By Peter Omopo
Stockholm, September 9, 2025 — Sweden’s newly appointed Health Minister, Elisabet Lann, collapsed on Tuesday during a press conference marking the start of the country’s new parliamentary year.
Lann, a municipal councillor from Gothenburg and a member of the Christian Democratic Congress, had only just been announced as health minister following the sudden resignation of her predecessor, Acko Ankarberg Johansson, on Monday.
The incident occurred while Lann stood alongside Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and other senior officials. Witnesses said she suddenly fainted, striking her head against the lectern before collapsing to the floor.
Party leader Ebba Busch and aides immediately rushed to her aid, while security personnel and medical staff attended to the minister before she was escorted out of the room.
Shortly after, Lann returned and reassured reporters about her condition.
“This was not exactly a normal Tuesday, and this is what can happen when you have a blood sugar drop,” she said.
Although it was unclear whether she required further medical treatment, officials confirmed she appeared uninjured. The press conference was cancelled.
Before the incident, Lann had addressed Sweden’s healthcare challenges, stressing the need to reduce long patient queues despite the system’s overall high quality.
“Swedish healthcare is of high quality; the main issue is the long waiting times. We must transition to equitable healthcare… It is not worthy of a welfare state that so many people are waiting for healthcare,” she noted.
The episode comes as the new health minister takes office at a critical time, with mounting pressure on the government to tackle waiting times and strengthen oversight of the country’s healthcare system.
