Jimmie Åkesson

Per Jimmie Åkesson (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈjɪ̌mːɪ ˈôːkɛˌsɔn]; born 17 May 1979) is a Swedish politician and author, serving as leader of the Sweden Democrats since 2005. He has been a member of the Riksdag (SD) for Jönköping County since 2010. He previously served as leader of the Sweden Democratic Youth from 2000 until 2005.[1]

Jimmie Åkesson
SD
Åkesson in 2022
Leader of the Sweden Democrats
Assumed office
7 May 2005
Preceded byMikael Jansson
Member of the Riksdag
Assumed office
4 October 2010
ConstituencyJönköping County
Chairman of the Sweden Democratic Youth
In office
21 June 2000 – 7 May 2005
Preceded byJimmy Windeskog
Succeeded byMartin Kinnunen
Personal details
Born
Per Jimmie Åkesson

(1979-05-17) 17 May 1979
Bromölla, Sweden
Political partySweden Democrats
Other political
affiliations		Moderate (MUF) (until 1995)
Domestic partnerLouise Erixon (2011–2020)
Children1
EducationLund University

Early life

Jimmie Åkesson was born in Ivetofta in Skåne County,[2] but grew up in Sölvesborg in Blekinge County.[3] His father, Stefan, is a businessman who ran a floor laying business and his mother, Britt Marie, was a care provider in a nursing home. Åkesson's parents divorced when he was young and he was raised primarily by his mother.[4][5][6]

Åkesson studied political science, law, economics, human geography and philosophy at Lund University, without graduating, and has stated that he became interested in politics around this time.[2][6][7] Prior to working full-time in politics, Åkesson worked as a web developer and founded a web design company BMJ Aktiv with Björn Söder, the former party secretary of the Sweden Democrats.[2][8]

Political career

Youth politics

Åkesson was a member of the Moderate Youth League, the youth wing of the Moderate Party, but left the Moderates to join the original version of Sweden Democratic Youth Association (the youth wing of the Sweden Democrats) in 1995, although some sources state 1994.[3][4] In his autobiography, Åkesson wrote that he decided to become a member the SD on New Year's Eve in 1994 but did not formally sign membership papers until the new year and did not want to join while the party's first chairman Anders Klarström was in charge due to considering him too radical.[9][10][11] In interviews, Åkesson has claimed that he joined the SD after many of the party's original and more hardline members had left.[4][5] In an article for the SDU's magazine in 1997, Åkesson wrote "We had the first contact with SD sometime in December of the same year [1994], and during a meeting at New Year's Eve we decided to start working party politically, and that a local SDU branch would eventually be formed."[12][13] Journalist and former SD press secretary Christian Krappedal corroborated that Åkesson became a member of the party in the spring of 1995.[14]

In 1995, he also co-founded a local chapter of the Sweden Democratic Youth Association.[3] In 1997, he was elected as a deputy member of the party board.[3] The SD's policies that he claims he was most attracted to at first were its view on the European Union, and its policy on immigration.

In the 1998 Swedish general election, at the age of 19, Åkesson was elected to public office as a councilman in Sölvesborg Municipality.[3] The same year, he also became deputy chairman of the newly established Sweden Democratic Youth (Sverigedemokratisk Ungdom), and later, from 2000 to 2005, was chairman of the organisation.[3]

2005–present: Party leader
Åkesson being interviewed before an Sveriges Television party-leader debate ahead of the 2014 Swedish general election

In 2005, he defeated party leader Mikael Jansson in a party election to become the party leader of the Sweden Democrats (SD). During his chairmanship of the youth league and as party leader, Åkesson has been described and has presented himself as part of a driving force to moderate the SD's policies and image.[15][16][6] Along with Björn Söder, Richard Jomshof and Mattias Karlsson, Åkesson was considered part of the "Scania Gang" or "Fantastic Four" within the SD; a political clique of younger members who sought to moderate and reform the party.[17]

In the 2010 Swedish general election, the SD for the first time crossed the election threshold and entered the Riksdag, with 5.70% of the votes, gaining 20 seats.[18] Åkesson, who was placed first on the party's national ballot, was elected as a Member of the Riksdag (MP) along with 19 of his fellow party members.[1][19]

In September 2014, Sveriges Radio (SR) reported that Åkesson had spent upwards of 500,000 kronor ($70,000) in 2014 alone on online betting. The sum is more than the politician would have earned all year, after tax, reported SR.[20] The revelation caused an uproar, both among people who view Åkesson as unreliable and those who opposed SR's decision to publish the information. Among the latter were former Green Party Spokesperson Maria Wetterstrand and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.[21] Åkesson himself called SR's actions an attempt at character assassination.[22]

Following the 2014 Swedish general election, Åkesson announced he would be on sick leave due to burnout.[23][24] In early 2015, Åkesson was named Sweden's most important opinion leader for the calendar year 2014 by the Swedish magazine DSM in their annual rankings.[25][26]

On 27 March 2015, Åkesson publicly announced that he would return to his duties as party leader for the SD, albeit initially in a somewhat reduced role, on the SVT program Skavlan, as well as in an open letter on his Facebook page.[27]

In the 2018 Swedish general election, the SD got 17.6% of the votes (+4.7 pp), after the Swedish Social Democratic Party (28.4%, -2.6 pp) and the Moderate Party (19.8%, -3.5 pp). SD had 62 of 349 seats in the next Riksdag.

The SD saw a greater rise in support during the 2022 Swedish general election under Åkesson's leadership with the party overtaking the Moderates to become the second largest in the Riksdag.[28]

Following the Palestinian attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed more than 1,000 Israelis, people were spotted celebrating in various Swedish cities.[29] Åkesson immediately stated that these people do not belong in Sweden and that he is open to expel those who praise terrorism.[30]

Personal life

Åkesson was engaged to Louise Erixon, a former parliamentary aid to Björn Söder and the daughter of former Sweden Democrats MP Margareta Gunsdotter. Erixon served as the mayor of Sölvesborg from 2019 to 2022, and she was one of the first Sweden Democrats to hold a local mayorship.[31][32] They have a son, born in 2013.[33]

On 24 April 2020, Erixon announced on her Facebook page that the couple had separated some time previously.[34]

Outside of politics, Åkesson is also a musician and plays keyboard for the rock group Bedårande Barn alongside Peter London.[35][36] Åkesson currently resides in Sölvesborg. According to his personal profile, his main interests are playing golf and watching football. He is a supporter of Mjällby AIF.[37]

Bibliography
  • (2008): 20 röster om 20 år. Sverigedemokraterna 1988–2008 ISBN 978-91-977376-0-9
  • (2009): Åkesson om... Vecka 40–52 2008 ISBN 978-91-977376-1-6
  • (2013): Satis polito. ISBN 978-91-981162-0-5
  • (2018): Det moderna folkhemmet. ISBN 978-91-981162-4-3

References
  1. "Invalda valet 2010" (in Swedish). Parliament of Sweden. Archived from the original on 27 September 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  2. Lindström, Lars (18 September 2010). "Jimmie Åkesson håller så låg profil här". Expressen. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
  3. "Jimmie Åkesson en kort presentation" (in Swedish). Jimmie Åkesson. Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2010.
  4. "Jimmie Akesson, the architect of Sweden's rising far-right". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  5. "Who is Jimmie Åkesson, the architect of Sweden's rising far-right?". thelocal.se. 5 September 2018. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021.
  6. "Jimmie Akesson, the architect of Sweden's rising far right". 5 September 2018. Archived from the original on 5 September 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  7. "Vilken utbildning har partiledarna?". Piraja. Archived from the original on 27 January 2023. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
  8. "The Rise of Sweden Democrats: Islam, Populism and the End of Swedish Exceptionalism". Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  9. "Möt Jimmie Åkesson – Sverigedemokraternas partiledare". Sverigedemokraterna.se. Archived from the original on 2 July 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
  10. "Åkesson okända skrift: Anslöt sig under nazibelastad period". Expo. Archived from the original on 28 November 2015. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  11. "Sverigedemokraterna (SD)". Expo.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 13 September 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  12. SDU-Syds medlemsblad 1997
  13. Jimmy Åkesson (1997). "Sagan om SDU Sölvesborg". SDU-Syds medlemsblad år 1997. SDU Syd.
  14. Nyman, Emelie (28 November 2015). "Skrift ger ny bild av Åkessons förflutna". Svenska Dagbladet. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
  15. "EU elections 2014: 'I can hear the boots of the 1930s marching through Europe' – Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. 14 May 2014. Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  16. Widfeldt, Anders (2015). Extreme Right Parties in Scandinavia. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-26589-8.
  17. Bakken, Laila Ø. (25 September 2010). "Fra kjelleren til Riksdagen". Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 29 September 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2010.
  18. "Swedish far-right leader: Success due to immigration backlash". CNN. Archived from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  19. "Hardtalk – Jimmie Akesson: Swedish immigration is 'extreme'". BBC News. 25 January 2011. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  20. "Sweden Democrats head hit by gambling scandal". The Local. 12 September 2014. Archived from the original on 20 September 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  21. Flores, Juan (13 September 2014). "Åkesson-avslöjande väcker upprörda känslor". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 16 September 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  22. Eriksson, Gustaf; Olsson, Hanna (12 September 2014). "Åkesson om spelavslöjandet: "Försök till karaktärsmord"". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 3 October 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  23. "Jimmie Åkesson sjukskriven". Sverigedemokraterna. Archived from the original on 11 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  24. "Åkesson sjukskriven på obestämd tid". Dagens Nyheter. 17 October 2014. Archived from the original on 23 June 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  25. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  26. "Sidan finns inte – SD-kuriren". Archived from the original on 2 February 2015.
  27. "Jimmie Åkesson – Sverigevänner, Efter nära ett halvårs... – Facebook". Archived from the original on 31 October 2017. Retrieved 1 May 2015 – via Facebook.
  28. "How the Sweden Democrats became the second biggest party". Sveriges Radio. 12 September 2022. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  29. Nyheter, S. V. T.; Sköld, Henrik (9 October 2023). "Efter Hamas attack på Israel: Klipp visar firanden i Sverige". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  30. Haglund/TT, Peter Wallberg/TT, Anja (10 October 2023). "Åkesson: Borde kunna utvisa de som hyllar Hamas". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). ISSN 1101-2412. Retrieved 23 October 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  31. "Louise Erixon (SD) vald till kommunstyrelsens ordförande" [Louise Erixon (SD) elected as mayor]. SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). 26 November 2018. Archived from the original on 29 December 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  32. Lönnaeus, Olle (26 January 2015). "Richard Jomshof blir nytt SD-ansikte utåt" [Richard Jomshof becomes the new face of SD outwards]. Sydsvenskan (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  33. Adolfsson, Viktor (12 December 2013). "Jimmie Åkesson har blivit pappa" [Jimmie Åkesson has become a father]. Nyheter24 (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  34. "Jimmie Åkesson och Louise Erixon separerar" (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 25 April 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  35. "Jimmie Åkesson gör spelning tillsammans med Ultima Thule". Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  36. "Så var Sverigedemokraternas Jimmie Åkesson på piano – och så låter den nationalistiska musiken". 8 March 2016. Archived from the original on 23 April 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  37. "Jimmie – Sverigedemokraterna". Archived from the original on 1 June 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
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