Response to interpellation 2023/24:769 on the impact of disinformation on the image of Sweden
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns the impact of disinformation on the image of Sweden. M believes that influence campaigns are a strategic tool to damage Sweden 1 and that promoting Sweden requires diplomatic contacts and fact-based communication 2. M argues that the government is working intensively to build good relations and create resilience against disinformation 2 3. S argues that Swedish troll accounts spread fake messages 4 and that the government provides a thin response on how to prevent these 4 5. S also believes that it is important to increase efforts to create a positive image of Sweden by demonstrating the value of a liberal democracy 6.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Madam Speaker! Tomas Eneroth has asked me if I have received information confirming the claims that Swedish disinformation spread abroad has damaged Sweden's image, and what measures I am prepared to take to prevent Swedish so-called troll accounts from spreading disinformation in a way that harms Sweden.
Influence campaigns aimed at Sweden and Swedish interests are our new reality. It is clear that improper information influence and disinformation have become a tool and approach that is strategically used by actors who, for various reasons, want to harm Sweden, Swedish interests, and the image of Sweden abroad. The work to prevent and counter the spread of misleading information about Sweden is a priority for this government.
It can be easy to get the impression that the image of Sweden abroad is undergoing a major change. However, all experience shows that people's and groups' perceptions of a country usually change very slowly. The latest international measurement of countries' attractiveness confirms that the image of Sweden in the majority of the world remains stable, and good. This is important to take note of.
Studies show, however, a deterioration in how Sweden is perceived in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey. According to the Swedish Institute's analysis, this is only partially an effect of disinformation and influence campaigns, such as the LVU campaign, which have been directed at Sweden in recent years. Another explanation is, according to the agency's analysis, the generally negative attitude towards the West and liberal secular values among certain groups in these countries. It is therefore a challenge not only for Sweden but also for a number of other like-minded democratic countries as well as for the EU. Sweden participates in a number of international networks and has a close cooperation with our Nordic neighbors and the EU in these matters.
Within the Government Offices, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is responsible for the work of promoting a fact-based and positive image of Sweden abroad. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is also responsible for the work against undue information influence and disinformation within the framework of foreign and security policy. Influence campaigns directed at Sweden often have links to state and non-state actors outside Sweden, and their actions have consequences for Sweden's security policy and other foreign policy interests, directly or indirectly.
In today's increasingly interconnected world, it is a misconception to speak of disinformation within and outside Sweden. Borders do not exist for disinformation and influence campaigns. Persons and groups in Sweden spread and are influenced by what foreign actors write and say about our country and vice versa. Spreading disinformation is deeply reckless toward our country. The Government has, during the influence campaigns against Sweden in recent years, clearly marked the seriousness of this.
Tomas Eneroth (S)
Madam Speaker! Thank you for the answer, Minister! I appreciate the conclusion: "To spread disinformation is deeply reckless towards our country." The Minister also said that in today's interconnected world, it is misleading to speak of disinformation within and outside Sweden.
It has been some time since this interpellation was submitted. It was in May, and it was on the grounds that it was then noted that a political party in Sweden, Sverigedemokraterna, had systematically worked with so-called troll accounts. With hidden senders, fake political messages were spread, where politicians were sometimes attributed statements that were not true. One also spread a false image of both political issues and events in Sweden and not least abroad.
Then the indignation was, of course, very great among very many. The Minister acted and demanded apologies. We in the opposition reacted strongly. And many others said that it was reprehensible and that we should not have such a tone in Swedish politics, but that we should be honest and clear about which senders we are.
Nevertheless, we now observe, after a number of months have passed, that the Sweden Democrats continue to have that type of account. Their party secretary Mattias Bäckström Johansson says: We will not remove any of the accounts.
We also see that disinformation about events in Sweden is still ongoing. This is used not only in Sweden but also abroad. It is the very origin of this interpellation.
When we now see that fake accounts in Sweden produce films, facts, memes - or whatever it is called - that are also used by foreign security services, one must be aware of the damage it entails.
ICCT, the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, has in its reports, which arrived early this spring, already presented a dozen case studies they have conducted. These show that Russian influence campaigns use right-wing organizations to spread a message and increase uncertainty in Europe. It is a step towards destabilizing the European Union but naturally also Sweden. Sweden is also mentioned as one of the countries where efforts are directed at political organizations on the right wing. A number of cases show that the coalition party that Tobias Billström's government cooperates with is among these.
It is clear that this harms Sweden. We already see now that a larger part of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' budget has had to go towards strengthening security at our embassies. We hear that Swedish companies now see an increased threat profile. It harms the image of Sweden. What the Foreign Minister says is completely correct; there is much else that affects the image of Sweden, and it is – thank goodness – still generally good. But there is no doubt that a clear change is occurring, not least in the fast climate that social media entails. There, an LVU campaign or Quran burnings have quite extensive consequences for Swedish foreign policy relations.
Since this is about how Sweden is affected by the type of disinformation campaign that is produced in Sweden, I cannot help but repeat the question. I think, in fact, that the government's answer is a bit thin. What measures is the minister prepared to take to prevent Swedish so-called troll accounts from spreading disinformation in a way that harms Sweden? How will the government act? What measures shall be in place?
Taking into account freedom of opinion and freedom of expression, one can nevertheless act as a government or as a party representative to condemn and limit the occurrence of troll accounts and, of course, also that incorrect messages are spread and as Sweden. Just as the Minister says, it is deeply reckless for our country to spread disinformation.
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Madam Speaker! I also want to repeat that: "Spreading disinformation is deeply reckless regarding our country." This applies regardless of whether it is a Swedish or a foreign actor spreading the information.
As Minister for Foreign Affairs in the government, it is my responsibility to ensure that the Ministry for Foreign Affairs contributes to taking appropriate countermeasures if a foreign state actor spreads or contributes to amplifying misleading information or information about Sweden, whose actions have consequences for Sweden's security policy and other foreign policy interests. But it does not fall within my area of responsibility as Minister for Foreign Affairs to comment further on any potential spreading of disinformation by Swedish actors.
It is part of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' mandate, not least through our more than 100 foreign missions, to build long-term relations and to promote a positive and fact-based image of Sweden abroad. In the same way, it applies that the Ministry for Foreign Affairs shall counter a negative, false, or misleading image of Sweden abroad. This applies regardless of what this image is based on, how it is spread, and by whom.
The pro-Sweden work is important for several different reasons. The image of Sweden affects Sweden's ability to achieve results for our diplomacy and foreign policy. It also affects Swedish companies' opportunities to do business abroad and Swedes' opportunities to travel and move freely.
During the past year, we have been reminded of the importance of the image of Sweden, also regarding our security. The consequences of and costs for the influence campaigns targeted at Sweden are significant. The raised threat level regarding terrorism, the terrorist act in Brussels last autumn, and the attacks against Sweden's embassy in Baghdad last summer are some prominent examples.
The situation has also given us an additional reason to ramp up the work to promote the image of Sweden abroad. The goal is increased awareness of and a fact-based and positive image of Sweden, in order to create even better conditions for advancing Swedish interests and increasing Swedish competitiveness.
Sverigefrämjandet also contributes to strengthening and creating resilience. We know that those who have a fact-based and positive view of Sweden are less likely to believe misleading information and disinformation about Sweden.
We have also seen a need to modernize how we work together with Swedish business, academia, civil society, and authorities. These are actors and sometimes partners that we know both influence and are influenced by the image of Sweden in different ways.
Earlier in our term, the government commissioned the Swedish Institute to establish and coordinate a Team Sweden group, whose task is to create positive interest and confidence in Sweden abroad. The work in the group shall take place in close dialogue with relevant authorities as well as educational institutions, organizations and representatives of the Swedish business community.
The image of Sweden is, as I see it, a collective responsibility.
Tomas Eneroth (S)
Madam Speaker! Thank you for the answer, Minister!
I appreciate and think it is absolutely excellent that we are now strengthening Team Sweden's efforts. Sweden is a small, export-dependent industrial country. We are extremely dependent on there being a positive image of Sweden. That has also existed for a long time. We have been an example when it comes to both climate policy, gender equality policy, and foreign policy. In many ways, people around the world have been impressed and inspired by Sweden's progressive politics.
It is clear that that will also become a stumbling block in countries that do not have such an agenda, whether they are called Iran or Russia or if they are countries that have a completely different agenda. Because they have a different agenda, they try, with the help of political forces in Europe and in Sweden, to change that picture.
It is a matter of not being naive. It is clear that it is good that the government works to strengthen a positive message and a positive image of Sweden. But it is also important that the government realizes that there are groups in Sweden that, on their own initiative or with foreign support, receive and produce disinformation in order to harm the values that we in Sweden consider essential. It is about the equal value of all people, democracy, the right to vote, the right to choose what sexuality you have, or for that matter, the importance of preserving diversity in a society. These are values that a very broad majority in democratic Sweden stands behind. Now there are groups that systematically work to undermine these values and create a negative image of Sweden that finds nourishment in countries where the agenda is something completely different.
It is against that background that I ask about the Minister's information regarding this disinformation and in what way it may have damaged the image of Sweden – and then I am speaking about disinformation that is produced and published in Sweden but which is used abroad – but also whether there are any concrete measures beyond the one that has now been mentioned, namely Team Sweden, to prevent Swedish so-called troll accounts from spreading disinformation in a way that harms Sweden. Are some measures being taken, for example, within the Government Offices or the Ministry for Foreign Affairs?
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Madam Speaker! In times of disinformation and influence campaigns, it is important not to forget our starting point: Sweden's reputation in the world is generally very good, and the brand Sweden stands very strong internationally.
I have it confirmed through my many travels and contacts. Sweden's strong reputation is also evident from independent surveys and from the Swedish Institute's analyses. The latest international study on countries' attractiveness, called the Nation Brands Index, shows, for example, that Sweden's attractiveness is increasing in countries such as the United Kingdom, the USA, and Japan. When it comes to perceptions of how different countries contribute to peace and security, Sweden is ranked in third place among 50 countries. That is not a bad grade.
Studies also show that there is resilience against disinformation within Sweden. People abroad who have a strong image of Sweden and their own experiences of Sweden tend to maintain a continued positive perception, even though they have, for example, been exposed to influence campaigns or negative reporting about Sweden.
This underlines the importance of us continuously communicating about Sweden, the values Sweden stands for and what Sweden has to offer. Sweden shall be an attractive country to visit, to invest in and for international talents to work in.
I said earlier, and see a need to repeat it, that studies also show a deterioration of how Sweden is perceived in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey. According to the Swedish Institute's analyses, this is however only partly an effect of the Quran burnings and the so-called LVU campaign, that is to say the disinformation campaign which says that Swedish social services take into care Muslim children without legal support.
Another explanation is, also according to SI's analysis, the generally negative attitude towards the West and liberal secular values among certain groups in these countries. It is a challenge not only for Sweden but also for a number of other like-minded democratic countries, as well as for the EU. Sweden also participates in a number of international networks and has a close cooperation with its Nordic neighbors and the EU in these matters.
According to the Swedish Institute, the impact of the LVU campaign and the Quran burnings should also be seen in the light of Sweden's process towards NATO membership and increased geopolitical tensions in connection with Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
There are actors who want to harm Sweden and Swedish interests. The war between Israel and Hamas has created an additional very tense and polarized situation.
In all of this, promoting Sweden is a long-term task. There are no simple or quick shortcuts. Our tools are diplomatic contacts, bilateral cooperation, and strategic and fact-based information and communication. This also includes a breadth of actors, including authorities and the business sector.
Sweden has for a long time pursued an active foreign policy, including in countries where we now see a deterioration in how Sweden is perceived. It is central to maintain trust and confidence. My government colleagues and I are working together with the entire Ministry for Foreign Affairs very intensively to build upon our fundamentally very good relations with the rest of the world.
Tomas Eneroth (S)
Madam Speaker! I truly agree that it is important that we maintain the work of creating a positive image of Sweden, not least in those countries where the challenges are greatest – that we do not withdraw but rather increase the efforts. In many of these countries, perhaps the very value of having a liberal democracy, a democracy where all people have the right to vote and where one can live as one wishes and have the freedoms that society provides, is even more important to show, just as this can be combined with growth, with climate ambitions, with foreign policy ambitions or with other advantages that Sweden now has. It is important, and there Sweden must continue to act.
That is why it is important in this context to remember that there are certain groups who do not like this. There are certain groups, also political groups in Sweden, who do not want the fundamental freedom values that we know. I note that the Minister has, throughout the entire interpellation debate, avoided mentioning the cooperation the government has with the Sverigedemokraterna. It is still a party whose former defense policy spokesperson, now the transition to Alternativ för Sverige, has spoken in pro-Russian tones in public and where an employee at the communications department spread Russian propaganda as recently as just a few years ago. It is clear that it is a concern, or should be a concern, when the government so clearly and so intimately cooperates with a party and has employees at the Government Offices from a party that has had employees who have made themselves useful idiots for foreign interests.
Against that background, I must nevertheless ask whether Minister Billström still does not see that there are reasons for the government to take measures to limit disinformation produced in Sweden that harms Sweden.
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Madam Speaker! I thank you very much for the interpellation!
Disinformation is a complex challenge that Sweden shares with many like-minded countries. The work of preventing and countering the spread of misleading information about Sweden abroad is a high priority for this government. The political and diplomatic contacts, not least in countries where the image of Sweden has been challenged, have been very intensive and have, in my opinion, been important. Every such contact that is carried out in a positive way is a building block that is placed in the structure that we call the image of Sweden, which is about our fundamentally very good relations with the rest of the world.
It is therefore a misconception to believe that the image of Sweden would be undergoing major change. The image of Sweden is fundamentally stable, and it is positive in large parts of the world.
However, it does not mean that we have not been affected in the short term by the influence campaigns that have been directed at Sweden. They have had direct consequences both in terms of security and foreign policy. To adapt to our new reality where disinformation has become a tool strategically used by actors who, for various reasons, want to harm Sweden and Swedish interests, the government has stepped up the work of promoting Sweden abroad. The goal is increased awareness of and a fact-based and positive image of Sweden.
When we succeed in this work – and I am convinced that we will – it will increase the impact for Swedish interests. It will strengthen the competitiveness of Swedish companies, and it will also create resilience abroad against disinformation about Sweden.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.