Former equality minister may return to Swedish parliament

Former Liberal Party minister Paulina Brandberg has not ruled out a return to Sweden’s Riksdag this summer, she told public broadcaster SVT on Monday.

Brandberg, who served as Sweden’s equality and working life minister until 2025, would replace outgoing Liberal Party MP Gulan Avci, who steps down on 15 June to focus on her new role as the party’s top candidate in Stockholm municipal politics. According to the Swedish Election Authority, Brandberg is first in line for the vacant seat.

“I haven’t decided what to do,” Brandberg told SVT, adding that she had not yet ruled out accepting the position for the remaining months until Sweden’s next general election. “I entered politics because I wanted to fight for a more liberal Sweden. So if you get such a question, it’s something you should think through carefully.”

Since leaving her ministerial post, Brandberg has continued government-commissioned work investigating a national support function for foster placements and strengthened state governance in child and youth welfare. She also works as a public speaker.

If Brandberg declines the seat, artist and PR strategist Dominika Peczynski would be next in line.