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Sweden Democrats: open the Stasi archive

Published: 4 Feb 11 11:52 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/31838/20110204/

The Sweden Democrats has demanded that the Swedish Security Service's files on contacts between Swedish individuals and the Stasi be opened to the public in order "to clear the air" over the period in history.

"It can not be ruled out that there can be former Stasi collaborators occupying important positions in society. There is an evident public interest in this information being made public," said Sven-Olof Sällström of the Sweden Democrats to The Local on Friday.

Sällström cited information divulged by researcher Birgitta Almgren to the Världen Idag newspaper on Thursday awakened the party's interest in the classified archive.

According to Almgren, the files contain the names of police officers, politicians and journalists.

"We are not interested in exposing people, someone who works as a plumber. We are interested in those who occupy positions which pose a potential danger for Sweden and Swedish society," Sällström said.

"A journalist - a chief editor, for example - could be subject to pressure as this information will be available somewhere. We need to get the names out and clear the air," he said.

Almgren, a researcher at Södertörn University, was in June 2010 given access to the Säpo files on the East German secret police after an extended court battle.

Access was ultimately granted on the condition that she preserves the confidentiality of the individuals named.

The archive forms part of the so-called Rosenholz Files - top secret Stasi documents containing names of foreign agents and details of their activities which ended up in CIA hands following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Almgren, who is the author of a book about Swedish relations with East Germany’s communist dictatorship, will publish a report on her findings in the spring.

Sven-Olof Sällström has now demanded in a formal question to the justice minister Beatrice Ask that the information should be de-classified without delay and argued that he sees no reason why the Alliance government has any cause for concern.

"I can't imagine that there are any centre-right politicians among those named, so I don't understand why they are resisting the public release of the information," he said.

Peter Vinthagen Simpson
news@thelocal.se
+46 8 656 6513

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12:18 February 4, 2011 by Sergeantofstockholm
I loathe the Sweden Democrats as much as the next man

but

I agree with this call

free the information
12:28 February 4, 2011 by Rick Methven
How about opening the file that reveals nazi part connections of prominent SD members.

fairs fair
13:05 February 4, 2011 by Nemesis
For once I agree with the Sweden Democrats.

Open those archives and let the truth reveal itself.
13:12 February 4, 2011 by calebian22
The information about former Nazi members in the SD is already out there. It was reported in every Swedish newspaper before the elections. This is different Rick, and you know it. Fair is indeed, fair.
13:22 February 4, 2011 by truthworthy
How about exposing Hitlers in SD ranks? let us open that also.
13:44 February 4, 2011 by RobinHood
This is getting annoying. First I defended the SD against Mona's outrageous attack on their democratic rights, and now I agree with them that Swedes who gave information to the Stasi should be named and shamed - and punished if necessary. The Stasi, being the secret police of a foreign power, I suppose the right word for Swedish collaborators is "traitors".

Presumably, the SD expect to find some big Left Party and Social Democrat apparatchiks amongst the Quislings. I think they might be right; Bigitta Almgren has clearly turned up something interesting, but we are currently denied the right to know what it is.

It's always good to know if the politician that represents you is a traitor - or not.
13:50 February 4, 2011 by Rick Methven
"Bigitta Almgren has clearly turned up something interesting,"

Most probably found a photo of Reinfeld in bed with a beautiful East German Stasi agent that she wants to show.

But if SD is so quick to expose those that they oppose, they should be prepared to get as much if not more back. I am certain that there is a lot of dirty washing in the SD closet that has yet to be shown.
14:09 February 4, 2011 by hilt_m
Think you are all looking to deep into this. This looks like SD is picking subjects that people can really only agree with.
14:21 February 4, 2011 by Syftfel
What you will see here is that Swedes will demand an openig of all records, while liberals and social dems will question why it is important. Hilt-M above is a good example. Aftonbladet, the fish wrap of record, will trivialize the matter and question its relevance. I also want to go on record as predicting that a certain O. Palme's name will surface in this. Perhaps his name can, finally and deservedly, be dragged through the latrines of Swedish history, SSU notwithstanding. He was already in the 70s known to have sympathies with the "Kampfgruppen der Arbeiterklasse" in the good old DDR, and was chummy with both E. Honecker and W. Ulbricht. That's the Ulbricht that said "Niemand hat die Absicht eiene Mauere zu errichten" two months before the wall went up and the Sicherung der Staatgrenze" were already well under way. How do you say "Sozialismus sichert den Frieden" in Swedish? I know of at least one prominent journalist in southeastern Sweden who nowadays keeps busy going on the attack on anything and everything the Alliance says or does. He was in fact, voluntarily(!!!), living in East Berlin for several years in the 70's and early 80s. He must thus have had the distinct blessing of the MfS(Ministerum für Staatsicherheit),. There is thus every reason to belive that there were plenty of social dems and other lefty riff-raff who knew, and who longingly glanced at the totalitarian, stalinist-socialist, conditions in this proletarian hell hole. Let their names be known. Now! And let's put them all on trial for treason.
14:37 February 4, 2011 by samwise
the commies should feel proud of themselves for their contribution to the communist movement, so everybody loves this idea.
15:09 February 4, 2011 by OnessOfMankind
Like vicious rats scratching in every corner to fine something to bite on.
15:43 February 4, 2011 by Syftfel
@OnessOfMankind. Thank you for helping prove my point. Thanx again.
16:07 February 4, 2011 by Tanskalainen
The social dems need to explain why they sterilized 63000 Sami. Their idea of fun I guess.
17:05 February 4, 2011 by jimmy1988
Let´s see if they show the truth about media in Sweden and the agrement they have done with the government to hide the immigration problem in exchange of money. Does The Local is involve? I dont expect my comment be here for many days, thanks Local for the "free speech"
17:50 February 4, 2011 by Kaethar
A populist move if I ever saw one. Great to see where SD's priorities lie. ;)
18:29 February 4, 2011 by rufus.t.firefly
It is good medicine to get that information out, despite the fact that it is the Sweden Democrats calling for it. And by all means, expose their nazi connections, too. We need more information about everything, not less. While we're at it, let's get the truth behind the Julian Assange case. And Carl Bildt's dark secrets. And the royals. Don't stop, it's so fun. Ask all the nasty questions. Keep asking until you get a serious answer.
19:16 February 4, 2011 by samwise
this step is not much off from SD's theme, it's a nationalist party after all, loyalty matters in that context.
19:34 February 4, 2011 by iammucow
I agree with what the SD is saying here, but it's such a blatantly political move to discredit or remove their opponents, I have a hard time being sympathetic.
22:54 February 4, 2011 by Alasdair MacCorquodale
I would bet that the East German communists had deeply penetrated Swedish society.

In my Britain ,I have always believed that many of those, particularly with prominent roles in the Trade union movement, wereof the communist persuasion. They would be more valuable to their masters as 'agents of influence' rather than somebody who steals military secrets.

How deep was the communist influence in perpetuating the Left-Wing governments that dominated Sweden for so long?
23:48 February 4, 2011 by planet.sweden
@12:28 February 4, 2011 by Rick Methven

"How about opening the file that reveals nazi part connections of prominent SD members. fairs fair "

Your grasp of history and dates, (or is simply your maths?) seems to be somewhat awry.

The Swedish Democrats were founded in 1988 and their leader Jimmie Åkesson (their most prominent member) was born in 1979.

The Nazis meanwhile were done and dusted with in 1945.
00:00 February 5, 2011 by Tanskalainen
@planet.sweden I hate like hell to defend liberals my friend but I believe they are refering to neo-nazis in Sweden some of whom joined the fledgling SD in its early days.
07:17 February 5, 2011 by Rebel
Strange that some try to pin the Nazi label on SD even though there are Jews in prominent positions in the party.
10:06 February 5, 2011 by truthworthy
@Rebel you think SD likes you jews? you live in dream world. they are just advancing their cause so when they cleanse the Muslims the jews will be next.
11:26 February 5, 2011 by Nemesis
@ truthworthy,

100% right.

After Sweden Democrats get rid of Muslims, they will then get rid of Jews, non-swedes, Sami, gays, transsexuals, etc, etc.

Of course by then they will also have brought back the racial hygiene laws as well.

About 99% of the people commenting on this forum and its discuss section will be thrown out of the country.
15:43 February 5, 2011 by samwise
"After Sweden Democrats get rid of Muslims, they will then get rid of Jews, non-swedes, Sami, gays, transsexuals, etc, etc."

This could be labeled as inciting hatred in politically correct Sweden I guess?
21:19 February 5, 2011 by maometto
why open these files? It was different times with different considerations...

How about exposing those with links to CIA today? Are they any better than those with links to stasi?
22:28 February 5, 2011 by Rebel
I would rather see the IQ scores of those serving in the Riksdag currently.
00:46 February 6, 2011 by samwise
maometto, people could have changed their positions, just like criminals might have repented, but true repentance usually includes denouncing the past, but not covering it up.

I don't mind to expose links to CIA today, but the communist regimes were never close friends of Sweden, communists vowed to bury western systems. You may think America is the enemy of Sweden, but that's not the current official position. I guess the Swedish government has some relationship with CIA, but that's exactly the point, that's done in secret, but for the interest of Sweden, supervised by Swedish government. Were communist collaborators dispatched by Swedish government too?
12:18 February 7, 2011 by flintis
Some of these people were also war criminals, who changed there allegiance after the commies took over, Quislings you could say.

@ Planet Sweden # The Nazis meanwhile were done and dusted with in 1945 # tell that to the people who've been hunting Nazi war criminals since May 1945, some of whom, because of their expertise (heavy water & rocket engines), were admitted to the good old USA after the Nuremburg trials.

Open the records so we know who we are dealing with.

@Rebel: IQ scores of the current Riksdag, doubt the majority know what an IQ is!!
21:50 February 7, 2011 by Great Scott
This will never happen, because it will expose some members of the current government.
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