First, the Social Democrats denied the problem. Then they cleared themselves. Now the government is stepping in and allowing former Security Service chief Klas Friberg to investigate the Botkyrka scandal, which an increasing number of people describe as one of the clearest examples of gang-criminal infiltration of Swedish politics.
The government is establishing a special infiltration commission tasked with investigating suspected criminal influence within politics, municipalities, and other public institutions. One of the first cases to be examined is the widely publicized Botkyrka scandal. The commission will be led by former Swedish Security Service (Säpo) chief Klas Friberg.
In an opinion piece published in Expressen and signed by Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (M) and representatives of the other Tidö parties, the commission’s mission is described as follows:
«The commission’s mandate includes conducting a thorough review of the suspected irregularities in Botkyrka and other similar cases involving political parties, public administrations, and decision-making assemblies. The assignment also includes mapping and describing how political parties handle suspicions of organized crime infiltrating their elected representatives at the municipal and regional levels. The commission shall also present proposals for measures to counter infiltration by organized crime in municipalities, regions, and the business sector.»
According to the government, the commission will not only examine Botkyrka but also other cases where there are suspicions that criminal networks have attempted to influence political parties, municipal operations, or decision-making bodies. The purpose is to determine the scope of the problem and propose measures to counter infiltration.
Gangs took over a Social Democratic municipality
The background is a series of revelations in recent years regarding links between gang crime and the Social Democratic Party. Youth centers operated by ABF in Botkyrka became recruitment platforms for criminal gangs, which also infiltrated the Social Democrats. Cooperation between criminal gangs and several already elected Social Democratic representatives led to municipal executive board chair Ebba Östlin (S) being removed from her position in 2023 and later subjected to death threats.
Östlin told Sveriges Radio, among other things, about an incident in which a car pulled up beside her while she was on her way home from a board meeting.
– I think they knew I was at that meeting and were waiting for me to leave. Then he raised his hand and pretended to shoot me.
Dismissed by Magdalena Andersson: “Not decisive”
Claims that the Social Democrats were aware of the process but chose to remain passive have previously been dismissed as rumors by the party’s national executive board. An internal Social Democratic investigation concluded that no wrongdoing had occurred, and as recently as last week the party leader Magdalena Andersson repeated that there is no evidence that criminals took over the party in Botkyrka, even though individual people with criminal backgrounds participated in certain meetings.
– It was not decisive. If I understand correctly, there was quite a broad majority in favor of making this change in who led the municipality, Andersson told Svenska Dagbladet.
– This was three years ago. The concern has been whether gang criminals would take over the Social Democrats in Botkyrka – and, to my knowledge, there are no such indications.
Other Social Democratic representatives, however, have been more self-critical regarding the handling of the Botkyrka affair. Among them is former senior Social Democrat Peter Schilling, who has said that he now regrets following the party’s internal line during the conflict surrounding Östlin.
The gang connections are now once again being confirmed, and the Minister of Justice argues that what primarily distinguishes the Botkyrka case is that the Social Democrats do not appear willing to get to the bottom of what happened.
«If we are to safeguard democracy, we must also act when it is threatened. The government has addressed this problem in several ways during this term. Undue influence and infiltration are highlighted in the government’s national strategy against organized crime and have been a focus of the Council Against Organized Crime,» Strömmer writes.
Gang criminals engineered a power shift within the Social Democrats
Sveriges Radio’s investigative program Kaliber has published several investigations during the spring indicating that individuals linked to serious criminality participated in the process that led to the change of leadership within the party. Additional criminals have been identified among those who took part in nominations and internal party meetings.
Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer describes the Botkyrka affair as one of the most prominent examples of suspected criminal infiltration of the democratic system.
– It is perhaps one of our most spectacular examples of criminal infiltration, Strömmer told Aftonbladet.
Ebba Östlin welcomes the initiative and says she personally witnessed how individuals with criminal connections sought influence within the party.
– I attended the meetings. I saw one of the men featured in Kaliber’s investigation. He has been convicted and has been banned from entering central Alby because of the significant criminal influence he exerts there. He has a position of power and considerable capacity for violence. He was a party member, but he had no Social Democratic agenda, Östlin told Aftonbladet.
Extensive infiltration of political parties
Botkyrka municipality is not unique. Earlier this year, the research collaboration Sverige mot organiserad brottslighet (Sweden Against Organized Crime, SMOB) published a report showing that as many as 313 elected officials – municipal and regional politicians as well as municipal auditors – have or have had connections to criminal circles.
According to the report, this involves not only peripheral contacts but also individuals who are themselves suspected of crimes, have close family members in criminal networks, or are otherwise considered security risks.
The new commission is expected to begin its work this autumn, in the middle of an ongoing election campaign. This has prompted reactions from leading Social Democrats, who argue that the investigation should be viewed as an attempt to smear the Social Democratic Party ahead of the election.
– In this matter, I think it is important to be able to discuss it, even during an election campaign, says Ebba Östlin.
Below, you can watch the presentation “Tillsammans kan vi vända utvecklingen” (Together We Can Turn the Tide), delivered by Klas Friberg during Järvaveckan 2024. Friberg spoke about his book Särskilda händelser – polischefens lösning (Special Incidents – The Police Chief’s Solution), and the experiences and analyses that form the basis of it.