With nine days left until the election, the Social Democrats called a press conference where the party warned the Sweden Democrats and singled out the party as a threat to the country's security.
Shortly afterwards, the Sweden Democrats reacted and accused the Social Democrats of dictatorial ways.
"Entire catalog"
In Aktuellt, Minister of Defense Peter Hultqvist says that there is a "whole catalog" of events that justify the action against SD.
Hultqvist highlights as an example that SD refrained from criticizing Russia's annexation of Crimea in the European Parliament in 2018 and that it did not stand up to criticism of Russia's persecution of the organization Memorial.
He also mentions how representatives of the party previously visited Moscow and Syria.
- There are a long list of examples like this, says Hultqvist.
"No Russia connections"
The actions of the Social Democrats belong in totalitarian states, believes Åkesson.
- We have a one-party government that chooses to portray the opposition as illegitimate and anti-democratic.
This is how you act in totalitarian states, says Åkesson and continues:
- If this had happened in Hungary or Poland, Hultqvist would have criticized those governments, and so would you in the media.
Jimmie Åkesson says that there are no Russian connections in the party, but describes SD as the most Putin- and Russia-critical party of the Swedish parties in the European Parliament.
He believes that the Social Democrats' actions should be seen as election tactics and a way to avoid talking about their own failures.
- You are not doing this because you are worried about us, there is nothing new in this report that has not already been said.
Hear the entire debate in Aktuellt.