STOCKHOLM: Sweden‘s national security advisor announced his resignation Monday as police opened an investigation after he forgot classified documents at a hotel, one of a series of mishaps Swedish media have revealed in recent weeks.
Henrik Landerholm whose appointment two years ago sparked debate due to his longstanding friendship with prime minister Ulf Kristersson also left a notebook behind after an interview and forgot his cell phone at a foreign embassy, incidents particularly embarrassing given his sensitive national security role.
In what is considered the most serious incident, Landerholm left classified documents behind in a safe at a hotel conference centre in March 2023.
“I have been informed that a preliminary investigation has been opened into the incident with the documents forgotten at the hotel conference centre,” Landerholm wrote in a statement obtained by AFP.
“I have informed the prime minister of this and we have agreed that under the circumstances I can no longer fulfil my work obligations and that is why I’m leaving my position as national security advisor.”
Kristersson for weeks defended Landerholm’s ability to remain in his job, as the opposition called for his resignation.
But Kristersson said on Monday the police investigation now made that impossible.
“It is not possible for him to continue his work under these conditions,” he said.
“The legal process will now run its course.”
According to Sweden’s paper of reference Dagens Nyheter (DN), the documents were found by hotel cleaning staff and a co-worker retrieved them.
DN also reported that Landerholm forgot his cell phone at the Hungarian embassy overnight in December 2022, at a sensitive time for Sweden’s Nato application process, which Hungary was blocking at the time.
In another incident in January 2023, Landerholm forgot a notebook at public broadcaster Swedish Radio (SR) after an interview.
Instead of having a colleague pick up the notebook in person, it was sent by taxi in a plastic bag to a Stockholm cafe, SR said.
Daily Aftonbladet meanwhile reported that in 2024, Landerholm let taxpayers partially foot the bill for trips to Berlin to see his girlfriend, in some cases combined with business trips.
The cost to taxpayers according to the government was around 9,000 kronor ($823).
Landerholm, 61, and a childhood friend of Kristersson, has previously worked as an ambassador, director of Sweden’s psychological defence agency, principal of the Swedish Defence University, and chairman of parliament’s defence committee.
