Latest news with #Forssell
Local Sweden
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Sweden
Inside Sweden: What's next for the government after white supremacist scandal?
The Local Sweden's editor Emma Löfgren rounds up the biggest stories of the week in our Inside Sweden newsletter. Advertisement Hej, It's been a busy week with the big story being that Migration Minister Johan Forssell was revealed as the minister whose son had been active in far-right extremist groups. I can't help thinking that the government could have managed the scandal much better had they not tried to initially ignore it. It was a tricky one for Swedish media to handle. On the one hand the risk of outing a 16-year-old who's not a public figure – on the other the need to hold a government minister, who's in charge of immigration policy and has been one of the most outspoken ministers on parental responsibility, accountable. In the end – other than what I suspect was a growing annoyance in the Swedish media about the government's attempts to avoid answering journalists' questions – what tipped the scale in favour of naming Forssell was the Left Party's decision to call him to appear before parliament's social insurance committee. "Anonymous minister testifies in parliament" would have been a ridiculous headline, and we need to be able to report on proceedings in the highest democratically elected body in the country. The day after most of the national newspapers named Forssell, he gave an interview on morning television, describing himself as a father who's trying his best, and stressing that the boy's ties to these groups have now been cut. Dwelling on his fatherhood doesn't serve much purpose. We don't know the full back story and we can't know the full back story – ministers are also entitled to a private family life, and their underage children deserve a second chance. But some aspects of the story are very much in the public interest. Here are some of the questions I want answers to: will the government give immigrants whose children take a wrong turn a second chance, what are the security implications of a family member's ties to extremist groups, why has the prime minister barely addressed this at all (if a boss wanted to protect a coworker who's presumably going through a tough time at home, shouldn't they be out there taking the flak?), how will the government make sure its own collaboration with the far right doesn't fuel the radicalisation of young people, and how will it even be possible for Forssell to be out there pushing the government's hardline migration reforms in the election year ahead? Forssell has talked about how he as a father is taking his responsibility by having long and frank conversations with his son. Fair enough. But this is not a story about Forssell, the dad. It's a story about Forssell, the minister, and how he and the government are going to handle these bigger issues going forward. Advertisement In other news Bankruptcies, redundancies and difficulties finding investment have all resulted in a "negative perfect storm" for the Swedish games industry, according to a former game company CEO. Is the games industry going through a crisis? When the Moderates set up a new AI tool ahead of the election, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accidentally sending personal greetings to Adolf Hitler and Idi Amin wasn't what they had in mind. Not the story they needed right now. Many experts predicted that Sweden's central bank, the Riksbank, would lower the key interest rate at its next meeting in August. Have higher-than-expected inflation rates changed that prediction? A man with a foreign dental degree was rejected for two jobs in Sweden, despite the fact that he had completed additional training in Sweden to qualify for a Swedish dental licence. Now, both employers have been ordered to pay damages. Bodyguards from the Swedish Security Police have accidentally revealed the location of the prime minister and members of the royal family on multiple occasions by uploading runs or rides to the Strava training app. Advertisement Immigrants studying Swedish for Immigrants courses will under a new proposal only have three years to complete their studies before losing the right to take part in classes, the minister responsible for adult education has said. A prenuptial agreement might not be the first thing on your mind when you get engaged, but it's worth knowing how they work in Sweden before tying the knot. After all, almost a fifth of Swedes think they're essential. Thanks for reading, Emma Inside Sweden is our weekly newsletter for members which gives you news, analysis and, sometimes, takes you behind the scenes at The Local. It's published each Saturday and with Membership+ you can also receive it directly to your inbox.
Saudi Gazette
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Swedish migration minister ‘shocked and horrified' by teenage son's far-right links
STOCKHOLM — Sweden's Migration Minister Johan Forssell has said he is 'shocked and horrified' after learning that his teenage son had been involved with violent far-right extremist groups, according to domestic media reports. The revelation comes after the Swedish security service, Säpo, contacted Forssell several weeks ago to alert him to the activities of his 16-year-old son. Forssell, a member of the centre-right Moderate Party who formerly served as foreign trade minister, is part of a governing coalition that relies on support from the far-right Sweden Democrats. The minister went public following an exposé by the anti-racism magazine Expo, which revealed that a 'close relative of a Swedish minister' had ties to the extremist far-right. According to the magazine, the son is reported to have attempted to recruit individuals to a white supremacist organisation and taken part in activities with the neo-Nazi and violence-prone group Aktivklubb Sverige. Speaking to TV4, Forssell said: 'As a father you are shocked, you are horrified. I have a deeply remorseful 15-year-old, who just turned 16. These activities are over but our conversations will, of course, continue.' Although Forssell followed his son on social media, where the teenager had been engaging with far-right activists and influencers, he said he was unaware of the extent of his involvement until Expo contacted him. He emphasised that his son is not suspected of any criminal wrongdoing. Taking to social media, Forssell described the incident as a potential 'eye-opener' for parents. 'It highlights a bigger societal issue,' he wrote. 'How much do we actually know about what our children do on social media, and how can we protect them from being dragged into something we don't want?' Far-right extremists have maintained a presence in Sweden for years and often recruit teenage boys and young men online, reaching out first on mainstream platforms before shifting to private channels. The Sweden Democrats, who hold considerable sway in the coalition government, have historic links to neo-Nazi movements and became Sweden's second-largest party in the last general election. Although Forssell intends to remain migration minister, he assured that he will 'continue to take responsibility" and be 'focused on implementing the policies we have received support from the Swedish people for.' Nonetheless, the issue is already prompting political fallout. According to local media, the Left Party has demanded that Forssell be summoned to the Riksdag and 'lay the cards on the table'. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has offered his backing to Forssell since the information on his son's involvement became public. 'He has acted as a responsible parent should when you learn that your child is doing wrong and is in bad company," Kristersson said. — Euronews
Euronews
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Swedish migration minister 'horrified' by teenage son's far-right ties
Sweden's Migration Minister Johan Forssell has said he is 'shocked and horrified' after learning that his teenage son had been involved with violent far-right extremist groups, according to domestic media reports. The revelation comes after the Swedish security service, Säpo, contacted Forssell several weeks ago to alert him to the activities of his 16-year-old son. Forssell, a member of the centre-right Moderate Party who formerly served as foreign trade minister, is part of a governing coalition that relies on support from the far-right Sweden Democrats. The minister went public following an exposé by the anti-racism magazine Expo, which revealed that a 'close relative of a Swedish minister' had ties to the extremist far-right. According to the magazine, the son is reported to have attempted to recruit individuals to a white supremacist organisation and taken part in activities with the neo-Nazi and violence-prone group Aktivklubb Sverige. Speaking to TV4, Forssell said: 'As a father you are shocked, you are horrified. I have a deeply remorseful 15-year-old, who just turned 16. These activities are over but our conversations will, of course, continue.' 'Eye-opener' for parents Although Forssell followed his son on social media, where the teenager had been engaging with far-right activists and influencers, he said he was unaware of the extent of his involvement until Expo contacted him. He emphasised that his son is not suspected of any criminal wrongdoing. Taking to social media, Forssell described the incident as a potential 'eye-opener' for parents. 'It highlights a bigger societal issue,' he wrote. 'How much do we actually know about what our children do on social media, and how can we protect them from being dragged into something we don't want?' Far-right extremists have maintained a presence in Sweden for years and often recruit teenage boys and young men online, reaching out first on mainstream platforms before shifting to private channels. The Sweden Democrats, who hold considerable sway in the coalition government, have historic links to neo-Nazi movements and became Sweden's second-largest party in the last general election. Although Forssell intends to remain migration minister, he assured that he will 'continue to take responsibility" and be 'focused on implementing the policies we have received support from the Swedish people for.' Nonetheless, the issue is already prompting political fallout. According to local media, the Left Party has demanded that Forssell be summoned to the Riksdag and 'lay the cards on the table'. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has offered his backing to Forssell since the information on his son's involvement became public. 'He has acted as a responsible parent should when you learn that your child is doing wrong and is in bad company," Kristersson said.
Local Sweden
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Sweden
Swedish PM backs migration minister's decision to stay on despite son's far-right links
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has offered his back to Migration Minister Johan Forssell, who has faced scrutiny over his 16-year-old son's reported links to white supremacist groups. Advertisement The revelations led to accusations the government employed double standards, as Forssell has been vocal about parental responsibility when it comes to youths involved in crime. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's right-wing minority government, which is propped up by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats (SD), has also been accused of turning a blind eye to far-right extremism. Expo, an anti-racism foundation and watchdog, last week reported that a "close relative" of an unnamed Swedish minister was "active in the violent far-right". According to Expo, the relative had "collaborated" with an activist from the neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement, "recruited" members to an extreme-right organisation, and joined a "violent network". Speaking to broadcaster TV4 on Thursday, Forssell said he would not resign and that his decision not to publicly address the allegations earlier had been done to protect his 16-year-old son. "This has not been about protecting me as a politician, but about protecting a minor," he said. Forssell also said he had not been aware of his son's activities when he was contacted by Expo and Sweden's security service Säpo a few weeks ago, and had been "shocked". "Perhaps many parents can relate to not having a complete picture of what their children are doing on social media," he said, adding that his son was no longer active in such circles. "This activity has ended, but our conversations will of course continue," the minister added. Kristersson on Thursday said he still had "confidence" in Forssell, adding he believed the minister "acted as a responsible parent". 'Double standard' On Wednesday, Sweden's Left Party said it would summon Forssell before a parliamentary committee once lawmakers return from the summer break. The Nordic country's other two opposition parties, the Social Democrats and the Green Party, later backed the call for Forssell to answer questions. The Left Party's migration policy spokesperson, Tony Haddou, highlighted Forssell's and the right-wing government's repeated emphasis on the importance of parental responsibility. He told newspaper Dagens Nyheter that "you cannot engage in double standards. It is not credible at all." Advertisement In his interview with TV4, Forssell said parental responsibility was "a cornerstone of a good society". "However, parental responsibility does not mean you always get it right. Sometimes you get it wrong." "I detest all forms of extremism, including right-wing extremism," Forssell added. Kristersson's government came into power in 2022, when his conservative Moderate Party for the first time opened up for collaborations with SD – which has previously come under criticism for members' links to various far-right or neo-Nazi groups. SD party leader Jimmie Åkesson – at the helm since 2005 – has long sought to clean up the SD's image. Political scientist Marja Lemne told AFP that the revelations were particularly embarrassing for the government, which has put forward plans to require migrants to adhere to "honest living" or face deportation. She believed the revelations could end up playing a role in the next election – due in September 2026. "It depends of course on what else happens, but I don't think they can make it go away but staying silent," Lemne said.
MTV Lebanon
10-07-2025
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
10 Jul 2025 20:51 PM Swedish minister reveals teenage son linked to extremist groups
Sweden's migration minister says he will not resign after it was revealed his teenage son has links to white supremacist groups. Johan Forssell on Thursday confirmed that the person named by the anti-racism watchdog Expo recently as being a "close relative" of an unnamed minister and "active in the far right" was his 16-year-old son. Forssell said he had not known about his son's activities until he was contacted by the country's security service a few weeks ago and that he had followed all proper protocol. "Perhaps many parents can relate to not having a complete picture of what their children are doing on social media," he told Swedish broadcaster TV4. Forssell's comments come after Expo last week said that the close relative of a government minister had "collaborated" with a member of the neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement (NMR) group. Expo also said that the relative had been involved with two other extremist groups - allegedly recruiting members to one of them. Forssell - who has been openly critical of political extremism and an advocate of greater parental responsibility when it comes to youth involved in crime - says he did not publicly address the allegations when he found out about them out of his duty to his child. "This has not been about protecting me as a politician, but about protecting a minor," he said. Forssell also took to social media to, as he put it, explain the situation in his own words. He said he and his wife had had "long and important conversations" with their son, who has now "cut off contact and is deeply remorseful". "It is a closed chapter," he added, going on to explain that Sweden's security service, known as Sapo, had told him that his son's activities had mainly taken place on social media and that he was not being investigated for a crime. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson says he "continues to have confidence" in his minister. "I think that Johan Forssell has acted as a responsible parent should when you learn that your child is doing wrong and is in bad company," Kristersson wrote on social media. However, Forssell and the wider Swedish centre-right minority government are facing accusations of double standards and of turning a blind eye when it comes to countering extremism. The opposition Left Party said on Wednesday that it would summon the minister before a parliamentary committee once lawmakers return from the summer break. Kristersson's government has been in power since 2022 and has faced a backlash for working with the Social Democrats (SD) - a radical anti-immigration party that was founded by Nazi sympathisers.
