Magdalena Andersson and Jimmie Åkesson Clash Over Allegations of Troll Factories

In a heated televised debate on SVT's Aktuellt, Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson and Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson exchanged sharp accusations surrounding the use of troll factories on social media. Åkesson accused the Social Democrats of running a "real troll factory," alleging that they employ unclear accounts to spread political messages. In response, Andersson defended her party’s actions by stressing that the Social Democrats’ media company, AiP Media, operates transparent accounts linked clearly to the party and run by hundreds of staff members. She emphasized that these accounts differ fundamentally from the Sweden Democrats' troll factory, revealed in a TV4 report, which involved anonymous accounts mocking other political parties. Åkesson dismissed Andersson’s defense as hypocrisy, asserting that both parties use anonymous accounts for humor and satire but that Andersson ignores her party’s responsibility in this practice. The debate highlights political tensions over the manipulation of social media and political discourse in Sweden.