total support behind Jimmie Åkesson

From panic to total support behind Jimmie Åkesson.

This is how SD sources describe the emotional state after Kalla fakta’s revelation about the party’s troll factory.

– My and the coordination office’s loyalty to Jimmie is unbreakable, says Gustav Gellerbrant (SD).

Officials and politicians in the Sweden Democrats testified to complete panic before the first program of Cold facts, which was broadcast just over a week ago. The program reveals how employees in SD’s communications department controlled a series of accounts that published offensive material about immigrants and manipulated film clips in order to distort the messages of political opponents.

– There is total panic over what may have been recorded. Many are nervous about attending parties out there. The management is afraid that there are more moles in the organization, an SD source told Aftonbladet shortly before the broadcast of the program.

Cold facts’ second part of the disclosure received a lot of attention yesterday.

The party leaders of the other Tidö parties condemned SD’s actions and demanded an explanation from Jimmie Åkesson. Shortly afterwards, Åkesson commented on the revelation in a “speech to the nation”. He did not apologize but accused Cold Facts of running an influence campaign.

“Everyone joins in behind Jimmie Åkesson”

SD sources tell Aftonbladet that the strong condemnation from the other Tidö parties has strengthened unity within the SD.

– When there are many attacks, we fight back. Agree despite disagreements. Everyone is rooting for Jimmie Åkesson, says a source.

The source testifies that the support for Joakim Wallerstein, head of the communications department and the employees who control the anonymous accounts, is intact.

– Joakim Wallerstein and his department have strong support in the party and I hear nothing about reprisals, says the source.

Another SD source says that there have been contacts between the Tidö parties after the disclosure and that the tone between them is good. The contacts have taken place at several different levels, in committees, between the press departments and at party leader level.

– The general impression is that things are calm. I consider the risk of something dramatic happening, such as a government crisis, to be small.

Contacts at several levels in the Tidö gang

Isn’t that the picture you get when you hear condemnations from the other party leaders?

– I think they were out of sync. If they had contacted us before, they would have known how we would act. There is probably a potential for improvement there, says the source.

Gustav Gellerbrant, head of the SD’s coordination office and over the SD employees who sit in the government office, confirms the picture that the party is closing in behind Jimmie Åkesson.

– My and the coordination office’s loyalty to Jimmie is unbreakable, we fight every day together to repair the damage that other parties have caused to Sweden. Of course, we wholeheartedly support our boss and party leader in that work, he says in a written comment to Aftonbladet.