Famous Swedish Activists

Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg is known for her straightforward speaking manner in which she addresses world leaders for failing to take sufficient action regarding the climate change issue. She is considered a youth icon for starting the movement Fridays for Future. She has been included in Time magazine's 100 most influential people list.

Swedish artist Lars Vilks created a major controversy with one of his drawings that showed Prophet Muhammad's head set on a dog's body. Previously, his 2 sculptures, Nimis and Arx, set in the Kullaberg nature reserve, were attacked by vandals. He died in a traffic accident in southern Sweden.

Taslima Nasrin is a Bangladeshi-Swedish writer, feminist, physician, activist, and secular humanist. An internationally recognized author, Nasrin is renowned for expressing feminist views and her criticisms of religions. Taslima Nasrin is a recipient of many prestigious awards such as the Sakharov Prize, Freethought Heroine Award, and Erwin Fischer Award.

Elizabeth Lejonhjärta is a Swedish model, writer, blogger, and social media personality. Elizabeth and her twin sister Victoria Lejonhjärta achieved international fame when they collaborated with popular Canadian rapper Drake for his 2016 album Views. Popularly known as the it girls in Sweden, Elizabeth and Victoria Lejonhjärta have modeled for brands like Calvin Klein, Nike, Chanel, and Max Factor.

 Hailed as one of the most celebrated Swedish actors, Sven Wollter was also an influential political activist, working for the Swedish communist party since his youth. Beginning his career on the stage, he debuted on screen as Gusten in Hemsöborna, gaining instant fame for it, continuing with his activism as well as acting till the very end.

Swedish DJ and record producer, Olof Dreijer is also a noted activist, known for his support to the Palestinian cause and cultural boycott of Israel. Active since 1999, he and his brother formed an electronic music duo, The Knife, releasing five studio albums till 1933. A co-owner of the Rabid Record, he also goes by his stage name, DJ Coolof.

Daughter of an asylum seeker from Zaire, Nyamko Sabuni has politics in her blood, possibly inherited from her left wing politician father.  A member of the Liberal Party, she entered politics when an Ivorian refugee was killed by a Neo Nazi. She served as a minister from 2006 to 2013 and became the first ethnic minority to become a party leader.

A member of the Swedish Liberal party, Cecilia Malmström was a Member of the European  Parliament for Sweden from 1999 to 2006. Following this, she assumed the offices of Minister for European Union Affairs (2006-2010), European Commissioner for Home Affairs (2010-2014) and European Commissioner for Trade (2014-2019). Previously, she researched and taught European politics, regionalism and terrorism at Gothenburg University.

Mostly educated at home by her mother and her governess, Ellen Key grew up to be a well-known difference feminist author, concurrently playing important role in the Modern Breakthrough movement. Also a suffragist, she wrote on varied subjects including family life, ethics and education, advocating child centric teaching as well as parenting, inspiring many authors and educators including Maria Montessori.

Eva Dahlgren is a Swedish pop singer, songwriter, and musician. She is best known for her 1991 studio album En blekt blondins hjärta, which earned her five Swedish Grammy Awards and sold more than half a million copies. Eva Dahlgren is also credited with composing the score for the 2015 movie Ingrid Bergman: In My Own Words.

Born to Nobel-winning parents Alva and Gunnar Myrdal, Jan Myrdal grew up to be a renowned author and filmmaker. He and his third wife, Kessle, traveled around places such as Afghanistan and India and penned works associated with politics and travel. He also wrote a series of semi-autobiographical "I- Novels."

Alexandra Pascalidou is a Greek-Swedish television hostess, columnist, and author. She is best known for hosting popular events like Melodifestivalen and Eurovision Song Contest. Over the course of her career, Alexandra Pascalidou has received several prestigious awards such as the Bellman Prize, St Eriks Medal, and Integration Award. 

Tess Asplund is a Swedish activist whose photograph showcasing her protest against neo-Nazis earned her popularity. Photographed by David Lagerlof, the picture shows Asplund's fist in the air and facing uniformed members of the Nordic Resistance Movement. In 2016, Tess Asplund was mentioned in BBC's 100 Women list.