Henrik Landerholm

Henrik Landerholm is a Swedish civil servant who served as the country's first National Security Adviser, appointed in November 2022 as adviser to the newly established National Security Council under Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. His tenure ended with his resignation on January 27, 2025, following a police investigation into his inadvertent leaving of classified documents in an unlocked hotel safe during a March 2023 conference. In September 2025, a district court acquitted him of gross negligence charges, ruling that while his actions constituted negligence, they did not meet the threshold for criminal severity.

Early life and military service

Early life

Carl Henrik Jacob Landerholm was born on August 10, 1963, in Gamla Uppsala, Sweden. He grew up in a family connected to Swedish politics and public service, as the brother of Karin Enström, who later served as Sweden's Minister of Defense from 2012 to 2014. Landerholm has been a childhood friend of Ulf Kristersson, who became Prime Minister in 2022.

Military service

Landerholm began his active service in the Swedish Army in 1983.

He currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Swedish Army Reserve.

This early military tenure established a core foundation for his expertise in defense and security domains.

Political career

Parliamentary service

Henrik Landerholm represented the Moderate Party as a Member of the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) from 1991 to 2002.

During his tenure, he served as Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, a role he held from 1998 to 2002, overseeing legislative scrutiny of national defense matters.

In this capacity, Landerholm contributed to defense policy development within the Moderate Party framework, including proposing motions such as one in 2001 advocating continued renewal of Sweden's total defense system and enhanced societal security and preparedness.

Moderate Party involvement

Following his service as a Member of Parliament for the Moderate Party from 1991 to 2002, Landerholm maintained his affiliation with the party.

In March 2025, he received an assignment from the Moderate Party's parliamentary office (riksdagskansli) to assist one of the party's working groups on a part-time basis, involving a few hours of work over several weeks conducted in his free time. This role included granting him an access card to the party's offices in the Riksdag, underscoring his ongoing contributions to party operations.

Defense and civil service roles

Leadership at Swedish Defence University

Henrik Landerholm served as Vice-Chancellor and Head of the Swedish Defence University (Försvarshögskolan) from 2002 to 2008.

Appointed by the Persson government in spring 2002, he became the institution's first civilian rector, departing from the longstanding tradition of military leadership in the role.

Under his leadership, the Swedish Defence University advanced its academic framework, achieving enhanced institutional status by 2008 and preparing applications for master's-level programs to further develop defense education and research capabilities.

Directorship of Folke Bernadotte Academy

Henrik Landerholm was appointed Director General of the Folke Bernadotte Academy in February 2008 by Minister for International Development Cooperation Gunilla Carlsson, who selected him as a trusted colleague with military and political experience to helm the agency amid its expansion. The Folke Bernadotte Academy functions as Sweden's government authority for peace, security, and development cooperation, emphasizing civilian contributions to international operations. He served in this leadership role until 2011, overseeing the coordination of Swedish support for global peacebuilding and crisis management initiatives as Sweden ramped up its international engagements.

Directorship of Psychological Defence Agency

Henrik Landerholm was appointed Director General of the newly established Swedish Psychological Defence Agency (Myndigheten för psykologiskt försvar) in October 2021, taking up the role as the agency began operations in early 2022 with its headquarters in Karlstad.

The agency's mandate centered on strengthening Sweden's psychological defenses by countering disinformation, propaganda, and information influence operations, while fostering societal resilience to such threats and supporting fact-based public discourse. Under Landerholm's brief leadership, efforts aligned with the agency's mandate amid rising geopolitical tensions.

His tenure, lasting less than a year, involved overseeing the agency's formative phase.

Diplomatic career

Ambassadorship in Latvia

Henrik Landerholm served as Sweden's Ambassador to Latvia from 2013 to 2017.

During his tenure, Landerholm engaged in initiatives to bolster bilateral cultural, educational, and economic ties. In April 2016, he opened the Swedish Days event in Valmiera, where he addressed 120 young participants from the Baltic states, Ukraine, and Belarus during a UNESCO-organized United Nations simulation game, met with local municipality representatives and guests from Valmiera's twin city Solna, visited companies such as Valmiermuiža, Valmiera Andren, and Valtanks, and delivered a lecture on Sweden's approaches to combating the shadow economy. This visit marked the 25th anniversary of re-established diplomatic relations between Sweden and Latvia, underscoring ongoing cooperation in regional affairs.

Ambassadorship in United Arab Emirates

Henrik Landerholm served as Sweden's Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from September 2017 to August 2021, with his residence in Abu Dhabi.

In this role, he was also accredited as non-resident ambassador to Kuwait and Bahrain, presenting credentials to Bahraini officials in 2019.

His appointment followed his tenure as ambassador in Latvia, bringing prior diplomatic experience to fostering Sweden-UAE ties amid growing bilateral interests in trade and regional security.

National Security Advisor

Appointment and tenure

Henrik Landerholm was appointed Sweden's inaugural National Security Advisor by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on November 10, 2022, tasked with supporting the Prime Minister in leading the newly established National Security Council. In this role, assigned to the Prime Minister's Office, Landerholm coordinated cross-governmental efforts on security policy amid Sweden's evolving geopolitical challenges, including NATO accession.

The appointment drew on Landerholm's extensive background in defense and diplomacy, including his recent stint as Director General of the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency earlier in 2022, positioning him to advise on integrated national security strategies. His long-standing childhood friendship with Kristersson was noted as a factor in the selection, reflecting personal trust in a high-stakes advisory position.

Landerholm's tenure, spanning from November 2022 to January 2025, focused on enhancing Sweden's security coordination in a period of heightened international tensions.

Resignation and investigation

Landerholm's tenure as National Security Advisor ended amid a security breach in which classified documents he left in an unlocked safe at a hotel during a March 2023 stay were discovered by hotel cleaning staff, leading to their exposure. Police launched a preliminary investigation into the incident, prompting his resignation on January 27, 2025. In March 2025, prosecutors charged him with negligence for mishandling secret information related to the mislaid documents.

Acquittal and aftermath

On September 5, 2025, the Attunda District Court acquitted Henrik Landerholm of severe negligence in handling classified documents, ruling that although his actions demonstrated negligence, they did not meet the legal threshold for "gross negligence" required for a criminal conviction. The court emphasized that the prosecution had failed to establish the necessary level of culpability beyond ordinary carelessness.

This determination stemmed from an incident involving classified materials left in a hotel safe, but the judges concluded the oversight, while irresponsible, lacked the intent or recklessness for harsher penalties. However, the prosecutor announced plans to appeal the decision, extending uncertainty over the final legal resolution. The affair prompted multiple complaints to the Swedish Constitutional Committee (KU) against Prime Minister Kristersson over the government's handling, including allegations of breaching press freedom regulations and issues with evidence management.