Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Court of appeal president Petra Lundh becomes Sweden’s new national police chief

Published 20 November 2023
– By Editorial Staff
Petra Lundh is a lawyer by training.
2 minute read

The former chief judge, attorney general, and current president of the court of appeals Petra Lundh has been appointed as the new national police commissioner. Under her leadership, the police are expected to become more visible, effective, and better at investigating crimes, the government hopes.

– I am really happy and honored. But accepting this assignment is one of the absolute hardest decisions I’ve taken in my career, she tells the Swedish state channel SVT.

– Petra Lundh is a very experienced and recognizedly skilled and appreciated authority head. We are convinced that she is the person who has the qualifications and personal qualities required for this assignment, comments minister of justice Gunnar Strömmer, also noting that Lundh is a “dedicated crime fighter”.

The new national police commissioner describes the task as police chief as “big and difficult” and “perhaps one of the most challenging in Swedish state administration”.

– But when the government believes that I am the right person to lead the Police Authority – then I feel that in the serious situation Sweden is in, I want to make Sweden better and make the residents here feel safer.

Unclear measures

The government has also given the police an updated mission, which briefly involves more police being visible on the streets, the police becoming better and more efficient in terms of investigative work, and the police resources being used more effectively.

At present, however, Lundh does not want to comment on how to proceed to implement this.

– Exactly what I’m going to do, we’ll get back to that.

Petra Lundh replaces Anders Thornberg, who resigns at the end of the month. In the establishment media, it has also been made a big deal that Lundh becomes the first woman in the post.

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Swedish Liberals propose €200,000 for Pride crosswalks

The LGBT lobby

Published today 13:32
– By Editorial Staff
LGBTQ+ issues are close to Jan Jönsson's heart, and to the general public he is perhaps best known for his habit of dressing up as a drag queen.
2 minute read

With less than a year until the election and polling around two percent voter support, the Liberal Party in Stockholm is proposing that the city paint more crosswalks in rainbow colors to show support for the LGBTQ movement.

Taxpayers are expected to cover the total cost of approximately €200,000.

Currently, there is only one rainbow-colored crosswalk in the Swedish capital, located outside Stockholm City Hall. According to the Liberals’ budget proposal, this number should be significantly increased through the project “Proud streets in rainbow colors”.

Opposition city councilor Jan Jönsson (L), who is driving the proposal, argues that the initiative would clearly signal that Stockholm is a city that stands for “love, openness and inclusion”, reports Samnytt.

The proposal comes as the Liberal Party faces the threat of being voted out of the Riksdag. With polling around two percent – far below the four percent threshold required for parliamentary representation – the party is now seeking attention through symbolic policy proposals ahead of next year’s elections.

Drag queens – a cause close to the heart

Jan Jönsson has previously attracted attention for a series of attention-seeking initiatives in recent years. He has called himself “the gangs’ worst enemy” in a campaign about gang crime, although his proposals in practice mainly involved sitting down and having serious conversations with criminal youth.

He has also advocated for men dressed as drag queens to be allowed to read stories to children at libraries. According to Jönsson, it is of utmost importance to protect drag queens’ rights, and he considers it an “art form” that must be defended.

— We want to defend drag queens and everyone else’s right to express themselves. No one should have to hesitate to exercise their right to freedom of expression out of fear of reprisals of any kind, he declared in connection with putting on makeup himself, dressing in women’s clothing and organizing his own drag queen story time in support of the group in question.

— It’s about how people try to restrict people’s right to express themselves and be who they want to be. Especially this art form. This applies to Sweden and not least other countries where increasingly cold winds are blowing, Jönsson warned, claiming that many European countries are moving in an “LGBTQ-hostile direction”.

Sharp increase in children suspected of murder plots in Sweden

organized crime

Published yesterday 15:19
– By Editorial Staff
In 2022, 14 children under the age of 15 were suspected of involvement in murder plots. This year, that number has risen to 127.
3 minute read

The number of minors suspected of planning murders has skyrocketed in a short time, according to new figures from the Swedish Prosecution Authority. More than 120 children under 15 are currently under investigation for planning deadly violence.

At the same time, the Swedish government reports that the fight against gang crime shows some progress – but the development raises concerns.

The government’s initiative against gangs has been a central part of the Tidö Agreement between the governing parties and the Sweden Democrats. Three years after the cooperation began, several sentences have been toughened, the justice system has received increased resources, and police have gained access to new tools.

Despite this, it remains unclear whether organized crime is actually decreasing. However, one clearly positive trend is that the number of shootings has decreased sharply in recent years.

According to police statistics, 314 shootings occurred through September 2022. During the same period this year, the number has dropped to 113. The number of fatal shootings has decreased from 49 to 26 during the corresponding period – excluding the ten people killed in the attack at Risbergska School in Örebro, central Sweden.

Police assess that more violent crimes are being stopped in time thanks to expanded possibilities for secret surveillance and other intelligence methods. More murder investigations are also being solved, according to the authority.

Bombings and arson increase

At the same time, the trend points in the opposite direction regarding bombings and arson attacks. These have increased but rarely lead to fatalities. Recently, many of the bombings have been carried out with powerful pyrotechnics instead of military explosives.

Police also see successes on the international front. So far this year, 183 gang-connected individuals have been arrested abroad – a record figure – of which 35 are classified as so-called priority actors. Despite this, the total circle of gang criminals is not assessed to be decreasing.

According to police’s latest situation report from autumn 2024, around 14,000 people are actively involved in the gang environment and an additional 48,000 have connections to it. When the next report is presented in November, the numbers are expected to rise.

Directing crime from abroad

Police also estimate that approximately 700 gang criminals now operate from abroad – an increase of 100 people since previous calculations.

The most concerning trend, however, involves children and young people. In 2022, 14 children under 15 were suspected of involvement in murder plots. This year, the figure has risen to 127, according to new data from the Swedish Prosecution Authority.

The suspicions mainly concern attempted murder, preparation, conspiracy and aiding and abetting murder, but also nine completed murders and a couple of cases of incitement.

Sprängdåd Uppsala september 2023
Bombings are increasing alarmingly in Sweden (archive image Uppsala, Sep. 2023). Photo: Facsimile/Aftonbladet Play/YT

Children recruiting children

According to the Swedish Ministry of Justice, children are often recruited via social media, where gang criminals post orders for violent acts. A growing trend is also that children themselves recruit other children. Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer (Moderate Party) believes that crime has not worsened, but that it has changed character.

Criminologist Manne Gerell assesses that the development is largely moving in the right direction: – The best indicator for me is how many people die or are seriously injured, and there we have seen a massive decrease in shootings.

Gerell believes the decrease is mainly due to increased resources for police rather than individual reforms in the Tidö Agreement: – Everything else is small puzzle pieces that individually could hardly have played any role, he says.

Among the measures that have had the least effect, he mentions the visitation zones, which have been used less than expected and have not produced any clear results.

Police simultaneously warn that the level of violence within gangs remains high and that new spirals of violence may arise: – One concern is that hundreds of children and young people who were taken for involvement in these crimes a few years ago will, to a large extent, be back on the streets soon if they aren’t already, says Manne Gerell.

The Tidö Agreement and the fight against gang violence – what's coming in 2025/26

  • Legislative proposal on expanded criminal liability for attempted, preparatory, and conspiracy to commit crimes
  • Legislative proposal on new indeterminate prison sentence, security sentence
  • Legislative proposal allowing police to use AI for real-time facial recognition with cameras
  • Legislative proposal to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 13 years for serious crimes
  • Legislative proposal to completely abolish sentence reductions for young people between 18 and 21 years
  • Legislative proposal on reduced sentence reductions for young people aged 15–17 years
  • Stricter rules for conditional release enter into force on January 1
  • Investigation proposal on allowing police to use entrapment
  • Legislative proposal on being able to deport foreign nationals with gang connections
  • Investigation proposal on reversed burden of proof in asset forfeiture cases
  • Investigation on new possibilities for police to intervene in the cyber environment


Examples of legislative proposals from the criminal law review

  • multiple offenses to be assessed more severely
  • sentencing scales for approximately fifty crimes to be tightened
  • less consideration given to mitigating circumstances
  • up to double sentences for crimes linked to gang criminality

Source: Ministry of Justice (Sweden)

Saab secures €50 million NATO contract for Spanish radar system

Published yesterday 14:11
– By Editorial Staff
Arthur is a radar system that locates artillery and provides warning of incoming fire.
2 minute read

Swedish defense company Saab has secured a contract worth almost €50 million from NATO’s procurement organization NSPA to extend the lifespan of Arthur radar systems for the Spanish army.

This marks the first time Saab’s radar systems have been procured through NATO’s purchasing organization.

The contract involves enabling the Spanish army’s artillery locating force to maintain its operational capabilities through modern technology.

The life extension of the systems will provide higher operational mobility and more accurate fire control. The upgrade means more targets can be located at longer distances. The system will also have a smaller signature against electronic warfare sensors, which increases protection for personnel and equipment.

Carl-Johan Bergholm, head of Saab’s Surveillance business area, comments on the order:

— We are pleased to continue strengthening Spain’s artillery locating capability, which is crucial for warning against hostile artillery as well as directing our own artillery fire. The order is also the first for our radar systems to go through NATO’s procurement organization, which is an important step for us, he says.

Largest in the Nordic region

Saab is by far the largest defense company in the Nordic region with approximately 25,000 employees and manufacturing operations in the United States, Germany, and Brazil, among other countries. In 2023, the company ranked as the world’s 35th largest arms manufacturer.

In addition to its well-known fighter jets, Saab also produces and maintains military command and control systems.

The largest shareholder is the Wallenberg sphere, which through the investment company Investor controls around 30 percent of the capital and 40 percent of the votes. Marcus Wallenberg has been chairman of the board since 2006.

Growing number of Swedes living in poverty

Welfare collapse

Published yesterday 12:46
– By Editorial Staff
For the most vulnerable, every day becomes a struggle when the safety net fails.
1 minute read

An increasing number of Swedes are living in material and social poverty. According to this year’s poverty report from Sweden’s City Missions, poverty in Sweden has nearly doubled since 2021.

Last year, 698,000 Swedes lived in some form of poverty, according to the report. The increase in poverty in Sweden stands out across Europe, particularly in terms of speed – having nearly doubled in four years. Jonas Rydberg, secretary general of Sweden’s City Missions (a charitable organization), believes the rising poverty is largely due to the economic downturn and sharp increases in food prices.

But what we can show in our report is that it’s also because it’s becoming increasingly difficult to have one’s rights met. For example, financial benefits. They are inaccessible and difficult to obtain, he says in Nyhetsmorgon.

Rydberg notes that many of those seeking help from the city mission don’t receive the general social insurance benefits they’re entitled to, making it significantly harder to manage daily life. Social welfare support, for example, has become more complicated to obtain and the payments are very low.

It has become increasingly difficult and the ultimate safety net is being eroded in Sweden.

The Swedish government recently presented a welfare reform that involves stricter requirements for social benefits, with the goal of getting more people into work. According to Rydberg, the proposal risks instead pushing more people into poverty.

It’s difficult and the labor market in Sweden is not accessible, he states.

Definition of poverty among adults in Sweden

An adult is considered poor if they lack the financial means to meet at least five of the following basic needs:

  • Eat protein-rich meals (meat, fish, chicken or vegetarian) every other day
  • Maintain a satisfactory indoor temperature in their home
  • Invite friends and family over or meet them for meals or coffee at least monthly
  • Have access to the internet
  • Manage to regulate loans and pay bills on time
  • Have a small amount available for personal expenses weekly
  • Own at least two pairs of functional shoes suitable for different weather conditions
  • Replace broken or worn-out furniture when needed
  • Participate in leisure activities with some regularity
  • Buy new clothes when the old ones are too worn
  • Handle an unexpected expense of €1,200 (the amount is adjusted periodically)
  • Take a week-long vacation away from home annually
  • Own a personal vehicle

Source: Sveriges stadsmissioner (Swedish City Missions)

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