It was in January that a man left a basket of apples, painted with Adolf Hitler's face, outside the home of Migration Minister Johan Forssell (M). A doll depicting an IS terrorist with a pretend knife was placed outside the home of Development Minister Benjamin Dousa (M).
The events are the latest in a larger pattern, believes Jörgen Holmlund, who teaches intelligence analysis at the Swedish National Defense University.
"I believe there is this kind of unauthorized influence against all our elected officials, not just at the ministerial level," he says.
“Home not safe”
Comments that a basket of apples is not dangerous and should be seen as a protest do not give Jörgen Holmlund much credit.
Individuals come so close in their expressions of opinion to our elected officials that you don't feel your home is a safe place.
He feels that there has been a shift in what politicians are expected to put up with, not least when it comes to threats and hatred online - which could ultimately become a democratic problem.
Will we suddenly have people who want their personal data protected just because they are a deputy on the social affairs committee in Varberg municipality?
Wants to see increased responsibility for Säpo
Jörgen Holmlund mentions former Prime Minister Olof Palme, who was shot to death in 1986, and Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, who was murdered in 2003. He sees a need for strengthened personal protection for ministers - but also other elected politicians.
I believe this issue is so much bigger that the Security Service should be given increased responsibility for protecting our elected officials also at the municipal and regional level, of course together with the local police.
It is of course not reasonable that tens of thousands of people would receive continuous surveillance, admits Holmlund, who instead envisions a form of preparedness that can step in when particularly sensitive matters are being handled. In this way, the step to protection would be shorter and the risk of politicians backing down from sensitive matters due to threats would be reduced.
But it would cost a lot.
If you double the effort for what Säpo or the Police Authority should do, you double the cost. But I think that for our democracy and the protection of our elected officials, it is actually worth it, says Jörgen Holmlund.
