Swedish minister collapses during press conference on first day of work
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Videos gone viral on social media showed Swedish Health Minister Elisabet Lann falling forwards, taking a transparent lectern with her.
PHOTO: SCREENSHOT FROM JACOB ZETTERMAN/X
Follow topic:
The new Swedish Health Minister made a dramatic debut as she collapsed on her first day on the job during a press conference.
Ms Elisabet Lann had joined Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and other political colleagues at the media briefing on Sept 9, the same day she was appointed to the role following the sudden resignation of her predecessor.
Videos – which have gone viral on social media – show Ms Lann swaying while officials are taking questions from reporters.
She then tumbles forward to the ground, taking a transparent lectern with her. Her shocked colleagues and journalists immediately rush over to help an unconscious Ms Lann, and it was not known whether she suffered any injuries from falling.
Local media reported that Ms Lam returned to the press conference a few minutes later, saying she had fainted due to a “blood sugar drop”.
“This was not exactly a normal Tuesday, and this is what can happen when you have a blood sugar drop,” Swedish public broadcaster SVT quoted her as saying.
Ms Lann, who was a city councillor in Gothenburg, was appointed Health Minister following the resignation of Ms Acko Ankarberg Johansson on Sept 8.

