The Social Democrats in Österåker have found themselves embroiled in controversy over their social media activities during the election campaign. Posts on the party’s official Facebook account and in political debate groups have been signed with the name “Ronald Fredlund.” When the name was questioned, the party claimed it concerned a minor with protected personal information. However, according to the Swedish Tax Agency, there is no Ronald Fredlund under the age of 65, regardless of protected personal data.
The background is a series of propaganda posts published by the Social Democrats in the Facebook group “Debate Forum for the Future of Österåker.”
The posts have been signed with the name “Ronald Fredlund,” raising questions about who actually stands behind the account and its content. When several people asked about the name, both openly in the group and directly to the Social Democrats, the party did not want to provide any details.
When the issue was previously highlighted in local media, the Social Democrats’ opposition councilor in Österåker, Sofia Almgren Johansson (S), presented a different picture than the accusations leveled against the party.
In an interview with Nu Österåker on April 23, the Social Democrat leader stated that she knows Ronald Fredlund and explained that the reason he could not be found in public records was that he is a minor and has protected personal information.
Almgren Johansson also stated that Ronald Fredlund had created content for the party, but that his name really should not have been published.
– He does exist and has been called that for as long as I have known him, which is his entire life. I grew up very close to one of his parents. He is a minor who will turn 18 later this year and lives with protected personal information, she said.
According to local representatives of the Social Democrats, “Ronald Fredlund” has also withdrawn after the media attention and has not wanted to participate in any interviews.
Swedish Tax Agency: That’s not true
The newspaper Epoch Times has reviewed the account’s activity on social media and attempted to determine who stands behind the name, after several people in Österåker noted that no one by that name appears to be findable.
Even though protected personal information means a person cannot be searched for in public records, a caseworker at the Swedish Tax Agency’s department for protected personal information stated the agency would be able to see the data if the person were in fact registered.
– Yes, then I would have seen that data, a caseworker told Epoch Times.
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According to information from the Swedish Tax Agency, there is no one under the age of 65 named Ronald Fredlund in the population registry. In other words, the Social Democrats may have lied.
The Social Democrats’ party secretary, Tobias Baudin, says he was not aware of the details of the case when asked about the information.
– You shouldn’t use any fictitious names. If you say it is a person and that is their name, then it should be that person. That’s just how it should be, Tobias Baudin (S) told Epoch Times.
M: “Dishonest Methods”
Leif Gripestam (M), member of the Stockholm Region Executive Board and former chairman of Täby’s municipal board, reacts to the information.
– The Social Democrats have always used dishonest methods in their campaigns, so it’s not surprising that a person who does not exist was used in the Österåker campaign, he told Epoch Times.
The Moderate party leader suggests the issue is particularly relevant since the posts under the name “Ronald Fredlund” were published in a local forum for political debate where the parties are represented.
At the same time, he describes the Social Democrats’ statement that it concerns a minor with protected personal information as “astonishing.” The statement has also raised questions about whether the explanation is correct.
The question of who actually wrote the posts under the name “Ronald Fredlund,” as well as whether the Social Democrats used a fictional name and provided after-the-fact explanations, remains unanswered.
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