Minister Johan Forssell Summoned Over Family Ties to Extremism

Johan Forssell, a Swedish minister, is facing scrutiny due to a close relative's alleged connections to far-right organizations. The Left Party has summoned him to the social insurance committee.

A little over a week ago, the anti-racist magazine Expo revealed that a government minister has a close relative who has been active in far-right extremism. The individual in question is in their early teens.

According to the magazine, the person has attempted to recruit others into the far-right organization Det fria Sverige, led by Dan Eriksson and Magnus Söderman, both with extensive backgrounds in Nazi organizations.

Through social media accounts, the individual claims to have participated in activities with the Nazi group Aktivklubb Sverige, associated with a member of the Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement, and put up far-right stickers.

Since then, the government has been reticent in commenting on the case. Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer has been reluctant to comment.

"The person and the employer were informed by the Security Police, who monitor these environments in various ways. This concerns a person who is not a public figure," Strömmer previously stated.

Neither has the government's security chief, Emma Degerfeldt, been willing to answer questions.

Summoned to Committee: "Double Standards"

Now, the minister in question—Migration Minister Johan Forssell—has been summoned to the social insurance committee by the Left Party's migration policy spokesperson, Tony Haddou.

"He cannot hide; he must lay his cards on the table," Haddou says.

Parliament is currently on summer break, and Haddou wants Forssell to be summoned to the committee as soon as it reopens.

He does not rule out a report to the Constitutional Committee.

"We rule out nothing. But the most relevant thing right now is that we want to know, what did the minister know? Has he concealed anything? And how has this affected asylum and migration policy? This is a minister who must be held accountable; it concerns Sweden's security," says Tony Haddou.

"He has had a very high tone on issues of poor conduct, for example. Right now, when it comes to far-right extremism, the government is trying to downplay this. It's double standards."

Forssell: Detests All Political Extremism

Similar questions have been raised before, including by S-top and former Migration Minister Morgan Johansson.

"As a minister, you are not responsible for your relatives' choices. But you are responsible for informing the Security Police about close ties to violent extremism. The current minister cannot hide but must answer whether this has been done," he wrote on X.

Johan Forssell previously commented to TT, anonymously via the Prime Minister's press office, that he "detests all forms of political extremism," and that he acted according to current security procedures after learning of the relative's connections.

"I have immediately acted according to the security procedures in place since I became aware of this. I have had close cooperation with the Security Police," Forssell said in the comment to TT.

He also stated that he had discussions with the relative and that "all association with these circles is a closed chapter."

Expressen is seeking Johan Forssell.