Swedish Minister’s phobia sparks ‘banana-free’ zones on official visits

In an unusual twist of government protocol, Sweden’s gender equality minister, Paulina Brandberg, suffers an unusual phobia called bananaphobia and requires special accommodations on official visits to keep her surroundings free from the fruit.

According to leaked emails seen by the Swedish news outlet Expressen, staff working for Brandberg have requested the removal of any bananas from rooms and venues where she will be present, citing a “strong allergy” to the fruit.

Brandberg’s aversion to bananas isn’t exactly an allergy, but a specific phobia, which she described as a “sort of allergy” in a response to Expressen.

She explained that this fear has a significant enough impact on her well-being to warrant professional help. Brandberg had previously admitted to her phobia on X, claiming to have the “world’s weirdest phobia of bananas”, though the posts have since been deleted.

Her phobia, known as bananaphobia, is a rare but real condition that can trigger symptoms like nausea and intense anxiety when sufferers come into contact with bananas.

This has led Brandberg’s team to send advance emails requesting “no bananas” at events, including VIP lunches.

Interestingly, Brandberg isn’t alone in her fear. Fellow Swedish MP Teresa Carvalho, a Social Democratic spokesperson on legal policy, shared on X that she also suffers from bananaphobia. She expressed solidarity with Brandberg in their shared “common enemy”.

Carvalho, who has had political debates with Brandberg on other issues, expressed humour and unity in a post saying, “We may have had many tough debates about working conditions, but on this issue, we stand united.”

Experts say phobias like bananaphobia often develop in childhood, but the exact causes can be difficult to pin down. Although uncommon, bananaphobia can create significant discomfort, with both visual and olfactory exposure to the fruit triggering adverse reactions.