Following the harassment of Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin by activists, Sweden's Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer convenes a meeting with political leaders to discuss security measures. The government is considering legal reforms to enhance police powers and address harassment of public officials. The meeting highlights ongoing concerns about the safety of elected representatives.
Swedish Government Considers Legal Reforms After Minister's Harassment
Swedish Government Considers Legal Reforms After Minister's Harassment
Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin was harassed by activists outside the parliament, prompting the Justice Minister to call a meeting with all political parties to discuss security.
On Monday afternoon, a meeting was held between Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer, Speaker Andreas Norlén, and party leaders from the parliament. The Police Authority, Security Service, Parliamentary Administration, and Government Offices' administrative department also participated.
The backdrop is recent high-profile incidents that have left both parliament members and ministers feeling unsafe. The most notable was the harassment of Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Minister for Civil Defense, by Gaza demonstrators on his way home from a parliamentary meeting.
The meeting aimed to provide an overview of recent events and discuss potential measures.
Reviewing the Law
The government now wants to review legislation, Gunnar Strömmer announced at a press conference after the meeting. They aim to give the police greater ability to change the time or place of a public gathering if necessary to maintain order.
Such a proposal already exists, but the government also wants to develop more proposals.
"We want to commission a new investigation to review the criminal responsibility for actions like those seen outside the parliament, where individuals, as part of their advocacy, threaten others," Strömmer said.
According to him, this could involve reviewing the crime of harassment or considering it as a crime against civil liberty—a classification rarely used today.
The National Police Chief announced on Monday that a so-called national special event has been initiated to ensure security around the 2026 election.
The police usually do this before elections, the Justice Minister noted, but said that this time it is happening "much earlier" than usual.
"The police have today announced that they are intensifying their presence, both immediately in relation to the parliament and around the clock in a wider area around the parliament," Strömmer said.
Ygeman: Not a New Problem
From the Social Democrats, Anders Ygeman participated in the meeting. Group leader Lena Hallengren is currently campaigning for the upcoming church election.
Before the meeting, he said it is good that the government is addressing the issue, but he believes it should have happened earlier and not just now when a moderate minister is affected.
"This is not a new problem, that elected officials are harassed, threatened, followed. It has happened to representatives of all parties. It has happened all over Sweden," he said.
Personally Affected
Ygeman himself has also been affected—among other incidents, during May Day last year when the Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement disrupted his speech.
"And I have been disturbed both by activists for peace in the Middle East and by someone very close to a Sweden Democrat MP who aggressively filmed me and shouted derogatory things about me. So I absolutely see the need for action, but at the same time, I also defend my and my worst opponents' right to demonstrate."
Ygeman brought some concrete demands to the meeting. He wants the government to provide a concrete description of the threat situation and to develop an action plan for how members can feel safe.
In the debate following Bohlin's harassment, various proposals have been raised by different party representatives. Anders Ygeman believes it is important to protect elected officials.
"But neither the police's nor the security service's resources are unlimited. So it will always be a matter of judgment."