Swedish minister bans bananas on official visits and asks for help for phobia

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Sweden's Minister for Gender Equality, Paulina Brandberg, is seeking professional help for her rare phobia of bananas, following reports of government staff sweeping rooms before official visits for health reasons, the Telegraph reported. 


In a 2020 post on X (formerly Twitter), Ms Brandberg revealed her "world's weirdest phobia of bananas," but the post has since been deleted. The condition, known as banana phobia, is uncommon but can cause severe reactions, such as nausea and anxiety when individuals come into contact with bananas. These symptoms may be triggered by sight or smell and are often linked to childhood experiences, though the specific causes are difficult to pinpoint.


Leaked emails also indicated that Ms Brandberg's team requested banana-free environments for events, including VIP lunches, often framing the condition as an allergy to make it easier for event organizers to understand.


Ms Brandberg is not alone in experiencing this phobia. Teresa Carvalho, a Social Democratic MP and legal policy spokesperson, also suffers from banana phobia and expressed support for Ms Brandberg on X, saying, "While we've had many tough debates on working conditions, on this issue, we stand united against a common enemy."


Bananaphobia is a rare and intense fear of bananas that can lead to significant discomfort when exposed to the fruit. This phobia is typically tied to negative childhood experiences, such as an unpleasant incident with bananas or a strong sensory aversion to their smell, taste, or texture.


Following the controversy surrounding the banana-proof requests, Ms Brandberg received support from fellow politicians. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed his "great respect" for individuals living with phobias.


"It bothers me that a hard-working minister is now almost reduced to a phobia. That she is being ridiculed. I think people should rise above that," he told the TT news agency.


Teresa Carvalho, an MP from the opposition Swedish Social Democratic Party and its spokesman for legal policy, said she also suffered from bananaphobia.


"We may have had many tough debates about conditions in working life, but on this issue we stand united against a common enemy," she told Ms Brandberg on X.