Explosions and gun shots are rapidly becoming commonplace in Sweden, as gangland murders continue to blight the Scandinavian country.
The scale of the crisis has made Sweden the “gun crime capital of Europe” and with the problem appearing to worsen, the government is under fierce pressure to sort things out.
The most recent spate of gang violence saw a person dressed in black hurling a hand grenade into a shop injuring several bystanders.
The incident occurred in the dangerous Geneta suburb of the tiny city Södertälje on July 22. A man was shot and injured on a nearby street just a day later.
Perhaps the most stark statistic is the comparison between London’s gun murder rate and Sweden’s capital. In 2022 the gun murder rate in Stockholm was approximately 30 times that of London, despite having a population of just 975,000.
Political scientists speaking to Politico have warned that if the Swedish government fails to get a grip of this crisis, the electorate may force them from office.
Experts say the government must demonstrate progress before the next election in 2026, with surveys showing it remains a top issue for voters.
Jonas Hinnfors, a political scientist at Gothenburg University, said: “If crime reduction remains high on the political agenda … voters are likely to punish the government, given that crime reduction has been a key plank of the policy program.”