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 "excerpt": "Benjamin Dousa is a Swedish Moderate Party politician and member of the Riksdag who serves as Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, overseeing Swedish aid and trade.",
 "snippet": "Benjamin Dousa is a Swedish Moderate Party politician and member of the Riksdag who serves as Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, overseeing Swedish aid and trade.",
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 "markdown": "# Benjamin Dousa\n\nBenjamin Dousa is a Swedish politician of the Moderata samlingspartiet ([Moderate Party](https://www.edgepedia.org/moderate-party), M) who serves as Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade.<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup> He is a member of the Riksdag, but a substitute exercises his parliamentary mandate while he serves as minister.<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup> As minister, he has answered parliamentary questions on Swedish development aid, trade with Armenia, and the humanitarian situation in Gaza.<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup>\n\n| Fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Party | Moderata samlingspartiet (M)<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup> |\n| Current office | Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade; Member of the Riksdag (on leave, with a substitute exercising the mandate)<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup> |\n| Previous offices | Statsråd at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup> |\n\n## Party affiliation\n\nDousa belongs to the Moderata samlingspartiet (Moderate Party, M).<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup> He sits in the Riksdag for the Moderate Party, and the party is listed as his party as of September 27, 2026.<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup>\n\n## Career\n\nDousa serves as [Minister](https://www.edgepedia.org/minister-government) for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade (Bistånds- och utrikeshandelsminister) in the Swedish government.<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup> In this role he answers written questions and interpellations from members of the Riksdag. On June 4, 2026, he took part in the government's question time in the chamber, answering members' questions directly.<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup>\n\nHis parliamentary record as minister includes answers on Swedish aid to an international organization for conflict management (answered September 9, 2026), on channeling Swedish aid via Forum Civ (answered August 4, 2026), on UNRWA (answered August 3, 2026), on aid to Russia (answered July 29, 2026), and on long-term support to Venezuela after an earthquake (answered July 17, 2026).<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup> He has also answered questions on trade between the EU and Armenia and on increasing trade with Armenia (both answered June 10, 2026), on forced labor in the cotton sector in [Turkmenistan](https://www.edgepedia.org/turkmenistan) (answered June 3, 2026), and on the government's actions regarding public health work in other EU countries (answered June 3, 2026).<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup>\n\nIn interpellation debates, he has responded to questions on aid funds to member organizations, on humanitarian access to Gaza, and on the winding down of Sida, the Swedish development agency.<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup> In the debate on the winding down of Sida, the government's reply stated that Dousa has carried out reforms aimed at better control, increased efficiency, and stricter handling of aid funds.<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup>\n\n## Issues specific to Dousa\n\nIn a June 2026 interview with Global Bar Magazine, Dousa discussed what he was most satisfied with from his years as aid minister and what he would do if he continued in the role. He remains Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade as of September 2026.<sup>[2](https://globalbar.se/2026/06/benjamin-dousa-sa-blev-jag-positiv-till-sveriges-bistand/)</sup>\n\nIn September 2026, Dagens Nyheter reported that the Swedish aid agency Sida had stopped support to Islamic Relief because of risks, while granting 23 million kronor to Hepatica, an aid organization connected to the [Sweden Democrats](https://www.edgepedia.org/sweden-democrats), even though the risks there were assessed as high. In both cases the agency referred to the government's steering. Asked about the two decisions, Dousa told the newspaper, \"Det är lika för alla\" (Edgepedia translation: \"It is the same for everyone\").<sup>[3](https://www.dn.se/sverige/benjamin-dousa-om-islamic-relief-och-hepatica-det-ar-lika-for-alla/)</sup>\n\n## Positions and voting record\n\n### Development aid\n\nIn his 2026 election candidate profile, Dousa described his record in office as \"Minskat slöseri i biståndet, ny försiktighetsprincip för att skattepengar inte ska hamna hos extremister, nya frihandelsavtal och en tulljour för små- och medelstora företag och nästan en dubblering av biståndet till Ukraina\" (Edgepedia translation: \"Reduced waste in aid, a new precautionary principle so that tax money does not end up with extremists, new free trade agreements and a customs service for small and medium-sized enterprises, and almost a doubling of aid to Ukraine\").<sup>[4](https://valkompass.svt.se/2026/kandidat/4247-benjamin-dousa/)</sup> In the same profile, he rated the proposal that Sweden increase its international aid as \"Mycket dåligt förslag\" (a very bad proposal).<sup>[4](https://valkompass.svt.se/2026/kandidat/4247-benjamin-dousa/)</sup>\n\n### Trade\n\nDousa has said his work as minister included \"nya frihandelsavtal och en tulljour för små- och medelstora företag\" (Edgepedia translation: \"new free trade agreements and a customs service for small and medium-sized enterprises\").<sup>[4](https://valkompass.svt.se/2026/kandidat/4247-benjamin-dousa/)</sup> As minister he answered parliamentary questions on trade between the EU and Armenia and on increasing trade with Armenia.<sup>[1](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)</sup>\n\n### Crime and justice\n\nIn his 2026 candidate profile, Dousa rated the proposal that children from age 13 who commit serious crimes should be able to be sentenced to prison as \"Mycket bra förslag\" (a very good proposal), and the proposal that it should be possible to revoke the citizenship of gang criminals as \"Mycket bra förslag\" (a very good proposal).<sup>[4](https://valkompass.svt.se/2026/kandidat/4247-benjamin-dousa/)</sup> He also rated the proposal that serious sexual abuse of children should be able to lead to life imprisonment as \"Mycket bra förslag\" (a very good proposal).<sup>[4](https://valkompass.svt.se/2026/kandidat/4247-benjamin-dousa/)</sup>\n\n### Asylum and immigration\n\nIn his 2026 candidate profile, Dousa answered the question of how open Sweden should be to receiving asylum seekers by choosing \"Mycket mindre\" (much less open).<sup>[4](https://valkompass.svt.se/2026/kandidat/4247-benjamin-dousa/)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Benjamin Dousa (M) | Sveriges riksdag](https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/ledamoter-och-partier/ledamot/benjamin-dousa_64a4febc-b5a5-4151-8fd6-5152daf871d7/)\n2. [Benjamin Dousa: Så blev jag positiv till Sveriges bistånd – Global Bar Magazine](https://globalbar.se/2026/06/benjamin-dousa-sa-blev-jag-positiv-till-sveriges-bistand/)\n3. [Benjamin Dousa om Islamic Relief och Hepatica](https://www.dn.se/sverige/benjamin-dousa-om-islamic-relief-och-hepatica-det-ar-lika-for-alla/)\n4. [Benjamin Dousa | Valkompass 2026 | SVT Nyheter](https://valkompass.svt.se/2026/kandidat/4247-benjamin-dousa/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Politics and government › Government and public administration › Politicians and government officeholders (biographies) › Nordic politicians › Ministers and government officials*\n\n*Initially written Sep 27, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 28, 2026; Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Sep 28, 2026; Sep 29, 2026 · Last review: Sep 29, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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