Åkesson dismisses Social Democrat demand: No security crisis

The Social Democrats are demanding that a Sweden Democrat official linked to Russian networks and propaganda be suspended from her post. They also want her partner, one of Jimmie Åkesson’s closest aides in the Government Offices, removed from his position.

Social Democrat defense policy spokesperson Peter Hultqvist made the demand on Sunday. He said the two should remain suspended until the prime minister acts, answers questions and explains what information they had access to. The party also called for a formal security case to be opened.

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This is not a security crisis.

Åkesson rejected the demand in comments to Expressen. “This is not a security crisis,” the Sweden Democrat leader said. He argued that government agencies would have acted if the situation amounted to one, but no such action had taken place.

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No one has contacted us. As far as I know, no intelligence service or security service has contacted anyone else to say that this is some kind of acute crisis.

Åkesson also said that no authority had contacted the Sweden Democrats after an investigation by Expo was published on Thursday. “No one has contacted us. As far as I know, no intelligence service or security service has contacted anyone else to say that this is some kind of acute crisis,” he told Expressen. He described the Social Democrat response as political maneuvering.

The Social Democrats have also criticized Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Party leader Magdalena Andersson asked at a speech on Saturday: “Why does Ulf Kristersson put the Sweden Democrats before Sweden?” Dagens Nyheter said it had sought comment from Kristersson.

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Why does Ulf Kristersson put the Sweden Democrats before Sweden?