Friday, May 30, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Tax-funded Sweden’s Radio leaves Twitter

Published 18 April 2023
– By Editorial Staff
SR Ekot's Twitter account.

Tax-funded Sweden’s Radio, Sveriges Radio SR, announces that it will stop using Twitter. The move comes shortly after Twitter marked it with a label as “publicly funded”.

The public broadcaster dismisses the decision as being due to the new label, saying instead that it does not believe it will be able to handle negative comments directed at the state media giant and that Twitter “has become less important to us”.

SR announces that its main news progam Ekot’s account will cease to be active and that a number of other accounts will be shut down. Christian Gillinger, head of social media at Sveriges Radio, denies that the move is related to the labeling of the channel as publicly funded.

The question has also arisen about how we view the fact that the Ekot account has now been labeled by Twitter as “Publicly funded media”. We don’t think it’s anything strange, based on the definition as it stands right now, it’s a correct description of how Sverigs Radio is funded.”, comments Gillinger, who instead refers to the decreasing importance of Twitter as the main decisive factor.

The audience has simply chosen other places to be. And that’s why Sveriges Radio is now choosing to deactivate or delete the last remaining accounts. The accounts we keep, but which are clearly marked as inactive, are the main account for Sveriges Radio and Ekot. The last few Sveriges Radio accounts we have will be closed down completely.

Gillinger also adds that another concern according to the public broadcaster is that it fears it will not be able to handle “bots and disinformation, but also hate and threats” that it expects to encounter on the platform in the future.

For example, it’s worrying for us that Twitter has dramatically reduced its staff. We believe that in the long run this may affect the company’s capacity to deal with, for example, fake accounts, bots and disinformation, but also hate and threats. Of course, these are factors that also weigh in on our decision to be editorially inactive on the platform,” he explains.

The decision does not affect individual employees at Sveriges Radio, who will be allowed to choose whether to use Twitter or not, according to the company.

Taxpayer-funded television broadcaster Sveriges Television SVT has also relatively recently scaled down its Twitter account by closing its comment sections. According to representatives of the public service broadcaster, this is in response to “contemptuous comments and abuse (that) follow publications“.

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Worrying trend: More people driving under the influence of drugs

Published today 7:23
– By Editorial Staff
Genre image - traffic accident. There is no information that drugs are related to this particular incident.

In Sweden, it is now more common for drivers to be under the influence of drugs than alcohol, while in Finland it is still more common to drive drunk than under the influence of drugs.

Between 2018 and 2022, 81 people died in Finland in traffic accidents where the driver who caused the accident was under the influence of at least one drug. This corresponds to 11 percent of all fatal traffic accidents during the period when drug testing was possible.

– Alcohol is still the most common intoxicant in fatal traffic accidents, but drugs are becoming increasingly common. This is particularly true of amphetamines, which are often linked to high speeds and risky decisions. Cannabis is also common among those who drive while intoxicated, says Kalle Parkkari, Director of Traffic Safety at the Finnish Accident Investigation Board, to Swedish Yle.

Statistics show that drivers under the influence of drugs are more likely to collide with other vehicles, while drivers under the influence of alcohol tend to drive off the road or crash in off-road terrain. However, Parkkari points out that the number of cases is so limited that it is difficult to draw firm conclusions.

– There is nevertheless a slight trend indicating an increase in drug-related driving under the influence. Traffic is part of society, and drug use in society appears to be on the rise. It is therefore inevitable that drugs will also begin to appear more frequently in traffic, Parkkari notes.

Sweden stands out in the statistics

In Sweden, the trend is more alarming. Between 2012 and 2022, 23 percent of drivers who died in traffic accidents were under the influence of drugs, compared to 11 percent who had alcohol in their system. Drug-related drunk driving has thus overtaken alcohol as the most common cause.

Lars-Olov Sjöström, traffic safety manager at the Swedish Motorists’ Sobriety Association, points to a change in attitude among young people as a possible explanation.

– For a hundred years, we have taught people not to drive with alcohol in their system, but the surveys we have conducted in collaboration with authorities in Norway show that the same young people who refrain from driving when under the influence of alcohol do not think as carefully when it comes to cannabis. We are lagging behind in providing information about cannabis and other drugs.

“We can learn from each other”

He believes that a more liberal and permissive view of “recreational drugs” among young people makes the work more difficult, but still sees hope for change within five to ten years. Both Parkkari and Sjöström emphasize the importance of cross-border cooperation to manage the development.

– It would be enormously helpful if we could learn from other countries’ experiences in this area. While the situation in Finland is still under control, it is very important to ensure that it does not get worse, says Parkkari.

Sjöström agrees, adding:

– We are seeing the same pattern in Finland as we have seen in Sweden, so we can learn from each other and discuss methods for dealing with the problem.

Swedish journalist files police report against major bank for theft

The crisis of confidence in banks

Published yesterday 15:25
– By Editorial Staff
Mattias Albinsson doesn't think he'll get his banking services back - but he'd like the bank to give back the money they took.

Samnytt reporter Mattias Albinsson has reported the Wallenberg-owned bank SEB for theft after the bank not only closed his account and blocked his Bank ID, but also seized the journalist’s own money on unclear grounds.

Albinsson suspects that he has been subjected to repression by the bank because he works for a newspaper whose reporting and editorial stance are disliked by SEB’s management.

In recent years, the Nordic Times has highlighted a very worrying trend in which people with regime-critical or otherwise inconvenient views are reporting that their accounts are being suddenly and arbitrarily closed – something that also happened earlier this month to Samnytt journalist Mattias Albinsson.

One day, he discovered that his Bank ID no longer worked and that he could not access his own money in his bank account.

According to the reporter, a bank official confirmed that the bank had moved his assets to one of its own “internal accounts”.

Simply stolen, in plain Swedish. I can’t claim it was a huge amount of money. But it would have been enough for a month’s worth of groceries, at least. Now it will probably end up in the bank managers’ golf fund”, he writes in a column.

“An excuse to shut me down”

Albinsson has been a customer of SEB for 24 years but has been living abroad for several years. Last fall, the Wallenberg bank contacted him and asked him to fill out a “customer knowledge” form, which he did, together with a female bank employee over the phone.

The journalist explains to the bank that he needs Bank ID in order to access official mail and other important services, and they agree that other “risky banking services” such as cards, Swish, and international payments will be deactivated – precisely to avoid problems with the bank in the future.

Despite the fact that one of the bank’s own employees helped Albinsson fill out the document, the bank is not satisfied and soon sends out a new “customer knowledge” form, demanding an explanation as to why the journalist wants a bank account in Sweden in the first place. This is also filled out, but new forms continue to arrive.

Customer knowledge, customer knowledge, customer knowledge, customer knowledge, customer knowledge. In the end, I can’t reasonably respond any further to SEB’s demands for ‘customer knowledge’. I’ve already responded several times. I’m starting to get an idea of what they’re after. They want an excuse to shut me down”, he says.

“I feel that they have support from Rosenbad”

His fears proved to be well-founded, as SEB soon kicked out the Swedish expat – even though he had already answered their questions on several occasions.

SEB did not allow him to get his own money back in a straightforward manner with the help of a relative who visited one of the bank’s offices with power of attorney. Instead, they demanded that he fly to Sweden himself and appear in person to get his seized assets back. A trip that would likely be more expensive than the money he had lost.

He himself believes that it is very likely that the reason he was targeted is because he works for a newspaper that SEB’s managers disapprove of, and points out that they have acted in a similar way towards others in the past.

The situation is complicated by the fact that Sweden, regardless of the political color of the government, is moving in an increasingly totalitarian direction where freedom of the press is being stifled step by step. In more ways than one. It’s not just about ‘alternative media’. The ‘Foreign Espionage Act’, for example, can be seen as primarily targeting so-called established media”, he argues, continuing:

So SEB probably feels that it has the support of Rosenbad (Swedish government) when it cracks down on Swedish journalists abroad. In particular, those who write about the wrong things, are suspected of harboring the wrong opinions, or whatever else they choose to focus on”.

To protest the bank’s actions, Albinsson has decided to report SEB to the police for theft or fraud. He does not believe that this will lead anywhere, but sees it as “a way of showing that we will not silently accept theft”.

For my part, I don’t think I’ll get my Bank ID back. Or my bank account. But I am more than happy to get back the money that SEB has stolen”, he emphasizes.

Report: Sweden and the Social Democrats deeply infiltrated by the Muslim Brotherhood

The Islamization of Europe

Published yesterday 11:51
– By Editorial Staff
Social Democratic Party leader Magdalena Andersson and Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Leader Mohamed Badie.

A new French report warns that the Muslim Brotherhood, a movement known for its radical interpretation of Islam and its grand political ambitions, has even greater influence in the Western world than previously known – and Sweden is singled out as particularly infiltrated.

The Islamist movement is said to have particularly strong ties to the Social Democrats – but the party itself strongly denies that this is the case.

Magnus Ranstorp, a terrorism researcher and critic of Islam who is frequently quoted in the media, believes that the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence risks damaging Swedish democracy and that the Islamist group’s values are completely incompatible with those of Sweden.

– It goes against our religion, which is the rule of law, respect for human rights and freedoms, and above all women’s rights and equality, Ranstorp said on Swedish TV4’s Efter fem program.

The government report reveals that the Muslim Brotherhood controls at least 200 mosques in France and has infiltrated both schools and sports activities. The movement, which seeks to establish an Islamist society, is believed to have spread its influence to over 70 countries, including Sweden.

According to the report, Sweden serves as a base for an active part of the movement, and Ranstorp points out how individuals linked to the Brotherhood have positioned themselves as intermediaries between authorities and Muslim organizations.

– They do this by obtaining funding from municipalities and other government agencies, which allows them to gain power and facilitate the process of trying to segregate society.

– The Muslim Brotherhood in particular can be a breeding ground for radicalization. They build a ‘us and them’ society, he says.

S: “Could be based on old information”

Sweden’s largest party, the Social Democrats, is also said to have particularly close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, something they themselves deny.

There is no connection. It could be based on old information. We are looking into what this report might be based on”, writes the Social Democrats’ press service in a comment.

The same message was echoed by the party’s press secretary Tobias Baudin, who claimed that the Social Democrats “have zero tolerance for ties with extremist organizations“.

– That policy is crystal clear within our party, they claim.

However, it recently emerged that Social Democrat MP Jamal El-Haj attended a conference organized by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and personally tried to influence the Migration Agency with the aim of getting a radical Egyptian imam to stay in Sweden. He was subsequently asked to leave the party.

Government demands Social Democrats to investigate themselves

Moderate Party Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard says it is “deeply concerning” that Sweden is being singled out as a stronghold for radical Islamists and that the Social Democrats are said to have particularly strong ties to the group.

However, her solution is not an external and independent investigation – instead, she suggests that the party itself investigate whether or not it has been infiltrated by the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Social Democrats must conduct a thorough investigation into this information. Referring to the fact that it may be based on old information gives strong grounds for suspicion. This is about Sweden’s security – we cannot be this lax”, she writes on X.

Jacob Wallenberg: “Of course we have a lot of power”

Published yesterday 7:16
– By Editorial Staff
Jacob Wallenberg defends his family's influence by saying that "there are many others who also have a lot to say".

In an interview with Swedish state television SVT’s Aktuellt, Swedish oligarch Jacob Wallenberg, head of the powerful Wallenberg family, speaks openly about his family’s direct contact with Sweden’s political elite, including the prime minister.

He also openly acknowledges his family’s significant influence over the Swedish economy, but denies that he has more political power than Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M).

– I can get in touch with the prime minister. I can get in touch with Magdalena Andersson, Wallenberg says.

Contact is made directly, without intermediaries such as press secretaries, and can take place several times in a short period of time depending on the situation and the issues to be discussed. Wallenberg describes it as a natural part of the family’s prominent role in society.

Wallenberg also talks about how the family is preparing the sixth generation, known as G6, to take over important positions within their extensive business empire. A “family contract” and regular meetings ensure that power remains within the family.

– We have an annual meeting and about one meeting a month where three from our generation and three from the new generation meet and go through what’s happening, he explains.

“A great responsibility”

The selection of heirs takes place within a closed circle of family members, and according to Jacob Wallenberg himself, there are strict requirements for education and experience.

The family controls large companies such as SEB, Investor, Ericsson, AstraZeneca, and Electrolux through foundations, which gives them enormous influence without direct ownership. This system, Wallenberg believes, gives the family a unique position in Swedish business and society.

– I try to balance the notion that we decide everything. Of course, it’s not quite that simple, it’s much broader and more complex than that, he asserts, continuing:

– Of course, we have a lot of power. We have a lot of say – and with that comes great responsibility

Controls a third of Sweden’s GDP

However, the Swedish oligarch denies that he has more power than Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, claiming instead that he “has a lot of say in a certain segment of the business world”.

– But there are many others who also have a lot to say. That’s how I see my everyday life and my reality, he defends himself.

The family, whose motto Esse non videri can be roughly translated as “to be, not to seem”, has long been described as perhaps Sweden’s most influential, and through its industrial empire, Wallenberg is believed to indirectly control a third of Sweden’s total GDP.

A criticized family

Criticism of the Wallenberg family’s influence has mainly focused on their unique position of power in Swedish economics and politics, which many believe is exercised without transparency or any popular mandate.

Through foundations, the family controls several of Sweden’s largest companies without having to publicly account for their decisions. Critics argue that this creates a parallel secret power system where a closed circle of heirs has disproportionate influence over the development of Swedish society.

The fact that the family has direct access to top politicians and other powerful figures, without formal channels, has also raised questions about transparency, corruption, and how much of the power in society is exercised quietly behind closed doors.

Christer Gardell, billionaire and founder of investment giant Cevian, goes so far as to claim that it is the Wallenberg family, not Sweden’s elected politicians, who have the most power and influence in Sweden.

– The Wallenbergs have a lot of power. Through Investor, the foundations, the connection to EQT and so on. So it is inevitable to put them at the top, he argues.

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