Sweden Democrat: “Let Swedes carry weapons”

Sweden Democrat MP Josef Fransson is proposing that law-abiding Swedes be allowed to carry handguns to better protect the country and themselves from terrorism and gang crime.

“Sweden’s law-abiding citizens need better protection against terrorists and gang crime. I am thinking about whether it would be possible to allow civilians to carry handguns without penalty, in combination with ongoing training and shooting tests. I think many people would jump at the chance, even if they had to pay every penny themselves. What do you think? Do the benefits outweigh the costs?” he writes on X, formerly Twitter.

Sveriges laglydiga medborgare behöver bättre skydd mot terrorister och gängkriminalitet. Funderar på om man inte skulle kunna låta ostraffade civila bära handeldvapen i kombination med löpande utbildning och skjutprov. Tror många skulle ta chansen även om de fick betala var enda…

— Josef Fransson (@FranssonJosef) August 22, 2023

Fransson tells TT that he believes that if more Swedes carried guns, fewer criminals would dare to commit serious crimes such as armed robbery. He also believes that there should be an age limit for the possession of guns and also a strict examination with checks on criminal records and illnesses.

– This is not a policy proposal, not a statement, but an idea to start an interesting discussion and see if anyone can come up with an interesting counter-argument, he says, pointing out that this is not an official SD proposal or something he has yet to propose.

Nor does he believe claims that more guns among law-abiding Swedes could lead to more injuries or deaths.

– Guns in the ‘right hands’ are never a danger. We have hunters and sport shooters, and these weapons never end up in that kind of situation.

However, even the suggestion that more Swedes should be allowed to carry guns is enough to meet with harsh criticism, and Liberal Party leader Johan Pehrson is among those vociferously opposing the proposal.

– I think it’s bad, we need more police, sharper tools and earlier social intervention. We need fewer guns on our streets among people who should not have guns, not more, he argues.

Fransson further argues that more opportunities for citizens to own firearms would also strengthen Swedish civil defense and make a possible Russian occupation more difficult.