Petra Mårselius will become Sweden’s new Equality Ombudsman, taking charge of the public authority responsible for enforcing the country’s anti-discrimination legislation. Minister for Gender Equality (Jämställdhetsminister) Nina Larsson announced the appointment at a press conference on 3 August.
Mårselius will succeed Lars Arrhenius, who announced in March that he would leave the position after six years. The government has not yet provided further public details about when the transition will take place.
Petra Mårselius moves from human rights education to the DO
Mårselius most recently served as director-general (överintendent) of the Living History Forum, a Swedish public authority that promotes democracy, human rights and knowledge about the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity.
According to the institution, she has worked on democracy and human rights throughout her professional career, both in Sweden and internationally. She previously held several positions at the Swedish Government Offices and served as secretary to the government’s Gender Equality Inquiry (Jämställdhetsutredningen) between 2014 and 2015.
At the Living History Forum, Mårselius oversaw work concerning racism, antisemitism, national minorities and public attitudes towards vulnerable groups. In February, she presented the government with a study showing that negative attitudes towards several minority groups had increased among Swedish students.
What Sweden’s Equality Ombudsman does
The Equality Ombudsman (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen, DO) is a government agency tasked with combating discrimination and promoting equal rights and opportunities, regardless of the protected characteristic involved.
The authority supervises compliance with Sweden’s Discrimination Act and can investigate reports, request compensation for people subjected to discrimination and bring cases before the courts. The agency is led by a director-general who also holds the title of Equality Ombudsman.
Its responsibilities cover areas including employment, education, housing, healthcare and access to goods and services. The DO also works with public authorities and employers to identify structural risks and prevent discriminatory practices.
A change after tensions with the government
Mårselius takes over after a period in which Arrhenius publicly challenged parts of the government’s political and legislative agenda.
In December 2025, Arrhenius accused the government of treating the preparation of new legislation affecting fundamental rights too casually. He had also criticised proposals concerning a lower age of criminal responsibility, stricter conditions for family reunification and police stop-and-search zones, according to SVT.
The change therefore places Mårselius at the head of an institution whose mandate can require it to scrutinise government policy as well as discrimination involving employers, businesses and other public bodies. Her previous work connects education and historical awareness with the practical enforcement of equal-treatment protections, which will now become the central focus of her role.
