Election of the Parliamentary Ombudsman
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerned the choice of a new Parliamentary Ombudsman after Per Lennerbrant resigned from his position 1. M proposed that the Riksdag elect Mattias Almqvist as the new Parliamentary Ombudsman starting from June 1, 2026 1. M emphasized that the Parliamentary Ombudsman's mandate is to review that authorities work in accordance with laws and regulations 1. The office is seen as a constitutional protection for the individual's fundamental civil and political rights 1. M pointed out that Mattias Almqvist has relevant experience from, among other places, the Court of Appeal and government inquiries 1. The Riksdag finally approved the proposal 1.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Mats Green (M)
Mr. Speaker and honorable members of Parliament! The Parliamentary Ombudsman's mandate is to review that authorities work in accordance with the laws and regulations that govern the work of respective authorities.
Initially, there was one Parliamentary Ombudsman, but today there are four ombudsmen, all of whom are elected by us in the Swedish Riksdag, initially for a period of six years. The Committee on the Constitution submits proposals to the Riksdag regarding the election of the Parliamentary Ombudsman, and it is in that capacity that I stand here today.
Mr. Speaker! The Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman has a long historical tradition. The office was established in 1809 in connection with the adoption of the Instrument of Government of 1809. It was prescribed there that the Riksdag shall appoint a person known for legal knowledge and outstanding integrity to act as its ombudsman to supervise that judges and civil servants lived according to the laws.
The first Justice Ombudsman was named Lars August Mannerheim, and he was elected by the Riksdag in 1810, that is to say, the same year as we received the first king of the Bernadotte blood.
The Justice Ombudsman was designated as a "guardian of the observance of the laws" with the task of observing the people's "general and individual rights." The Ombudsman was to constitute a guarantee for the balance of power between the King and the Riksdag. In order to be able to carry out his task, the Ombudsman was given the authority to, among other things, prosecute those who had committed any illegality in office or failed to properly fulfill their official duties.
The JO office was constructed from the beginning as a prosecutor's office. I believe it is important to remember exactly that. During the first 100 years, the Parliamentary Ombudsman also acted primarily through their own initiatives. The office has since developed into an instance where the public can turn with complaints against authorities and against officials. A development has also occurred in such a way that indictments have been replaced by a practice where the ombudsman reminds or directs criticism towards authorities and officeholders.
The Riksdag emphasized during the 1975 JO reform that the review of complaints is JO's most important task and most suited to fulfill the purpose of JO's activities in general. Through this reform, the number of ombudsmen was also increased to four, which, as I said earlier, also continues to apply today.
JO has the task, on behalf of the Riksdag, to exercise supervision over the application in public activities of laws and other regulations. The supervision covers both courts and other authorities as well as the employees in office. The starting point for JO's activities is the individual's interest in being subject to a lawful and otherwise correct treatment from the authorities.
The JO office is the constitutional protection for the individual's fundamental freedoms and rights. The four ombudsmen are independent in their work and in their decisions. Today, the ombudsmen's review primarily takes place by examining and investigating complaints from the public, but the ombudsmen also conduct inspections of authorities and investigations on their own initiative.
The modern use of the term "ombudsman" began with the Justitieombudsmannen in Sweden. One can discuss whether there are more, but this may be the only and above all the primary Swedish contribution to the international vocabulary. In a multitude of countries, there are indeed ombudsmen. It has thus proven to be completely impossible to translate the term into the respective countries' languages, which says quite a lot about Sweden, about us, and above all about those who introduced this word during 1809. All respect to them, Mr. Speaker!
The Swedish model regarding the JO was for a long time unique in the world. Finland created a corresponding institution in 1919. After that, it actually took until after the Second World War before Denmark and a number of other European countries adopted the idea of an ombudsman institution.
Nowadays, the term "ombudsman" is seen not only as a contribution to the international vocabulary but also as a Swedish contribution to the constitutional legal culture. Within the framework of the independent organization International Ombudsman Institute, more than 200 independent ombudsman institutions from more than 100 countries cooperate. I believe it is important to carry this with us, Mr. Speaker, and to do so with pride.
Per Lennerbrant has requested to be released from his assignment as Parliamentary Ombudsman. He stepped down from the assignment in April 2026. Per Lennerbrant has been Parliamentary Ombudsman since 2019, and he is moving on to a position as a judge in Solna District Court.
As a new Parliamentary Ombudsman, a unanimous Constitutional Committee proposes that the Riksdag elects Mattias Almqvist. He was born in 1967 and has worked since 2024 as President of the Court of Appeal in the Court of Appeal in Sundsvall. Previously, he has, among other things, worked as a Justice of the Court of Appeal in the Court of Appeal in Gothenburg, Chief Judge in the Administrative Court in Stockholm, as well as as a Justice of the Court of Appeal in the Court of Appeal in Jönköping, which is the seat for, among other things, the Swedish Courts Administration and where, in addition to the Court of Appeal, there are courts such as the Court of Appeal, District Court, and Administrative Court.
Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, Mattias Almqvist has had assignments in various government inquiries, including as secretary in the Administrative Law Inquiry. He also has experience from assignments in government agencies, including as chairman of the Socialstyrelsen's council for certain legal, social, and medical issues, the Appeals Board for Lay Judge Assignments, and the Central Animal Experiment Ethics Board.
Mr. Speaker! Mattias Almqvist can assume the post of JO on June 1 of the current year.
The following communication had been received from the Committee on the Constitution:
The Parliamentary Ombudsman Per Lennerbrant has resigned from his position. In view of this, the Committee on the Constitution has reported on the question of electing a new Parliamentary Ombudsman.
The Committee on the Constitution proposes unanimously that, for the period from 1 June 2026 until the next election, the Parliament shall, during the sixth year thereafter, choose the Court of Appeal President Mattias Almqvist as the Parliamentary Ombudsman.
On behalf of the Committee on the Constitution
The Chamber approved the Committee on the Constitution's proposal and thus appointed, for the period from June 1, 2026, until a new election is held during the sixth year thereafter, to
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.