Vänsterpartiet has filed a complaint against Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson following the discovery of a secret government folder in an airport restroom. The incident has sparked criticism from multiple political figures, highlighting concerns over a perceived culture of carelessness within the government. The folder, found by a cleaner, contained no classified information according to the security department, but the incident adds to a series of security lapses under Kristersson's administration.
Vänsterpartiet Files Complaint Against PM Kristersson Over Forgotten NATO Documents
Vänsterpartiet Files Complaint Against PM Kristersson Over Forgotten NATO Documents
Vänsterpartiet has filed a complaint against Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson following a revelation by Dagens Nyheter that a cleaner found a secret government folder in an airport restroom, reports Ekot. Criticism also comes from the Social Democrats.
"The impression is that there is a culture of carelessness in the government office," says former Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist (S).
The forgotten folder has sparked strong reactions.
Håkan Svenneling, foreign policy spokesperson for Vänsterpartiet, tells Ekot that his party is filing a complaint against Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
"Once again, Kristersson's office fails to report misplaced classified material. Incredible. Are there more leaked details we should know about?" wrote Vänsterpartiet leader Nooshi Dadgostar in a post on X earlier on Monday.
Top Social Democrat: Harmful for Sweden
Peter Hultqvist (S), Sweden's former Defense Minister, calls the incident "unacceptable and careless."
"The impression is that there is a culture of carelessness in the government office. This shows an inability from Kristersson and his state secretaries to ensure that basic security issues are functioning," he tells Expressen.
He believes the recurring incidents risk damaging Sweden's image.
"It's not just that a document is out there, but also that other countries get the impression that the government office can't handle basic issues. It's harmful for Sweden."
The government office must show that it takes security seriously, according to Hultqvist.
"We can't have these kinds of recurring examples in the media. It can't continue. It risks exposing secret information. It's a significant weakness for Kristersson and his government office."
"Secret Papers at Lion Bar"
Former party leader and current EU parliamentarian Jonas Sjöstedt (V) shares the same view as Nooshi Dadgostar.
"Now we're waiting for someone to find secret papers about Sweden's NATO entry at Lion Bar in Hornstull..." he writes in a post on X.
On the same platform, Social Democrat MP Anna-Caren Sätherberg calls the Prime Minister "(Crisis)tersson" in a post regarding today's revelation.
Found by Cleaner
It was on Monday that Dagens Nyheter revealed that the government folder was found by a cleaner at Arlanda in November 2022 – after Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) had been in Turkey for a NATO meeting with Erdogan.
No damage assessment was made, nor was any report filed with the Security Police.
Fredrik Agemark, security director at the Government Office, writes in a comment to Expressen that there was no reason to make a damage assessment:
"The assessment made by the Government Office's security department, after reviewing the material included in the folder, was that it did not contain security-classified information. Therefore, there was no reason to make a damage assessment."
Multiple Incidents
The incident is one of several security incidents that have occurred under the Kristersson government.
Former national security advisor Henrik Landerholm has been in hot water as he has been involved in such incidents. He has, among other things, forgotten classified documents at a course center and has therefore been charged with negligence with secret information.
Expressen has sought Ulf Kristersson.