“Customer and clueless” • Calls for change • Worries about trust
The recent rounds surrounding Jimmie Åkesson’s connection to Robert Hedarv have caused concern and frustration within the Sweden Democrats. Criticism is now directed both at the press department and individual politicians.
The press department is considered to have failed to assess that Jimmie Åkesson’s wedding would become a major issue in the media. The press department had also received the information about Robert Hedarv’s leadership role in the criminal motorcycle gang Comanches but did not pass it on to the party leader. An image that press manager Oscar Cavalli-Björkman objects to.
– It is a private wedding, he says. It is not necessarily the role of the press department to review the guest list.
Lack of control
Cavalli-Björkman adds that the information about Hedarv came in the middle of the summer, was published in a few left-wing newspapers and was not judged to be relevant to the party leader.
Criticism is also directed at Mattias Karlsson, who allegedly failed to share with Jimmie Åkesson the information he himself had about Robert Hedarv’s background.
– He is directly connected because Hedarv is married to his ex-wife, says one of TV4 Nyheterna’s sources.
Nor does Jimmie Åkesson escape internal criticism. Wedding guests that TV4 Nyheterna has spoken to are shocked by the lack of control over who was at the party.
– There were many people there that Jimmie didn’t really know, says one of them. I met several people who brought a friend as their “plus one”.
Another source describes the lack of control as “clunky”, and “clueless”.
– I probably thought that you had somehow gone through this list.
Discussed in the party leadership
Despite the extensive criticism, none of those TV4 Nyheterna spoke to want to talk about a crisis atmosphere in the party. During Wednesday, however, the issue was discussed by the executive committee of the party board, where Mattias Karlsson is a member.
The party leadership is now discussing different types of measures. An issue that is up for discussion is how the party should act regarding party representatives in the country who are connected to motorcycle gangs, and for example support the Hells Angels, which Expressen has reported on.
– The question is whether you can represent us and at the same time be associated with these organisations, says one of those who took part in the discussion.
Concern for trust
There is now great concern within the Sweden Democrats about how the scandal will damage trust in the party. In the near future, Jimmie Åkesson will find it very difficult to talk about gang crime and the party’s politics without having to answer questions about the guest list for his own wedding.
And when self-critical Sweden Democrats now use expressions like “we have been very naive”, it becomes a direct repetition of the naivety that the party usually accuses its political opponents of in criminal policy.
– It probably paralyzes us a bit, in that particular matter, says one of Nyheterna’s sources.