Sweden and Swedish interests are exposed to “extensive” influence campaigns. The government therefore wants to increase support for the Agency for Psychological Defense.
– This has been going on for a long time but has escalated in the wake of religious scriptures being desecrated in various ways, says the Minister for Civil Defence, Carl-Oskar Bohlin.
What is wrongly being spread about Sweden is that the Swedish police and Sweden would take a position on a political expression of opinion, such as Koran burnings, according to Bohlin.
Foreign forces influence the spread of information to create conflict and come with calls for threats to resort to violence against Swedish citizens.
– State and state-supported actors spread inaccuracies and manipulate the democratic conversation, says the minister.
Koran burnings
The authority for psychological defense has a mission to counter the disinformation campaign against the Swedish social services, but now they must also counter incorrect information about the Koran burnings.
The authority must strengthen its own and other actors’ capabilities, increase international collaboration and increase support for others through advice on communication.
The authority is proposed to receive an additional eight million kroner next year for this.
– Today’s announcement is also useful for other authorities and ultimately for all of us who want to live in a democracy that does not suffer damage from misinformation directed at Sweden, says Bohlin.
Ties together
Magnus Hjort, Acting Director General at the authority, says that they are tasked with looking at foreign information influence on Sweden.
The disinformation campaign against the social service grew large and escalated in January 2023 when a Koran burning took place.
Activists, intergovernmental organizations and other actors attacked Sweden with condemnations, calls for boycotts and violent actions.
– These two campaigns are connected, we see the same actors who acted in 2022 against the social service are now acting with this broader narrative that Sweden is hostile to Islam.