1938) | 19 June 1936 | 9 December 1938 | 2 years, 173 days | Centre | Pehrsson-Bramstorp Cabinet C Hansson II Cabinet S/SAP–C |
| 11 | | Per Edvin Sköld (1891–1972) | 16 December 1938 | 31 July 1945 | 6 years, 227 days | Social Democrats | Hansson II Cabinet S/SAP–C Hansson III Cabinet S/SAP–C–M–L |
| 12 | | Allan Vougt (1895–1953) | 31 July 1945 | 1 October 1951 | 6 years, 62 days | Social Democrats | Hansson IV Cabinet Erlander I Cabinet S/SAP |
| 13 | | Torsten Nilsson (1905–1997) | 1 October 1951 | 22 March 1957 | 5 years, 172 days | Social Democrats | Erlander II Cabinet S/SAP–C |
| 14 | | Sven Andersson (1910–1987) | 22 March 1957 | 31 October 1973 | 16 years, 223 days | Social Democrats | Erlander II Cabinet S/SAP–C Erlander III Cabinet S/SAP Palme I Cabinet S/SAP |
| 15 | | Eric Holmqvist (1917–2009) | 31 October 1973 | 8 October 1976 | 2 years, 343 days | Social Democrats | Palme I Cabinet S/SAP |
| 16 | | Eric Krönmark (1931–2024) | 8 October 1976 | 18 October 1978 | 2 years, 10 days | Moderate | Fälldin I Cabinet C–M–L |
| 17 | | Lars de Geer (1922–2002) | 18 October 1978 | 12 October 1979 | 359 days | Liberals | Ullsten Cabinet L |
| (16) | | Eric Krönmark (1931–2024) | 12 October 1979 | 5 May 1981 | 1 year, 205 days | Moderate | Fälldin II Cabinet C–M–L |
| – | | Anders Dahlgren (1925–1986) Acting | 5 May 1981 | 22 May 1981 | 17 days | Centre | Fälldin III Cabinet C–L |
| 18 | | Torsten Gustafsson (1920–1994) | 22 May 1981 | 8 October 1982 | 1 year, 139 days | Centre | Fälldin III Cabinet C–L |
| 19 | | Börje Andersson (1930–1994) | 8 October 1982 | 1 December 1982 | 54 days | Social Democrats | Palme II Cabinet S/SAP |
| – | | Curt Boström (1926–2014) Acting | 1 December 1982 | 17 January 1983 | 47 days | Social Democrats | Palme II Cabinet S/SAP |
| 20 | | Anders Thunborg (1934–2004) | 17 January 1983 | 14 October 1985 | 2 years, 270 days | Social Democrats | Palme II Cabinet S/SAP |
| 21 | | Roine Carlsson (1937–2020) | 14 October 1985 | 4 October 1991 | 5 years, 355 days | Social Democrats | Palme II Cabinet Carlsson I Cabinet Carlsson II Cabinet S/SAP |
| 22 | | Anders Björck (born 1944) | 4 October 1991 | 7 October 1994 | 3 years, 3 days | Moderate | Bildt Cabinet M–C–L–KD |
| 23 | | Thage G. Peterson (born 1933) | 7 October 1994 | 1 February 1997 | 2 years, 117 days | Social Democrats | Carlsson III Cabinet S/SAP Persson Cabinet S/SAP |
| 24 | | Björn von Sydow (born 1945) | 1 February 1997 | 30 September 2002 | 5 years, 241 days | Social Democrats | Persson Cabinet S/SAP |
| – | | Lena Hjelm-Wallén (born 1943) Acting | 30 September 2002 | 22 October 2002 | 22 days | Social Democrats | Persson Cabinet S/SAP |
| – | | Pär Nuder (born 1963) Acting | 22 October 2002 | 4 November 2002 | 13 days | Social Democrats | Persson Cabinet S/SAP |
| 25 | | Leni Björklund (born 1944) | 4 November 2002 | 6 October 2006 | 3 years, 336 days | Social Democrats | Persson Cabinet S/SAP |
| 26 | | Mikael Odenberg (born 1953) | 6 October 2006 | 5 September 2007 | 334 days | Moderate | Reinfeldt Cabinet M–C–L–KD |
| 27 | | Sten Tolgfors (born 1966) | 5 September 2007 | 29 March 2012 | 4 years, 206 days | Moderate | Reinfeldt Cabinet M–C–L–KD |
| – | | Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd (born 1963) Acting | 29 March 2012 | 18 April 2012 | 20 days | Moderate | Reinfeldt Cabinet M–C–L–KD |
| 28 | | Karin Enström (born 1966) | 18 April 2012 | 3 October 2014 | 2 years, 168 days | Moderate | Reinfeldt Cabinet M–C–L–KD |
| 29 | | Peter Hultqvist (born 1958) | 3 October 2014 | 18 October 2022 | 8 years, 15 days | Social Democrats | Löfven I Cabinet–II–III S/SAP–MP Andersson Cabinet S/SAP |
| 30 | | Pål Jonson (born 1972) | 18 October 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 12 days | Moderate | Kristersson Cabinet M–KD–L |