Sweden Democrats leader’s self-published book bought in bulk by party-owned firm

A Swedish investigative report reveals that Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson’s self-published book Det moderna folkhemmet (The Modern People’s Home) was purchased in large quantities by a company wholly owned by his party, according to public broadcaster SVT.

The deal saw Åkesson’s private publishing company sell 80,000 copies to ADBO Sverige, a Sweden Democrats subsidiary, generating 1.7 million SEK in revenue for Åkesson’s firm. While legal, the transaction has been criticised as ethically questionable. Olle Lundin, a professor of administrative law, described it to TV4’s Kalla fakta as “a classic example of corruption from an outside perspective.”

Most of the purchased copies were later incinerated after failing to sell. The Sweden Democrats confirmed the bulk purchase but declined to disclose how much Åkesson personally earned from the arrangement.