Tobias Billström: Richard Jomshof Was a 'Constant Problem'

Tobias Billström frequently clashed with the Sweden Democrats during his time as Foreign Minister. During the crisis involving Quran burnings, which he identifies as an influence operation by Iran, Richard Jomshof was a 'constant problem.'

"I felt an enormous responsibility for this happening on my watch," says Billström.

It has been a year since Tobias Billström (M) stepped down as Foreign Minister. He is now releasing a book, "Skarpt läge."

Part of it deals with the government's cooperation with the Sweden Democrats. Foreign policy is not part of the Tidö Agreement, but the Sweden Democrats receive ongoing information.

In the book, it is clear that Jimmie Åkesson's party managed to upset Tobias Billström several times.

For example, when the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Aron Emilsson (SD), who is currently on parental leave and replaced by Mattias Karlsson, gave an interview to DN where he detailed a private meeting with Billström:

"And claimed that the Sweden Democrats were 'joint architects behind the idea development [on foreign policy] without being bound by the Tidö Agreement,' and much more that gave the reader the impression that the Sweden Democrats now had significant influence over foreign policy," writes Billström.

The actions led to sour faces from the other government parties – the Christian Democrats and Liberals – and a media uproar.

"I called Aron and told him how dissatisfied I was," writes Billström.

But it wasn't the only time the Sweden Democrats caused trouble.

In the book, Tobias Billström points to the then-chairman of the Justice Committee, Richard Jomshof (SD), and his habit of making controversial statements. Like the well-known "burn a hundred more," in the debate around the noted Quran burnings, which, besides sparking anger in the Middle East, also led to violent riots in several Swedish cities.

Disruptive Sweden Democrats

Tobias Billström writes that Jomshof had "a sort of childishness to always choose the most extreme path in the discussion" and that the Sweden Democrats had a "constant Richard Jomshof problem."

Even Björn Söder caused irritation, among other things, when he criticized Pride, which he claimed had connections to pedophilia, and ministers who support the movement.

"There was too much immaturity in their respective statements. The government had to spend too much time on things that were just disruptive," writes Billström.

However, Billström does not agree that the Sweden Democrats' actions may have complicated the NATO process for Sweden, as has been said in the debate about the prolonged membership.

"There was a misconception in Sweden that this negatively affected the Swedish process enormously. It did not," says Tobias Billström.

What evidence do you have for that?

"None of our allies, nor Turkey, brought up this Swedish domestic political debate in the talks. It didn't matter. What mattered were the Quran burnings themselves."

According to Tobias Billström, there were things that "went off the rails" in the cooperation with the Sweden Democrats, but for the most part, it worked well. However, he is careful to emphasize that the order, where it is the parties in the government that should steer foreign policy, is important to maintain.

How he views letting the Sweden Democrats into the government after the next election, if the Tidö parties are re-elected, is unclear. He was previously seen as something of a bridge-builder between the parties.

"I leave the assessments forward to those who, after the election, will decide how the government should be formed," he says.

Even one of those behind the noted Quran burnings, Salwan Momika, who was later shot dead during a live broadcast from his home, receives attention in the book.

Theory: Momika Acted on Behalf of Iran

Momika was involved in two Christian militia groups linked to the Iran-backed militia People's Mobilization Forces in the 2010s, something DN has reported on.

Tobias Billström is convinced that Momika acted on behalf of Iran, but that neither the media nor the public understood it at the time. He also links the LVU campaign against social services and the fire at the Swedish embassy in Baghdad to this.

"Momika was so obviously part of an influence operation, aimed at maximum damage to our country."

According to Billström, the explanation lay in Iran's dissatisfaction with the handling of Hamid Noury, who was arrested in November 2019 at Arlanda Airport and tried in Sweden for war crimes. Noury was later handed over to Iran in a prisoner exchange to free Swedish EU official Johan Floderus.

"Iran wanted to punish Sweden for his arrest and prosecution. In the Quran burnings, they found an excellent tool for this," he writes.

Tobias Billström describes a time of intense diplomacy to calm tensions in the Middle East and the hatred against Sweden.

On the table was also Iran pushing for a resolution against Sweden, which would have complicated relations with about 50 countries and been a severe blow to business.

"There were some very sweaty days and weeks and incredibly intense diplomatic footwork to stop this."

Were you ever afraid?

"No, but I felt an enormous responsibility for this happening on my watch. I was Sweden's Foreign Minister," says Billström.

"I felt responsible for Sweden, for the Swedish economy, for Swedish citizens, both economically and in terms of security."