Russia interferes in Swedish election campaign, warns frontrunner

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STOCKHOLM — Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson must urgently take action to address claims that his potential far-right coalition partner may have been infiltrated by Russia ahead of this month’s general election, the front-runner in the race told POLITICO.

The call by Magdalena Andersson, leader of the center-left Social Democratic Party, which polls have on course to win the Sept. 13 election, comes after the campaign was rocked by claims that an official inside the far-right Sweden Democrats party had longstanding ties to Russia.

If Andersson wins, she’ll join embattled Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as one of the few center-left politicians around the European leaders’ table. However, the gap between her coalition and a right-wing faction led by Kristersson has been narrowing as the election draws near. If Kristersson wins, the Sweden Democrats stand to enter government for the first time after the prime minister said he would govern with the far-right party.

“Ulf Kristersson must come clean about the security crisis,” Andersson told POLITICO in an interview. “These are extremely serious allegations … Russia is the greatest threat to Sweden.”

The claims, laid out in a Sept. 3 article by non-governmental group Expo, allege that a female Sweden Democrats official promoted pro-Kremlin narratives for a decade, cultivated ties with a Russian state-backed group in Sweden, and brought Russian family members onto the grounds of the Swedish parliament. The official, Polina Malaberg, who remains employed by the Sweden Democrats, previously held roles linked to parliamentary committees focusing on EU affairs.

Reports that Hungary’s former foreign minister had spoken with Moscow during high-level EU gatherings set alarm bells ringing in Brussels about the risk of Russia eavesdropping on European affairs.

Malaberg’s partner, Gustav Gellerbrant, is a senior civil servant and Sweden Democrats member who heads the party’s Coordination Office inside the government, acting as a liaison between the party and Kristersson’s current governing coalition. While Gellerbrant himself is not accused of Russia ties, his relationship with Malaberg raises questions about his security clearance, Andersson argues.

“Is there information relating to national security that may have been exposed?” Andersson asked. “What measures has the prime minister taken and what measures does he intend to take?”

Both Kristersson and Jimmie Åkesson, leader of the Sweden Democrats, have publicly addressed Expo’s claims. Kristersson said Malaberg should be fired if the allegations turn out to be true. “We are in a European war … You can’t have people who sit around promoting pro-Russian narratives and work in the Swedish parliament,” he told newspaper Aftonbladet .

Åkesson said his party had been unaware of the pro-Kremlin posts by Malaberg but conceded “we have to look at this and sort this out,” adding that the party was investigating the claims and that Malaberg could not continue to work for them if she maintained her pro-Russian views.

But these answers aren’t enough, said Andersson, a former finance minister and prime minister of Sweden. “When did the prime minister’s office become aware of this, and what information has been given to the prime minister?” she asked, adding: “This is about Sweden and the security of the Swedish people.”

Speaking to POLITICO from her parliamentary office in Stockholm, Andersson argued that the risks of having the Sweden Democrats in government go beyond security. “We’ve seen journalists threatened” since Kristersson started ruling with backing from the Sweden Democrats, she said. “NGOs are threatened if they criticize what the government is doing. They’ve been threatened to have their state support withdrawn.”

Ulf Kristersson has been in power since 2022. | Pool photo by Jaimi Joy via EFA/EPA

“There could be a Swedish government where half of the ministers, including the foreign minister and the EU minister, come from a party that thinks we should have an inquiry on exit” from the European Union, she added.

The question is whether Swedish voters will agree with Andersson that it’s time for a change (Kristersson has been in power since 2022).

Security and migration remain top campaign issues. Kristersson’s camp vows to crack down harder on gang violence while ramping up deportations, including plans to deport some migrants who have been schooled in Sweden when they turn 18.

Quizzed about her migration stance, Andersson said Sweden’s previously open border policy was “unsustainable.” The country now requires a “very strict” migration policy, she said, adding that her party is open to supporting third-country “return hubs” — external deportation centers for migrants whose asylum applications have failed — if she wins.

But she said a Sweden Democrats proposal to strip permanent residency from some migrants crosses a line. “Once you have permanent residency, it’s permanent, right? You can’t say yes and then ‘no, we changed our minds’… That’s not how Sweden works. Many of these people work. They are bus drivers. They are entrepreneurs creating work… It’s insane.”

Asked whether she was closer to Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen or Spain’s Sánchez on migration, Andersson sidestepped, citing both as close contacts in Europe’s center-left camp.

Andersson touted strong support for Ukraine, a continued “frugal” stance on EU budget negotiations, and tough-on-crime policies as areas where she would maintain continuity with Kristersson’s government. She also favored using Russia’s frozen assets to help fund Ukraine and opposed “decoupling” with the United States.

“Many people say it’s enough now” with Sweden’s current government, Andersson concluded. “We’re the Social Democratic Party. Jobs and household economy, together with welfare, schools, hospitals and elderly care. These are the main issues.”