Parisa Liljestrand

Parisa Mollagholi Liljestrand (born 15 March 1983) is a Swedish politician for the Moderate Party. She is the Minister for Culture in the Ulf Kristersson cabinet since 18 October 2022.^[1][2]

Parisa Liljestrand
Liljestrand in 2024
Minister for Culture
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 October 2022
Monarch	Carl XVI Gustaf
Prime Minister	Ulf Kristersson
Preceded by	Jeanette Gustafsdotter
Chair of the Vallentuna City Council
In office 17 June 2015 – 17 October 2022
Preceded by	Örjan Lid
Succeeded by	Johan Skog
Personal details
Born	Parisa Molagholi (1983-03-15) 15 March 1983 (age 42) Oshnavieh, Iran
Citizenship	Sweden
Political party	Moderate Party
Alma mater	Uppsala University
Occupation	Teacher • Politician

Family background

Liljestrand was born in Iran. When she was four, the family fled Iran after the fall of the Shah and during the Iran-Iraq War. Her father was a pilot in the Iranian armed forces and was able to steal a helicopter and fly his family out of the country in the dark over the mountains. After six months at the refugee center in Surahammar, the family finally ended up in Vallentuna.^[3] In an article in Svenska Dagbladet in 2016, she said that she "takes every opportunity" to celebrate both Swedish and Iranian holidays. She is for the protection of "the libertarian, the democratic values and independence, not least".^[4]

Education

Parisa Liljestrand studied to be a teacher at Uppsala University between 2001 and 2007. She was principal in Vaxholm until 2018.^[5]

Career

In 2002, she founded the direct democratic party Demoex, which was represented in the municipal council in Vallentuna between 2002 and 2010.

In 2010, she got involved in the Moderate Party instead. After the 2018 election, she became chairwoman of the municipal board in Vallentuna Municipality.^[6] She has also chaired the municipality's Business and Labor Market committee, Planning and Environment committee and the Children's and Youth committee.^[7]

In 2022, Liljestrand was appointed Sweden's Minister for Culture.^[8] This includes overseeing the government's relationship with the Swedish Sami community.^[9] In 2024, the Swedish gaming industry released a list of 15 culturally significant games under assignment from Liljestrand as the culture minister.^[10]

Personal life

She lives in Stockholm and is married with three children.^[11]

Honours

Foreign honours

• Iceland: Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon (6 May 2025)^[12]