Inside Sweden: What's missing from Jimmie Åkesson's apology for his party's past?
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Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson apologised to the country's Jewish population this week after the party released the second half of its "white book", a document reporting the history of the party from 1989 to its entry into parliament in 2010.
The document, written by Uppsala University historian Tony Gustafsson, confirmed among other things that the party emerged from Bevara Sverige Svenskt (Keep Sweden Swedish), a racist, right-wing extremist and nationalist campaign organisation, in the late 80s. The Sweden Democrats continued to use the Keep Sweden Swedish slogan on campaign materials in its early years.
It also confirmed that the party published antisemitic material during the 1990s. Members of the youth organisation, it said, openly listed to antisemitic white power music, dreamt of racial war, detested homosexuality and praised the Ku Klux Klan and the Holocaust.
During a speech at political festival Almedalen, Åkesson apologised for his party's antisemitic past.
'I apologise deeply and ask for forgiveness, personally and on the behalf of the Sweden Democrats, that there was a time that my party was home to people with antisemitic views.'
'Antisemitism does not belong in Sweden, does not belong in Swedish politics, and should always be fought,' he added.
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He also said that he felt 'uncomfortable that there was actually a time when Jews in Sweden had completely rational reasons to view the Sweden Democrats of the time with concern and fear.'
"I deeply regret, and apologise, that my party at the time could be perceived as threatening and frightening for Jews in Sweden,' he added.
Åkesson's apology was welcomed in many corners, including by Aron Verständig, the chair of the country's Jewish Council. However, it left something to be desired – not only because of the fact that Åkesson was quick to use it as a political opportunity to absolve his party of blame and point fingers at the Swedish left instead.
It's not exactly hard to find examples of the views mentioned in the Sweden Democrats' white book from members of the party in recent years.
As recently as last year, one of the party's MPs was caught on tape belting out a racist chant at the party's EU election night event.
The same year, a Sweden Democrat politician in Gothenburg was ejected from her position as a lay judge after claiming that 'the left, liberals and globalists [a common code word used by the far-right to refer to Jewish people]' were conspiring to replace Swedes with immigrants.
Sure, both of those Sweden Democrats were kicked out of the party, but there are other, often more senior members of the party who have made similar statements with no consequences.
Barely a year ago, Åkesson himself wrote an article using white nationalist language where he claimed that Swedes were being systematically replaced by immigrants.
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If the Sweden Democrats, as he claimed in his speech at Almedalen, have successfully cleaned up their act, why then, did Sweden's extreme right fringe groups celebrate the party's election gains back in 2022 as a move forward for the racial ideology movement?
Is Åkesson's apology real, or just a political tool to try to disarm the opposition next time they point out the fact that the Sweden Democrats still have problems with racism and Nazi sympathisers in their party?
Where is the apology Sweden's Islamic Association has asked for, after Muslims in Sweden have been the target of Islamophobic abuse from the Sweden Democrats for years?
Where is the apology for immigrants, particularly immigrants of colour, who among other things were depicted as stupid, violent or dangerous in videos spread by the Sweden Democrats' troll factory last year?
Where is the apology for the LGBT+ community, after top Sweden Democrat Björn Söder's comments claiming that Pride had 'close and legitimate links to pedophilia'?
Those examples aren't ancient history dug up from decades ago ‒ they all took place within the last few years.
That period of change Åkesson claims the party went through in 1995 looks like it still has a long way to go.
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In other news
Sweden is set to roll out language and civics tests for citizenship next summer. But the universities tasked with developing the tests say that timeline doesn't give them nearly enough time.
Looking for a change of career? Despite an ongoing period of low growth, Swedish employers are crying out for staff in multiple professions, according to new figures ‒ and not all of those jobs require years of training.
GAMES: Have you tried The Local's games for Membership+ subscribers yet? We've got a new crossword and word search puzzle out now
The vice-chancellors of four of Sweden's largest universities are warning that Europe could end up "a scientific backwater" unless it deepens its collaboration with China.
No more than 15 naturalisation applications were approved during Sweden's recent citizenship freeze, statistics reveal. But the processing of cases is hopefully picking up pace.
Are you on summer holidays yet, or will you be heading off soon? Whether it's going for a swim, climbing Kebnekaise, exploring the Gothenburg archipelago, enjoying a platter of prawns, or discovering a new city, we want to hear your best recommendations for making the most of the Swedish summer.
The former US ambassador to Sweden, Erik Ramanathan, is back in Sweden for the Almedalen political week in Visby. He told The Local why he thinks Nato countries can still rely on US support despite US President Donald Trump's rhetoric, and why he'll be attending Stockholm Pride.
Sweden's Liberals officially chose their new party leader this week ‒ Simona Mohamsson, who vowed to bring "tough love" to immigration and integration politics in her first speech as party leader. Will one of her first moves be to change the Liberals' stance on the far-right Sweden Democrats?
We've also put together our monthly list of the new laws, events and other things changing in Sweden next month.
Thanks for reading,
Becky Waterton
Deputy Editor, The Local Sweden
Inside Sweden is our weekly newsletter for members which gives you news, analysis and, sometimes, takes you behind the scenes at The Local. It's published each Saturday and with Membership+ you can also receive it directly to your inbox.
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