Magdalena Andersson (S) goes hard at Jimmie Åkesson’s (SD) speech at the Sweden Democrats’ country days.
She accuses the party leader of endangering Sweden’s security – and demands that the government distance itself more clearly from Åkesson’s statements.
– Liberals, Christian Democrats and moderates must ask themselves the question: Have we chosen the right cooperation partner?, says Magdalena Andersson.
The Social Democrats’ party leader Magdalena Andersson sees a great risk of Sweden’s security situation deteriorating further after Jimmie Åkesson’s (SD) Islam-critical outing yesterday. Now she demands that Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) and the rest of the government clearly distance themselves.
– It cannot feel good in the stomach to cooperate with a party that no longer stands up for our most basic rights in our country, says Magdalena Andersson.
Wants the officials to be fired from the government office
During his speech during Saturday’s party congress, Jimmie Åkesson demanded, among other things, a total stop to building new mosques and that minarets, domes and other Islamic symbols should be taken down from those that exist today. He also raised proposals such as that congregations should be able to be tapped and that mosques that spread anti-democratic ideas should be able to be demolished.
Ulf Kristersson (M) commented yesterday in writing that it goes against the constitutionally protected freedom of religion to demolish church premises.
Magdalena Andersson calls Åkesson’s statements “serious” – and demands that the prime minister distance himself more clearly. In addition, she believes that the government must underline this through direct consequences.
– It is about our fundamental rights such as freedom of religion. But beyond that, a clear marking is needed and I think, for example, that they can throw the Sweden Democrats out of Rosenbad, so that they no longer have civil servants in the government office, she says.
“There is a lot of justified criticism”
According to Andersson, it would send a clear message to the rest of the world – and show that the government stands behind “our fundamental rights”. She emphasizes that it is not wrong to criticize a religion, in this case Islam, but that what Jimmie Åkesson said in his speech goes against the values of the constitution.
– There is a lot of justified criticism, but we have to stand up for religious freedom, she says.
Turkey expert Michael Sahlin believes that Åkesson’s statement was “extreme” and could become an additional burden in an already sluggish NATO process. Magdalena Andersson agrees.
At the same time, she is worried about what consequences this may have in terms of the security situation.
– After a summer of Koran burnings, where incorrect information has now been spread about what Ulf Kristersson said: and then only days later comes the Sweden Democrats’ attack in this way. It is clear that it does not benefit Swedish interests or the security of Sweden and the Swedish people, says Magdalena Andersson.