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GOTHENBURG. After TV4’s revelation about SD’s troll factory, the Liberals want to put an end to anonymous party accounts online.
But there will be no break for the Tidö agreement – and the Social Democrats immediately accuse L of trying to “bury the scandal in an investigation”.
– We have to respect the democratic conversation, says Johan Pehrson (L) to Aftonbladet.
The day after the crisis meeting between the Tidö parties’ party secretaries, the Liberals called a press conference on “the party’s view on the development of the last few days”. After Kalla Fakta’s revelation about the Sweden Democrats’ troll factory, the Liberals have demanded that the party immediately dismantle its anonymous accounts on social media.
The Sweden Democrats have refused – and on Friday morning Johan Pehrson (L) presented another proposal for a solution. The Liberals want political parties to be completely banned from communicating anonymously.
– Parties use goalkeepers to spread litter. The political conversation in Sweden is polarized and hard-pressed, Pehrson said at the press conference.
During his speech, Johan Pehrson was careful to point out that the problem with anonymous accounts on social media is bigger than the scandals of recent days. Among other things, he talked about historical examples where party representatives wrote newspaper submissions under a false name.
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full screenJohan Pehrson. Photo: Thomas Johansson / Thomas Johansson
The Liberals will hand the proposal to ban anonymous accounts to the parliamentary committee appointed last summer. The committee has already done a review of, among other things, political parties’ contacts with lobbyists.
When Aftonbladet spoke to Johan Pehrson after the press conference, he said that he hopes to gather support for the proposal from many other parties.
– Political parties must show that they are the ones who act, we must respect and respect the democratic conversation.
“Åkesson has a different view of reality”
The proposal has provoked reactions – among other things, the Social Democrats’ party secretary Tobias Baudin has accused the Liberals of trying to “bury the issue of SD’s troll factory in an investigation”.
Johan Pehrson (L) says that the party “chooses to act directly in the investigation”. However, he does not want to make any demands on SD to vote for such a proposal.
– This is outside the Tidö Agreement. Each party gets to choose, there are plenty of other examples where other parties have worked under a false flag, says Pehrson.
SD has not heeded your demand to remove anonymous accounts immediately. Are there any other requirements for SD now?
– I want there to be a majority for this proposal and I heard Jimmie Åkesson say in Aktuellt that he opened talks for this, if it is equal for everyone. He has a completely different picture of reality that you still have to listen to, I think.
You have said that SD violated the Tidö agreement – how is the cooperation affected?
– Negative, of course. SD must show that they are not systematically engaged in breaking part of the Tidö Agreement. I have noted that you are told to do it. When I really see that they have done it, then it becomes easier to cooperate.
“Many are cursed”
In recent days, the internal winds within the Liberals have been blowing hard. Jan Jönsson, opposition city councilor in Stockholm, has said that he wants to see a temporary stop to all negotiations with the Sweden Democrats.
On Wednesday, Anna-Lena Johansson, member of L’s party board, joined Jönsson’s line. But any break for the Tidö Agreement does not seem to be relevant at the moment.
– I am outraged by what has been revealed. Many other representatives in the Liberals are also pissed off, says Johan Pehrson.
Do you think a proposal to ban anonymous troll accounts will appease your fellow party members?
– The problem is bigger than this. There are more parties that worked with false flag communication.
Pehrson believes that the mood in the party was escalated by Jimmie Åkesson’s appearance on Youtube, where the SD leader called Kalla Fakta’s review part of “a domestic influence operation from the collective left-liberal establishment”.
Since then, SD has therefore not chosen to heed L’s demand for an immediate stop to the party’s anonymous accounts – but sent two employees to training on the respect clause of the Tidö Agreement. In addition, the party has decided to remove 45 posts on social media.
– What was said in Åkesson’s broadcast on Youtube has changed. The Sweden Democrats have chosen to act, and removed posts that are not Time-compatible, says Johan Pehrson (L).