Mats Johansson, founder and chairman of the Stockholm Free World Forum and principal for its Foreign Policy Academy, passed away suddenly on Saturday, June 24. He was 65 years old.
– Sweden has lost a true freedom fighter. We mourn the loss of a driving force, mentor, and friend who worked for the best until the very end. Our thoughts are with Mats’ family during this difficult time, said Katarina Tracz, director of the Stockholm Free World Forum.
Mats Johannson founded the Stockholm Free World Forum in 2011. At that time he was a Member of Parliament on the Foreign Affairs Committee (2006-2014) for the governing Moderate party. As a Standing Rapporteur in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 2011-2013 he published a report about The State of Media Freedom in Europe. As chairman of the Swedish parliamentary network for the Baltic states he was decorated by the republics of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
In 2015 he started the Stockholm Free World Forum’s Foreign Policy Academy, creating an educational unit of the think-tank for students and young politicians and serving as its first principal. He also returned to journalism as a columnist in various papers and magazines. He was also a member of The Mont Pelerin Society.
In his long and distinguished career Mats also served as the Political Editor-in-Chief of the leading daily Svenska Dagbladet and CEO/Publisher of the free market think-tank Timbro.