The Minister for Foreign Affairs () 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 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 (, commonly known as utrikesstatsminister), similar to the office of Prime Minister for Justice (). 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
Prime Ministers for Foreign Affairs (1809–1876) 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) Parties
Status
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 Independent De Geer Sr. (II) 2 Carl Hochschild(1831–1898) 27 April 1880 25 September 1885 Independent Posse Thyselius 3 Albert Ehrensvärd the Elder(1821–1901) 25 September 1885 12 June 1889 Independent Themptander Gillis Bildt 4 Gustaf Åkerhielm(1833–1900) 12 June 1889 12 October 1889 Protectionist Party 5 Carl Lewenhaupt(1835–1906) 12 October 1889 1 June 1895 Independent Åkerhielm Boström (I) 6 Ludvig Douglas(1849–1916) 1 June 1895 13 October 1899 Independent 7 Alfred Lagerheim(1843–1924) 20 December 1899 7 December 1904 Lantmanna Party von Otter Boström (II) 8 August Gyldenstolpe(1849–1928) 22 December 1904 2 August 1905 Independent Ramstedt 9 Fredrik Wachtmeister(1855–1919) 2 August 1905 7 November 1905 Protectionist Party Lundeberg 10 Eric Trolle(1863–1934) 7 November 1905 17 March 1909 Independent Staaff (I) Lindman (I) 11 Arvid Taube(1853–1916) 30 April 1909 7 October 1911 General Electoral League 12 Albert Ehrensvärd the Younger(1867–1940) 7 October 1911 17 February 1914 Liberal Coalition Party Staaff (I) 13 Knut Wallenberg(1853–1938) 17 February 1914 30 March 1917 National Party Hammarskjöld 14 Arvid Lindman(1862–1936) 30 March 1917 19 October 1917 General Electoral League Swartz 15 Johannes Hellner(1866–1947) 19 October 1917 10 March 1920 Liberal Coalition Party Edén 16 Erik Palmstierna(1877–1959) 10 March 1920 27 October 1920 Social Democrats Branting (I) 17 Herman Wrangel(1857–1934) 27 October 1920 13 October 1921 Independent De Geer Jr. von Sydow 18 Hjalmar Branting(1860–1925) 13 October 1921 19 April 1923 Social Democrats Branting (II) 19 Carl Hederstierna(1861–1928) 19 April 1923 11 November 1923 General Electoral League Trygger 20 Erik Marks von Würtemberg(1861–1937) 11 November 1923 18 October 1924 General Electoral League 21 Östen Undén(1886–1974) 18 October 1924 7 June 1926 Social Democrats Branting (III) Sandler 22 Eliel Löfgren(1872–1940) 7 June 1926 2 October 1928 Liberal Party Ekman (I) 23 Ernst Trygger(1857–1943) 2 October 1928 7 June 1930 National Party Lindman (II) 24 Fredrik Ramel(1872–1947) 7 June 1930 24 September 1932 Independent Ekman (II) Hamrin 25 Rickard Sandler(1884–1964) 24 September 1932 19 June 1936 Social Democrats Hansson (I) 26 Karl Gustaf Westman(1876–1944) 19 June 1936 28 September 1936 Farmer's League Pehrsson-Bramstorp 27 Rickard Sandler(1884–1964) 28 September 1936 13 December 1939 Social Democrats Hansson (II) 28 Christian Günther(1886–1966) 13 December 1939 31 July 1945 Independent Hansson (III) 29 Östen Undén(1886–1974) 31 July 1945 19 September 1962 Social Democrats Hansson (IV) Erlander (I) Erlander (II) Erlander (III) 30 Torsten Nilsson(1905–1997) 19 September 1962 30 June 1971 Social Democrats Erlander (III) Palme (I) 31 Krister Wickman(1924–1993) 30 June 1971 3 November 1973 Social Democrats 32 Sven Andersson(1910–1987) 3 November 1973 8 October 1976 Social Democrats 33 Karin Söder(1928–2015) 8 October 1976 18 October 1978 Centre Party Fälldin (I) 34 Hans Blix(born 1928) 18 October 1978 12 October 1979 People's Party Ullsten 35 Ola Ullsten(1931–2018) 12 October 1979 8 October 1982 People's Party Fälldin (II) Fälldin (III) 36 Lennart Bodström(1928–2015) 8 October 1982 17 October 1985 Social Democrats Palme (II) 37 Sten Andersson(1923–2006) 17 October 1985 4 October 1991 Social Democrats Palme (II) Carlsson (I) Carlsson (II) 38 Margaretha af Ugglas(1939–2026) 4 October 1991 7 October 1994 Moderate Party Carl Bildt 39 Lena Hjelm-Wallén(born 1943) 7 October 1994 7 October 1998 Social Democrats Carlsson (III) Persson 40 Anna Lindh(1957–2003) 7 October 1998 11 September 2003 Social Democrats – Jan O. Karlsson(1939–2016) 11 September 2003 10 October 2003 Social Democrats 41 Laila Freivalds(born 1942) 10 October 2003 21 March 2006 Social Democrats – Bo Ringholm(born 1942) 21 March 2006 27 March 2006 Social Democrats – Carin Jämtin(born 1964) 27 March 2006 24 April 2006 Social Democrats 42 Jan Eliasson(born 1940) 24 April 2006 6 October 2006 Social Democrats 43 Carl Bildt(born 1949) 6 October 2006 3 October 2014 Moderate Party Reinfeldt 44 Margot Wallström(born 1954) 3 October 2014 10 September 2019 Social Democrats Löfven (I) Löfven (II) 45 Ann Linde(born 1961) 10 September 2019 18 October 2022 Social Democrats Löfven (II) · (III)Andersson 46 Tobias Billström(born 1973) 18 October 2022 10 September 2024 Moderate Party Kristersson 47 Maria Malmer Stenergard(born 1981) 10 September 2024 Incumbent
Timeline
Statistics #Minister for Foreign AffairsDate of birthAge at ascension(first term)Time in office(total)Age at retirement(last term)Date of deathLongevity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Living 33 34 35 36 Living 37 Living 38 39 Living 40 Living 41 Living 42 Living 43 Living 44 Living 45 Incumbent Living
See also State Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)
References
External links https://web.archive.org/web/20120506050731/http://www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/2059