Johan Forssell (politician, born 1979)

Johan Forssell
Forssell in 2018
Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 September 2024
Prime Minister	Ulf Kristersson
Preceded by	Maria Malmer Stenergard
Minister for Foreign Trade and International Development Cooperation
In office 18 October 2022 – 10 September 2024
Prime Minister	Ulf Kristersson
Preceded by	Anna Hallberg (Foreign Trade) Matilda Ernkrans (International Development Cooperation)
Succeeded by	Benjamin Dousa
Member of the Riksdag
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 October 2010
Constituency	Stockholm Municipality
Personal details
Born	(1979-12-08) 8 December 1979 Stockholm, Sweden
Political party	Moderate Party
Spouse	Kristine Forssell
Children	4
Alma mater	Stockholm School of Economics London School of Economics Otago School of Business
Website	http://johanforssell.com

Carl Johan Henrik Forssell (born 8 December 1979) is a Swedish politician of the Moderate Party. He has served as Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy in the cabinet of Ulf Kristersson since 10 September 2024, having served as Minister for Foreign Trade and International Development Cooperation prior to that. and has been Member of the Riksdag since the 2010 general election, representing Stockholm Municipality. He was chairman of the Moderate Youth League, the youth wing of the Moderate Party, from 2004 to 2006.

Personal life and education

Johan Forssell was born in Stockholm but he grew up in Örebro. He has a Master of Business and Economics degree from the Stockholm School of Economics. He did his military service with the Arctic Rangers at K 4 in Arvidsjaur.

Political career

Forssell joined the Moderate Youth League (Swedish: Moderata ungdomsförbundet) in 1992. He served as chairman of the Moderate School Youth from 1998 to 1999 and was elected as member of the board of the Moderate Youth League in 2000. He was elected as new chairman of the Moderate Youth League on 20 November 2004, following the resignation of Christofer Fjellner. He served on this post until 25 November 2006, when he was succeeded by Niklas Wykman.

In the general election held on 17 September 2006, Forssell was elected a member of the Riksdag. As the new cabinet was announced on 6 October, Forssell was appointed as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. He left his place in the Riksdag following his new appointment.

In September 2007, Forssell resigned from the position of Chief of Staff and become the Moderate Partys planning manager for the 2010 general election. Following the 2010 election, he returned to the Swedish Parliament where he serves as member of the Defence Committee.

In October 2022 he was appointed as Minister for Foreign Trade and International Development Cooperation in the cabinet of Ulf Kristersson. Forssell stated the government would scrap the goal that at least 1% of GDP would be used in foreign aid, the goal being to prioritize the quality of the aid sent and spend more money internally in Sweden.

In September 2024 Ulf Kristersson reshuffled his cabinet and Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard was made the new Minister for Foreign Affairs. Forssell was appointed to replace her as Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy. He stated that he intended to keep with Stenergard's policies and maintain Sweden's lowest immigration numbers of the 21st century, as achieved under his predecessor.

Other activities

• World Bank, Ex-Officio Alternate Member of the Board of Governors (since 2022)

Trivia

• Forssell was voted the "sexiest man in Sweden" in 2005, by the LGBT-magazine QX.[1]

Honours

• Estonia: Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class (2 May 2023)