{"id":76876,"date":"2025-06-16T12:03:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T10:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/?p=76876"},"modified":"2026-05-29T06:14:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T03:14:24","slug":"sw-2025-06-16-sweden-a-democracy-in-decline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/it\/sw-2025-06-16-sweden-a-democracy-in-decline\/","title":{"rendered":"SW 2025.06.16 Sweden \u2013 A Democracy in Decline"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"930\" height=\"525\" src=\"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Sveriges-Riksdag.webp\" alt=\"Sweden\u2019s Disinformation, Swedens Political Establishment, A Circus, Swedens Supervisory Authorities, A Democracy in Decline,\" class=\"wp-image-72987\" srcset=\"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Sveriges-Riksdag.webp 930w, https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Sveriges-Riksdag-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Sveriges-Riksdag-768x434.webp 768w, https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Sveriges-Riksdag-18x10.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 930px) 100vw, 930px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/liu.se\/en\/news-item\/risk-att-korruption-underskattas-i-sverige\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Corruption in Sweden may be underestimated, Jonas Roslund, 13 March 2023<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Examination of Democratic Fa\u00e7ades and Centralized Power<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This article critically examines the paradox of Sweden\u2019s international reputation as a liberal democracy and its domestic governance practices that increasingly deviate from democratic principles. With a focus on executive overreach, weakening institutional checks, suppression of dissent, and state control over media narratives, the analysis explores whether Sweden\u2019s current system represents a covert form of authoritarianism cloaked in democratic legitimacy.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"980\" height=\"551\" src=\"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Ulf-Kristersson-Maria-Malmer-Stenergard.webp\" alt=\"Disinformation Campaign, Ulf Kristersson, Maria Malmer Stenergard, Sweden \u2013 A Democracy in Decline\" class=\"wp-image-74028\" srcset=\"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Ulf-Kristersson-Maria-Malmer-Stenergard.webp 980w, https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Ulf-Kristersson-Maria-Malmer-Stenergard-300x169.webp 300w, https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Ulf-Kristersson-Maria-Malmer-Stenergard-768x432.webp 768w, https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Ulf-Kristersson-Maria-Malmer-Stenergard-18x10.webp 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 980px) 100vw, 980px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/state-bodies-sw\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ulf Kristersson &#8211; Maria Malmer Stenergard<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Democratic Fa\u00e7ade<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sweden is internationally celebrated as a model democracy: egalitarian, transparent, and governed by the rule of law. It regularly tops global rankings for press freedom, institutional trust, and quality of life. Yet behind this pristine image lies a paradox. While Sweden formally satisfies the procedural requirements of a democratic state, a closer examination reveals systemic practices that undermine the substance of democracy itself. Elections are held, courts operate, and laws are passed\u2014but meaningful accountability, legal remedy, and freedom of dissent are increasingly compromised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2590051X19300085\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">This article examines Sweden through a critical lens<\/a>:<\/strong> as a case of &#8220;<strong>democratic dictatorship<\/strong>&#8221; in disguise, where bureaucratic power, legal opacity, and ideological uniformity converge to erode the very principles the state claims to uphold. With special focus on LVU (<strong>Law on the Care of Young Persons<\/strong>) cases and Skatteverket (<strong>Swedish Tax Agency<\/strong>) practices, we argue that Sweden maintains democratic appearances while silencing opposition, insulating state actors, and suppressing systemic critique.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YtxKavhpfjU?si=0jDYLavhBUliiuf3\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=YtxKavhpfjU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sweden\u2019s Disinformation Campaign \u2013 The State as Deceiver?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Democratic Institutions Without Democratic Culture<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sweden&#8217;s formal institutions remain intact: regular elections, multiple political parties, an independent judiciary, and a free press. Yet these structures function within an ideological environment where deviation from consensus is treated not as legitimate dissent, but as deviance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The media landscape, though not state-owned, is heavily subsidized and governed by political norms that exclude dissenting voices. Journalists who question the dominant narrative around migration, welfare policy, or state interventions risk professional marginalization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Academics who investigate institutional failures, particularly in social services or law enforcement, are often denied funding or labeled politically dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreover, the judiciary\u2014while formally independent\u2014rarely serves as a meaningful check on administrative power. Instead, it routinely defers to state authorities, particularly in cases involving child protection, taxation, or identity registration. In practice, this results in a state that is <strong>procedurally democratic, but substantively authoritarian<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The LVU System \u2013 A Case Study in Disguised State Control<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Few institutions illustrate Sweden&#8217;s democratic dysfunction as clearly as the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelocal.se\/20220222\/fact-check-what-is-swedens-lvu-and-how-does-it-work?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAgYYWu4XGntlY9BcgsYY2wy8yMKDY_Zl-x6WN7HE3IyyzUgDywr_SrrlkAstag%3D&amp;gaa_ts=684ef083&amp;gaa_sig=ToQfMJVM48C_Qz_Jg9051kGb708bEktc9rhVRf-96V9ln87tKRMdb5PfKtLaXi4FzHTIEjBZ3_Wv287UBDfqFw%3D%3D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">LVU system<\/a><\/strong>. The Law on the Care of Young Persons is designed to protect children from harm by allowing the state to remove them from their families without parental consent. In practice, however, it has become a tool of opaque, unchecked power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parents\u2014often immigrants or low-income families\u2014frequently find their children removed without sufficient evidence, transparent proceedings, or effective legal recourse. Hearings are held behind closed doors. Public defenders are overworked or inexperienced. Once a child is taken, reunification becomes rare, and parents are <strong>gagged from speaking publicly<\/strong> about their case under threat of legal sanctions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">International bodies have begun to take notice. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the European Court of Human Rights have criticized Sweden&#8217;s child welfare practices, citing concerns over due process, proportionality, and long-term family separation. Yet domestically, these criticisms are dismissed as misunderstandings of the &#8220;Swedish model.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This model prioritizes bureaucratic expertise over family autonomy, and institutional reputation over transparency. It reflects a deeper cultural tendency: the belief that <strong>state actors are inherently more trustworthy than citizens<\/strong>, especially when those citizens challenge institutional authority.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Swedish Tax Agency and the Bureaucracy of Identity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another example of Sweden&#8217;s disguised authoritarianism is found in the <strong>Swedish Tax Agency (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.skatteverket.se\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Skatteverket<\/a>)<\/strong>. Ostensibly tasked with registering personal data and collecting taxes, Skatteverket wields enormous discretionary power over identity recognition, civil status, and residency validation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Numerous cases document individuals\u2014particularly immigrants or those involved in legal disputes\u2014being declared legally &#8220;non-existent&#8221; due to arbitrary deregistration. In these situations, individuals lose access to healthcare, education, bank accounts, and the right to work, often without explanation or appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Legal redress is minimal. Administrative courts routinely uphold Skatteverket&#8217;s decisions, citing the agency&#8217;s internal assessments as sufficient. Victims of deregistration face a Kafkaesque bureaucracy where no single actor is responsible, no pathway to resolution exists, and no authority is willing to intervene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In many cases, these actions occur without notifying the person affected, or based on unverified reports from other agencies. In a democratic state, identity should be a matter of personal and legal clarity\u2014not administrative discretion. Yet in Sweden, <strong>the state grants itself the right to unilaterally erase or redefine personhood<\/strong>, with devastating consequences.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Disappearance of Political Opposition<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In healthy democracies, political opposition plays a vital role: holding the ruling power accountable, proposing alternatives, and ensuring that public institutions remain responsive and diverse. Sweden, however, exhibits a troubling <strong>erosion of genuine political contestation<\/strong>. While formal structures such as elections, parliamentary debate, and party pluralism remain intact, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gu.se\/en\/news\/restrictions-to-freedom-of-expression-as-democracy-loses-ground\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the substance of democratic opposition has withered under systemic consensus, ideological gatekeeping, and political stigmatization.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sweden is governed by a <strong>broad elite consensus<\/strong> that cuts across traditional party lines. On key issues such as migration policy, supranational integration, NATO membership, EU alignment, and technocratic governance, meaningful disagreement is not only rare\u2014it is often <strong>actively discouraged<\/strong>. Parliamentary parties that deviate from the accepted ideological framework are branded as \u201cextreme\u201d or \u201canti-democratic\u201d, even when their critiques concern fundamental constitutional or legal questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The rise of Sverigedemokraterna (SD),<\/strong> once marginalized, now normalized, illustrates this paradox. While SD has entered political negotiations and supports the current government, its inclusion has not expanded ideological diversity in any meaningful way. Instead, the political mainstream has used SD\u2019s controversial image to justify the narrowing of acceptable debate, creating a false dichotomy where opposition is either populist-nationalist or establishment-liberal\u2014<strong>with no space for systemic, rights-based, or legal-constitutional critique.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This polarization leaves <strong>no viable political outlet for principled dissent<\/strong> against the erosion of civil liberties, the abuse of administrative power, or the manipulation of public narratives. Political figures, academics, or whistleblowers who raise structural concerns\u2014particularly about the judiciary, child protection, or state media\u2014are labeled as radical, disruptive, or even anti-democratic. The effect is a chilling one: dissent is not banned, but it is <strong>delegitimized, discredited, and ultimately silenced.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Role of Secrecy and Administrative Law in Shielding Power<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While most democracies operate with some degree of bureaucratic confidentiality, Sweden\u2019s system of institutional secrecy and administrative legalism forms a formidable shield against transparency, scrutiny, and accountability. This structural opacity\u2014codified in administrative law and amplified by judicial deference\u2014allows state institutions to operate above meaningful public oversight, reinforcing an illusion of democratic accountability while preventing real legal or political challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sweden\u2019s public sector is governed by a vast regime of confidentiality statutes, many of which override constitutional rights to information and legal redress. Under the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act <strong>(Offentlighets- och sekretesslagen)<\/strong>, critical information concerning social services, courts, and public authorities can be withheld from the individuals concerned, from media inquiry, and even from international bodies. This is particularly troubling in sensitive areas such as child protection (LVU), mental health care, police interventions, and administrative rulings affecting family life or civil status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In LVU cases, for instance, parents are not permitted to speak publicly about their own case or their child\u2019s fate, under threat of legal sanction. Documents are classified. Proceedings are closed. Even the identity of foster families is protected\u2014sometimes more rigorously than the rights of biological parents. <strong>The result is a parallel legal universe, where state decisions can upend lives without ever being exposed to public justification or adversarial challenge.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This culture of secrecy is closely intertwined with the Swedish model of administrative law, which places extraordinary trust in public authorities. Unlike adversarial systems where courts act as independent arbiters between the state and citizen, Swedish administrative courts often act as extensions of the very authorities they are supposed to supervise. <strong>Deference to agency discretion is the norm, not the exception.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The burden of proof lies on the citizen, who must navigate complex legal terrain without guaranteed access to counsel, public hearings, or appeal to constitutional rights. There is no effective judicial review of proportionality, necessity, or factual basis. International law, such as the European Convention on Human Rights, is formally incorporated into Swedish law but rarely used as a binding check on administrative conduct. <strong>Secrecy also extends to government accountability mechanisms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Parliamentary Ombudsman (JO) and Chancellor of Justice (JK) are tasked with supervising legality and protecting rights, yet they seldom issue binding decisions or intervene against systematic abuses. When complaints are dismissed without investigation or with vague justifications, there is no appeal process. <strong>This absence of independent and adversarial oversight allows systemic abuses to persist unchecked and invisible.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion \u2013 Democracy Without Accountability<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sweden presents itself to the world as a beacon of progressive, stable, and inclusive democracy. Its international image is tightly curated: a state rooted in equality, transparency, and social trust. Yet behind this polished exterior lies a system that, in many critical respects, functions more like a <strong>disguised democratic dictatorship<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Elections are held, but the range of legitimate political choices is constrained by ideological conformity and media framing. Institutions exist for accountability, but they are structurally dependent, passive, or inaccessible. Rights are enshrined in law, but they are <strong>selectively enforced, procedurally buried, or overridden by bureaucratic discretion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>This contradiction between appearance and reality is not accidental. It is the product of a deeply embedded state ideology of moral authority, where bureaucratic paternalism replaces democratic deliberation, and social harmony is enforced through silence, denial, and administrative containment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those who raise systemic concerns\u2014about LVU removals, about Skatteverket\u2019s legal overreach, about the judiciary\u2019s passivity\u2014are marginalized not by censorship, but by delegitimization, secrecy, and institutional inertia. <strong>Sweden must be re-examined not by its ideals, but by its outcomes.<\/strong> And unless its institutions are brought back under the discipline of real democratic accountability, the Swedish model may come to represent not a hope for others, but a warning of how easily democracy can be co-opted\u2014without ever declaring its end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>References:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong># <a href=\"https:\/\/anthie-alexandra-abducted2017.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2025.05.18-EN-SWEDEN-\u2013-A-CONSTITUTIONAL-STATE-IN-DECLINE-Rev.-May-2026.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SWEDEN \u2013 A CONSTITUTIONAL STATE IN DECLINE A Critical Report (2017\u20132025)<\/a><br> Compiled by Nic. Cheropoulos May 18, 2025 <a href=\"https:\/\/anthie-alexandra-abducted2017.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2025.05.18-EN-FINAL-REPORT-SWEDEN-\u2013-A-CONSTITUTIONAL-STATE-IN-DECLINE.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">EN<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/anthie-alexandra-abducted2017.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2025.05.18-SW-FINAL-REPORT-SVERIGE-\u2013-EN-RATTSSTAT-I-FORFALL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SW<\/a> (Rev. May 2026)<br># <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dn.se\/kultur\/nils-funcke-svenska-myndigheter-har-forlorat-respekten-for-yttrandefriheten\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Swedish Authorities Have Lost Respect for Freedom of Expression<\/a>, <br> Dagens Nyheter DN Nils Funcke 2024.07.29 SW<\/strong><br><strong># <a href=\"https:\/\/liu.se\/en\/news-item\/risk-att-korruption-underskattas-i-sverige\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The extent of corruption in Sweden may be underestimated <\/a><br> Jonas Roslund, Link\u00f6ping University, 13 March 2023 EN<br># <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forskning.se\/2024\/06\/05\/okad-risk-for-sjalvmord-efter-tvangsplacering-av-unga\/#:~:text=Barn%20och%20ungdomar,av%20unga%2C%20LVU.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[11]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forskning.se\/2024\/06\/05\/okad-risk-for-sjalvmord-efter-tvangsplacering-av-unga\/#:~:text=Barn%20och%20ungdomar,av%20unga%2C%20LVU.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Increased risk of suicide after forced placement of young people<\/a> Forskning.se 2024.06.05 SW<br># <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/18918131.2022.2147319#d1e109\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[27]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/18918131.2022.2147319#abstract\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Successful Human Rights Implementation? Victims of Crime and the Swedish Example<\/a><br> Fanny Holm, Nordic Journal of Human Rights 2022.12.05 EN<br># <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gu.se\/en\/news\/restrictions-to-freedom-of-expression-as-democracy-loses-ground\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[30]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gu.se\/en\/news\/restrictions-to-freedom-of-expression-as-democracy-loses-ground\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">V-Dem, Restrictions to freedom of expression<\/a> University of Gothenburg 2025.03.13 EN<br># <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/book\/50396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[32]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/book\/50396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Designing Democracy: What Constitutions Do<\/a> Cass R. Sunstein Online: 31 October 2023 EN<br># <a href=\"https:\/\/universitetslararen.se\/2025\/03\/25\/democracy-in-danger-when-knowledge-is-undermined\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[33]<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/universitetslararen.se\/2025\/03\/25\/democracy-in-danger-when-knowledge-is-undermined\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Democracy in danger when knowledge is undermined<\/a><br> By Kajsa Skarsg\u00e5rd News from the world of higher education 2025.03.25 EN<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Author:<br>Leon (Nic. Cheropoulos)<br>Stockholm 2025.06.16<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sweden \u2013 A Democracy in Decline examines how a nation praised for transparency and equality conceals authoritarian practices beneath democratic appearances. Through critical analysis of state secrecy, media control, and unchecked bureaucratic power, particularly in the LVU system and Tax Agency, this article reveals a deep erosion of civil liberties, legal accountability, and political opposition in modern Sweden.<br \/>\nThe article examines Sweden through a critical lens: as a case of &#8220;democratic dictatorship&#8221; in disguise, where bureaucratic power, legal opacity, and ideological uniformity converge to erode the very principles the state claims to uphold.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":76895,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[109,10,44,22,26],"tags":[97],"class_list":["post-76876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-work-by-leon","category-cornerstone-posts","category-key-documentation","category-news-articles","category-state-bodies-sweden","tag-sweden-democracy-in-decline"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76876"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76876\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86041,"href":"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76876\/revisions\/86041"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/actionagainstchildabduction.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}