EDITORIAL: Jimmie Åkesson is the Country's Worst Cleaner

At least 25 Sweden Democrats (SD) politicians have connections to criminal motorcycle gangs. The party must take this issue far more seriously.

Jimmie Åkesson invited 500 guests to his wedding last year. One of them happened to be the leader of the Comanches motorcycle gang, according to an investigation by Expressen. This is a criminal network similar to Bandidos and Hells Angels.

After the revelation, Åkesson was remorseful. He claimed he was unaware of the man's role as a gang leader, as he told P1. The incident was "a lesson."

However, the SD leader has clearly been negligent in learning it. The cleaning job is poorly done. The gang leader is not the last person from the biker environment to appear in Sweden Democrat contexts.

At least 25 SD politicians across the country have connections to criminal motorcycle gangs, as Expressen has revealed in recent weeks. These include politicians with roles such as local chairpersons and group leaders, lay judges, vice-chairpersons of municipal companies, and members of municipal councils.

Common among them is that they have expressed support for groups like Comanches and Hells Angels in various ways. It is not uncommon for SD representatives to wear criminal biker gang logos on their chests, attend parties, and in some cases, be members of support clubs for the motorcycle networks. SD politician Erik Vessby in Vänersborg hired Hells Angels to help with an alleged debt he was being demanded to pay.

He left his assignments, as did many of the other names in the investigation. But some remain.

The Sweden Democrats must work systematically and proactively to put an end to this.

The Sweden Democrats claim these are isolated cases. This is clearly not true. The party has a structural problem with connections to motorcycle gangs and does not take it seriously.

This is bad for two reasons. The recurring connections between local SD politicians and motorcycle gangs tarnish the government. The fight against gang crime is one of the Tidö Agreement's most important issues. It loses credibility when it is repeatedly revealed that local SD politicians sympathize with and/or have dealings with criminal groups.

Worst of all are the threats to security and democracy. Organized crime works purposefully to infiltrate various activities. According to Säpo, municipalities are particularly vulnerable and exposed. For a criminal motorcycle gang, it is obviously a great advantage to have contacts and sympathizers in courts, committees, and other decision-making bodies.

It is also a deliberate strategy by the groups—to stand with one foot in the underworld and the other in the regular society, thereby strengthening their power base. Having so-called enablers on the inside is crucial for this. A municipal politician who likes Hells Angels may seem harmless, but in practice, it can mean that criminal motorcycle clubs have leverage over people with influence over alcohol permits, waste management, and fire safety inspections.

The Sweden Democrats must work systematically and proactively to put an end to this. Every person who expresses sympathy for criminal groups must be excluded. The cleaning job cannot be dumped on local politicians. Jimmie Åkesson still has a lesson to learn.

Correction: In an earlier version, it was incorrectly stated that Erik Vessby hired Hells Angels to collect a debt. The correct information is that he sought help with an alleged debt he was being demanded to pay.