In Sweden, online hate and anti-immigrant extremism are driving women out of public life | Martin Gelin
A leading liberal politician has quit in fear of her physical safety. It is a crushing setback for democracy in one of the world’s most open societies
Shortly after the first TV debate in the campaign for next year’s Swedish election, there was a startling announcement. Anna-Karin Hatt, the leader of the Centre party, the standard-bearer for liberal centrism in Swedish politics, announced her resignation, citing an unbearable number of threats and harassment.
Hatt was an emerging voice in Swedish politics, but had been able to lead the Centre party for only five months before she made a speech announcing that she felt forced to leave her job for the safety of her family. Her speech was short on specifics, but she referred to clear physical threats “not just from trolls behind a screen, it has come much closer than that”. She said she felt obliged to look over her shoulder in public spaces and no longer felt safe in her own home.
Martin Gelin is a journalist and author. He writes for the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter

© Photograph: Centre Party

© Photograph: Centre Party

© Photograph: Centre Party




































































