Swedish Minister for Defence

Minister for Defence of Sweden Statsråd och chef för försvarsdepartementet
Ministry coat of arms
Incumbent Peter Hultqvist since 3 October 2014
Ministry of Defence
Appointer	The Prime Minister
Term length	No fixed term, serves at the pleasure of the Prime Minister
Inaugural holder	Per Albin Hansson
Formation	1920
Deputy	State Secretary for Defence
Website	www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/2060

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 the army affairs, the Ministry of Land Defence, and one for the naval affairs, the Ministry for Naval Affairs.

The current Minister for Defence is Peter Hultqvist, who was appointed on 3 October 2014.

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