The government increases the readiness to confront Russia’s attempts to influence and manipulate the Swedish people during the election campaign next year. Prime Minister Stefan löfven (Stefan Löfven) visited one of the most advanced positions of the front recently launched the psychological defence of Sweden.
Could not choose a better time and place than where I went to Prime Minister Stefan löfven, Minister for home Affairs Anders Ygeman (Anders Ygeman) when they Monday visited the Swedish Agency for civil protection and preparedness, MSB in Stockholm.
From rooms full of TV and computer monitors, the command MSB clock to monitor the situation. In that moment, when Ministers entered the room, the screens just showed the U.S. Congress, where the head of the FBI James Komi (James Comey) described how the Federal police are investigating a possible link between the election campaign of Donald trump and Russia.
The fact that Russia intervened in the election campaign in the USA, opened the eyes of Sweden, where in 2018 will be held the elections to Parliament, County councils and municipalities.
“We have no reason to doubt the conclusions reached by the Americans. Russia is exactly the country that we constantly see in the reports that they develop active. And we know what is happening in our own country,” said Stefan löfven DN, Recalling how the forged letters of Ministers and their Twitter accounts.
“Soon will the next General election, the most important element of open democracy. Then we have, of course, be a thorough discussion on political alternatives in Sweden. But we must take care about is that the Swedish election campaign was really Swedish, not someone else.”
Dagens Nyheter: How to behave towards an ordinary citizen?
Stefan löfven: we Need to be aware of the fact that the Ministry of defence, radar centre of the armed forces, the security police SAPO, Agency for civil protection and preparedness and police work. For civil society it is important that political parties have increased the level of preparedness for defense. But I as a citizen should be attentive to what may be the influence of external authorities, and to distinguish it from actual facts. To make such an assessment difficult, but only an increase in mindfulness can facilitate this process.
We must protect our democracy. Of course, we can have different points of view, but if another nation intends to affect us in their own interests, we must be vigilant and notice it.
According to MSB, Russia’s information campaign against Sweden intensified in comparison with 2015.
“Political speech is one thing. But they are constantly supplemented by the negative descriptions in the Russian state media. Russia has targeted NATO, the Treaty of Sweden with NATO on the admission of troops on its territory, as well as problems of the EU,” says Michael Tuvesson (Mikael Tofvesson), head of unit, MSB.
According to Tuveson, Russian state media spread false information, which then diverge on social networks, thanks to misinformation in a roundabout way seeps into the Swedish society.
The Parliament also reacted to this on Tuesday invited the MSB to the constitutional Committee.
“It’s good that something is being done, but need to do more. The idea is to warn a democratic society and participants in public debate. Then those who have a different agenda than we do, will fail to affect them,” said the Chairman of the constitutional Committee Andres Norlen (Andreas Norlén) DN.
Facts. Four examples of Russian intervention
February 2015: a falsified letter of the Minister of defence Peter Hultqvist (Peter Hultqvist) on the export of weapons in Ukraine is distributed through a German website. In October 2016 it is revealed that the trail leads to St. Petersburg.
April 2016: SEPO warns that Russian agents are incited to protest against the Treaty of Sweden and the NATO deployment of troops in the country (which is later in may, the Parliament approved by an overwhelming majority).
May 2016: fraudulent Dagens Nyheter article about Carl Bildt (Carl Bildt) and the EU spreads through social network.
27 February 2017: created a fake Twitter account on behalf of the Minister of defence Peter Hultqvist.
