Expert warns of leaks affecting sensitive Swedish security matters

A Sweden Democrats staffer reportedly linked to Russian networks has prompted an intelligence expert to call for tighter controls inside Sweden’s political parties and government.

Jörgen Holmlund, a lecturer in intelligence analysis at the Swedish Defence University, warned that the staffer’s position and close relationship with one of Jimmie Åkesson’s senior aides at the Government Offices could expose highly sensitive political information. “We risk information leaking that absolutely must not leak,” he said.

Holmlund said the potential access could affect sensitive issues involving Swedish and European security policy. He referred to Russian spies photographed in a Stockholm bar, saying their aim had been to influence Swedish decision-making over the European Union and NATO processes. A person with pro-Russian tendencies, he said, might be influenced even without being an agent inside the system.

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We risk information leaking that absolutely must not leak.

The allegations, highlighted in an investigation by Expo, also exposed weaknesses in Swedish institutions, Holmlund argued. He said political parties must take responsibility for carefully vetting elected representatives and the people around them, adding that parties bring in many new people as they grow. He described the issue as especially important during what he called an ongoing Russian influence war.

The government’s new infiltration commission, established to investigate corruption linked to foreign powers and organized crime near political institutions, could help strengthen oversight, Holmlund said. The staffer is currently not working in parliament, although her absence is unrelated to the Expo investigation. Åkesson said there was “plenty of time” to examine the information and that there was no need for an immediate response.

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plenty of time