Sweden’s new law to silence abusive critics risks choking democracy
A new law in Sweden comes into effect today that criminalises verbally abusing public officials. Lawbreakers could be punished with up to six months in prison. The legislation is the brainchild of the right-leaning government – it argues that the very institutions that exist to protect the public cannot function properly without protection from verbal abuse. “We can’t accept that Sweden’s public officials are threatened and abused. That has serious consequences for the people in question. And in the long run, it threatens our democracy and state,” said justice minister Gunnar Strömmer. In actual fact, the new law threatens to undermine the very health of the democratic institution that it aims to protect: the state.
Verbal (and physical) abuse of teachers, nurses, social workers and police is a growing problem in Sweden. There have been recent cases of schools barring parents who have been abusive towards teachers from entering school grounds. And sadly, no one is surprised to read news of hospital staff being threatened on the job. It would indeed be difficult – even stupid – to argue against protections for teachers, nurses, police officers and other public employees who slog it out to make life better for the rest of us.
Regardless, limiting free speech is an undemocratic and dangerous path to go down. Sweden has long prided itself on being an open, liberated, democratic state that welcomes differences of opinion and open discussion. What would the state become without citizens’ right to oppose it, even if they do so in less than parliamentary language? The new law could set Sweden down a road where whistleblowing becomes a freedom of the past. It could become a place where people go quiet because the state – in an effort to protect itself – has the right to decide on the definition of profanity.
The last hurrah took place yesterday in Malmö as stand-up comedians took the opportunity to play to a full house – a show chock-full of expletives directed at said public officials. The comedians, many of whom work as public employees during the daytime, were happy to see so many teachers, nurses and social workers in the audience. All having a last laugh at the profanities that could now land critics in prison.
Lewitschnik is Monocle’s Stockholm correspondent. For more news and views, subscribe to Monocle today.
