New Parliamentary Complaint Filed Against PM Kristersson in Landerholm Affair Amid Ongoing Investigations

A renewed political controversy has emerged in Sweden as the Social Democrats have filed a new complaint against Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in connection with the longstanding Landerholm affair. This latest complaint centers on social media posts that former national security advisor Henrik Landerholm allegedly made with assistance from staff at the Prime Minister's office. The opposition is raising questions about the extent to which politically appointed press secretaries helped a non-political official like Landerholm and who authorized such support.

The Landerholm affair concerns the handling of classified information. In 2025, Henrik Landerholm was charged with negligence for disclosing secret documents, which led to an investigation by the Swedish Parliament's Constitutional Committee (KU). Although Landerholm was acquitted of gross negligence by the Attunda District Court in September 2025, prosecutors have appealed this ruling, with a court hearing not expected until 2027. Due to the ongoing legal process, the constitutional committee's investigation remains paused, with the governing Tidö parties advocating to keep the matter on hold until there is a final court decision.

Former KU chair Ida Karkiainen (Social Democrats) submitted the new complaint on January 22, 2026, arguing that aspects of the case outside the current legal trial merit parliamentary scrutiny before forthcoming elections. She stressed the need for transparency about what information the Prime Minister possessed during the period and scrutinized the involvement of the Prime Minister's office in potentially misleading social media communication by Landerholm. Mats Green (Moderates), vice chair of the committee, responded by criticizing the Social Democrats' move as a "desperate political maneuver" and insisted the investigation should stay suspended until the judiciary concludes its process. Karkiainen warned that obstruction of such inquiries threatens Swedish democracy.

The case continues to generate significant political debate over accountability and the proper handling of classified information within the government. As the legal and parliamentary investigations remain active, the issue is poised to remain a contentious topic in Swedish politics going into 2026.