The following debate article was blocked by Borlänge Tidning. The responsible editor argued that it could be “over the line” for incitement against a group of people.

DEBATE • In Almedalen on Gotland, Jimmie Åkesson presented the Sweden Democrats’ proposal to prevent what has already happened in other places in Sweden, namely forced mixing. Residents should be able to veto any plans for forced mixing if the municipality plans to insert rental apartments into single-family home neighborhoods. Of course, it is extremely welcome that the residents get the power to not be forced to have neighbors they do not want.

In the budget presented by the majority at the latest municipal council meeting (KF) in Borlänge, one could, among other things, read that “all areas should offer mixed forms of housing and the rental stock should be managed in such a way that it promotes equality, integration, and growth in the municipality.” I believe it could hardly be made clearer what the plans are.

Homeowners Will Not Be Informed in Advance

But when I directly asked whether there were any plans to ask homeowners how they would feel about having rental apartments as neighbors, the answer was, “there are no such plans whatsoever.”

This type of “forced mixing” has already been carried out in other parts of Sweden, including Gothenburg, Malmö, and Stockholm. It is my firm belief that we should not be content with that answer from Erik Nises, the chairman of the municipal executive committee.

The veto now presented by Jimmie Åkesson could be crucial in stopping any changed plans.

The Social Democrats’ Most Loyal Voting Group

The party now promising that no “forced mixing” will take place is the same party that has made Borlänge one of Sweden’s most segregated municipalities, by opening up to what I see as a very negative wave of immigration for Borlänge. And by pure coincidence, that immigration happened to consist of the Social Democrats’ most loyal voting group.

The fact is that without this group of voters—namely, foreign-born welfare recipients without jobs—the Social Democrats in Borlänge would not even be close to being able to remain in power.

Different Opinions on What Needs to Be Done

We in SD Borlänge believe much needs to be done for Tjärna Ängar. Many of the properties are in very poor condition. Therefore, demolition, renovation, and new plans for the district are a must to lift the area.

Where we differ is what actually needs to be done about the residents of Tjärna Ängar. We see what the Social Democrats don’t want to talk about, namely that a large part of the residents there have no future in Sweden that does not involve social exclusion.

Votes Are More Important Than Social Problems for the Social Democrats

Unfortunately, the Social Democrats have no problem with this, even though this group of people, in our view, is a burden on the municipality, no matter how you look at it. But they don’t care, because they know they get their votes.

The silent agreement goes something like this: If you vote for us, you get the benefits and we will make sure that you have a decent existence in Tjärna Ängar, or whatever is planned for the future.

That is why, from time to time, you can see leading Social Democrats in Tjärna Ängar, honestly sucking up to the residents there. They know that if it were not for them, they would not win any elections.

The Municipal Leadership Must Provide Answers

I would very much like some answers from Erik Nises, and I’m probably not alone in wanting them. I believe the municipality’s residents are also very interested in knowing:

What are you going to do about the group of people living in Tjärna Ängar who do not want to learn Swedish, do not want to get a job, and, in short, are mentally elsewhere in the world, comfortable continuing with their dependency on benefits?

Are they going to be spread to other places in the municipality? Or where will they go when their homes in Tjärna Ängar are demolished?

From us Sweden Democrats, the answer is crystal clear – they quite simply have no place here and must be persuaded to return to their home countries. There we have the repatriation grant, which we believe the municipality should be more proactive in using to get the relevant residents to take advantage of, as it is the only real solution to the problem.

Arvid Jaans, group leader SD Borlänge