Sunday, November 9, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Tax money funneled into Bonnier Group – distributes 100 million crowns to private owners

Published September 14, 2023 – By Editorial staff
Anders Eriksson, CEO and group president of Bonnier News Local, and the office of Jönköpingsposten – one of the many local newspapers within the group.

Bonnier News Local receives tax-funded grants and support amounting to 260 million SEK this year. At the same time, the company is distributing 108 million SEK to the company's shareholders.

"We are profit-driven and have commitments to our shareholders", explains CEO Anders Eriksson.

It is Dagens Media (a web newspaper covering the advertising and media industry) that notes that Bonniers' local newspapers are the system's largest recipients of grants and that 7 million SEK "goes to Mittmedia's owner foundation, which has a preferred share". An additional 101 million SEK is then distributed to other owners.

"Without state support, the local newspapers would have lost around 150 million SEK and there would not have been a crown to distribute", they write.

The fact that Bonniers' local newspapers receive hundreds of millions in tax-funded support while simultaneously distributing over 100 million SEK to shareholders is, according to CEO and Group CEO Anders Eriksson, not something to criticize.

– We are profit-driven and have commitments to our shareholders according to our dividend policy, he says, pointing out that Bonnier News Group – another part of the Bonnier empire, has chosen not to distribute any money to shareholders this year.

A selection of Bonnier's local newspapers. Photo: facsimile/Bonnier News Local

At the turn of the year, the press support system will be changed – but according to Dagens Media, everything indicates "that Bonnier will continue to receive a large part of the grant cake."

Critical voices have long argued that it is unreasonable for a tax-funded grant intended to support and enable continued operations to instead be distributed as profits to shareholders.

Last year, Bonnier News Local had a turnover of about three billion SEK – but the operating result was only 16 million SEK, despite state support of approximately 250 million SEK. The company currently owns 48 local newspapers.

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25 years since the murder of Daniel Wretström

Migrant violence

Updated today at 4:02 pm, Published today 1:06 pm – By Editorial staff
The artist Markus Andersson holds up a painting of Daniel Wretström, who became a victim and symbol of anti-Swedish violence.

The young nationalist Daniel Wretström was brutally assaulted and stabbed to death in a ditch on December 9, 2000, in Salem, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, by a gang of immigrants.

The murderer Khaled Odeh, who slit the throat of the 17-year-old, and his four accomplices all escaped prison sentences, and the murder has become symbolic of the increased anti-Swedish violence in Sweden.

Now a memorial demonstration is being held on December 6, 25 years after his murder, which aroused strong revulsion among young Swedes.

The murder of Wretström occurred at a time when Swedish media the year before had exposed 62 people as nazis and a "threat to democracy." Prime Minister Göran Persson and other leading Social Democrats promised in major media statements the same year as the murder to "crush" the racists.

Mass immigration to Sweden had at that time seriously begun to affect the country's demographic composition, creating deep ethnic and cultural divisions while the pursued policy was driven in the direction of systematically transforming one of the world's most homogeneous countries into a multicultural society.

The policy, which was declared by Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme as early as 1975 and which from the 1990s was seriously driven from the highest political level, contributed to increased insecurity and became the starting point for the gang violence that has today spiraled out of control and made Sweden one of Europe's most unsafe countries.

The counter-reaction, primarily among Sweden's youth who were earliest affected by the insecurity and societal transformation, became an increased nationalism. The development gained momentum in a national movement that encompassed both politics, culture, music and other expressions with emphasis on patriotism, the preservation of Swedishness and an increased national self-awareness with demands to stop mass immigration.

Swedish mass media were a driving force in the same direction as the government with the transformation of Sweden toward multiculturalism and contributed to demonizing all expressions and reactions against this direction, which promoted subcultures and diminished the legitimacy of all forms of resistance. The mass media's actions also contributed to holding back nationalist parties like the Sweden Democrats in public opinion and drove unserious individuals into organizations working for national self-preservation.

Young Swedes who reacted against the development lacked channels and were demonized as "xenophobic," which strongly drove polarization and spurred young immigrants to threats and acts of violence against Swedes.

The young nationalist Daniel Wretström became a victim of the political and media campaign and was murdered in Salem, a Stockholm suburb, which came to be symbolic of the increased anti-Swedish violence in Sweden. In his memory, a torch-lit procession was organized and the so-called Salem Demonstration gathered thousands of Swedes annually during the early 2000s, primarily younger people.

On December 6, 25 years after the murder, a demonstration is once again being arranged to honor the memory of the murdered young nationalist. The organizer writes on their website that the demonstration is politically independent. As with the demonstrations of the 2000s, participants gather at Rönninge commuter train station to march to the place where Wretström lost his life.

Bullying doubled in Sweden – one in six girls affected

Published yesterday 11:55 am – By Editorial staff

Three students in every classroom are estimated to be victims of bullying, according to a new report from Friends, a Swedish anti-bullying organization. The organization is now raising the alarm that Sweden has the worst record in the Nordic region and argues that the government's school reform lacks the preventive measures needed to reverse the trend.

The new Friends report is based on a survey conducted by Novus during spring, in which 1,026 students aged 9-16 (grades 4-9) participated. The findings show that bullying continues to be a widespread problem in Swedish schools. Six out of ten students report having experienced some form of harassment, threats, or violence this year.

On average, three students per class are victims of bullying, and four out of ten do not feel comfortable at school. Although the majority of students believe that teachers take action against bullying, one in three still feel that adults turn a blind eye. One in four affected students also report that they lack a trusted adult at school.

According to Maja Frankel, secretary general of Friends, bullying in Sweden has doubled over the past decade.

We have the worst record in the Nordic region. We don't prioritize children's rights highly enough. If we want to turn this around, schools need resources to invest time in prevention – before something happens, not when it's too late. That costs money. We need more trusted adults in schools, says Maja Frankel in Nyhetsmorgon, a Swedish morning news program.

Girls most affected

Girls are particularly affected, with one in six girls experiencing bullying compared to one in nine boys. There are also differences in how they are affected: girls are more exposed to relational bullying – such as social exclusion, spreading rumors, peer pressure, or harassment of a sexual nature. Boys are more exposed to physical violence.

The Swedish government is currently implementing one of the largest reforms in the country's education system in thirty years, but Friends argues that the proposals fall short and lack preventive measures.

The proposals we're seeing right now are truly a betrayal of children. It's not about forcing safety through punishment or achieving better results through stricter measures. It's about protecting children and building warm, secure relationships, says Frankel.

Swedish gang charged with serious crimes against people with disabilities

Deteriorating safety

Published November 7, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Six people are being prosecuted at Värmland District Court in Sweden for serious crimes including aggravated rape.

Six young men and women are being prosecuted at Värmland District Court in Sweden, suspected of systematically exploiting and abusing people with intellectual disabilities. The charges include serious sexual offenses and extensive fraud.

The prosecutor describes the crimes as planned and characterized by particular ruthlessness and brutality. The indictment covers three men and three women aged 20–25, residing in the Swedish cities of Karlstad, Eskilstuna, Örebro, and Örnsköldsvik.

They are suspected of jointly contacting their victims via the internet, forcing them to perform sexual acts on themselves, and then filming, distributing, and ridiculing the material.

According to Senior Prosecutor Lena Bohlin, the crimes were not committed for personal sexual gratification, but with the intent to sexually humiliate. She states that the victims were in a particularly vulnerable situation due to their disabilities, and that the abuse was both repeated and degrading.

The indictment reveals that several of the accused participated simultaneously in each incident and encouraged the victims to perform acts such as penetrating themselves with various objects.

The videos were then shared within the group, often accompanied by laughter and derogatory comments.

— I have classified several incidents as serious crimes, partly because there are multiple perpetrators and because the criminality was part of a systematic violation of the victims' sexual integrity. Many of the acts also contain degrading elements, says prosecutor Lena Bohlin in a press release.

Systematic and well-planned

In addition to the sexual offenses, several of the suspects are charged with serious fraud. Through so-called romance scams, the victims were manipulated into transferring large sums of money – sometimes over €85,000 – under the pretense of being in a romantic relationship.

The scheme is described as well-planned and part of a larger systematic pattern. According to the indictment, the victims lacked the ability to understand the seriousness of the situation and to protect themselves from the manipulation.

Initially, investigators suspected a connection between the fraud crimes and the sexual offenses.

— But as the investigation has progressed, we can see that the connection is weak. There is a connection between one of the plaintiffs in the sexual crimes and one fraud case, but otherwise there are no connections, says Lena Bohlin.

In the extensive preliminary investigation, police have secured videos, chats, and other digital evidence showing how the victims were instructed, threatened, and ridiculed.

The investigation began in Eskilstuna in March 2025, after a phone containing the material was found by police. All six suspects deny the charges, despite what the prosecutor describes as strong evidence.

The main trial will begin on November 13 at Värmland District Court and is expected to last 13 days. Several of the hearings with the plaintiffs will be conducted via video link due to their special needs.

Case number at Värmland District Court: B 1434-25.

The defendants

Three women, aged 24–25, and three men, aged 21–24.
Suspected of, among other things:

  • Aggravated rape
  • Aggravated sexual assault
  • Aggravated sexual molestation
  • Aggravated fraud

18-year-old man of Syrian origin charged with terror plot in Stockholm

Deteriorating safety

Published November 7, 2025 – By Editorial staff
The target of the terrorist attack was the Culture Festival in Stockholm, Sweden.

An 18-year-old man of Syrian origin has been charged with preparing a terrorist attack in the name of the Islamic State against the Culture Festival in Kungsträdgården, Stockholm. The charges include bomb planning, recording a martyrdom video, and a previous attempted murder.

According to the indictment, the 18-year-old man planned the attack between August 2024 and February 2025. He allegedly conducted reconnaissance at the festival site, made searches related to the event, and attempted to manufacture explosives.

The prosecutor describes how the 18-year-old purchased equipment, including a body camera, and recorded a so-called martyrdom video as early as January.

We maintain that the purpose of the preparations was to instill serious fear in the population in the name of the Islamic State. The criminal act could have seriously harmed Sweden, the prosecutor writes in the indictment.

The man was arrested shortly after SÄPO (the Swedish Security Service) assessed that he had begun manufacturing possible explosive charges. On February 3, deputy chief prosecutor Henrik Olin at the National Security Unit ordered his detention in absentia, and just over a week later he was remanded in custody.

The target was the Culture Festival in Kungsträdgården in August, says Henrik Olin.

As a minor, he was sentenced in 2022 to youth care for emergency services sabotage during the Easter riots in Linköping, Sweden. He has also previously been convicted of robbery and drug offenses.

Terror crimes and attempted murder

The 18-year-old is also being charged, together with a 17-year-old from Malmö, Sweden, for attempted murder in the German city of Eppstein in August 2024. According to the indictment, they allegedly obtained a knife, conducted reconnaissance at the victim's residence, and attempted to gain entry before the attack was interrupted and police were alerted.

Both are also charged with serious participation in a terrorist organization. Authorities have seized terrorism-related material from them, including a pledge of allegiance to IS.

The 18-year-old man is additionally charged with preparation for serious crimes against the law on flammable and explosive substances, as well as serious training for terrorism.

Both the 18-year-old and the 17-year-old deny the charges.

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