Anna-Karin Hatt, who recently became leader of Sweden’s Centre Party. Only five months into her tenure, she had to resign. Citing a relentless barrage of threats and harassment directed at her and her family, Hatt’s departure sheds light on the growing climate of fear that women in Swedish politics face. Her resignation has consequences far beyond the NFL. Female politicians are more at risk than ever, with many being made to decide between serving the public and their own safety.
Hatt on her decision under the siege of radical online hate & anti-immigrant extremism This environment has taken a toll on leadership such as her own, but her predecessor Annie Lööf. Other threats to LGBTQ+ activists Lööf resigned herself, in 2022, after receiving similar far-right group threats, including from neo-Nazi militias and online trolls. With the persistent, toxic environment, there have been significant concerns expressed for women currently serving in public office. These claims are backed up by a recent report illustrating the pervasive psychological violence that women MPs face.
Hatt said it was the intolerability of the threats made against her family that finally forced her out. Her described that toxic online environment that she “inherited” from Lööf. Since her predecessor’s departure, this negativity has turned to a full maligning firestorm.
Death threats, empty bullet casings in my mailbox, Nazis outside my home, hate campaigns on social media, threats against my family. I have sat face to face with a man who planned to kill me – because of my values,” Lööf stated in a previous account of her experiences. An evil man indeed—convicted of murder, and terrorist crimes—for plotting to commit murder. A man who started stalking me as long ago as 2013. These are the horrible burdens of using public office for corruption.
The Centre Party is the leading proponent of liberal centrism in Sweden. Today, it is under tremendous attack by far-right nationalists who vehemently oppose its open and progressive immigration agenda. Löf and Hatt have been repeatedly attacked by the Sweden Democrats, a far-right party. They use their media platform, Riks, to launch a campaign of contempt and misinformation against them. Riks regularly reaches over a million viewers, further inflating the negative story about the Centre Party and its dominant leaders.
Hatt’s rise to a position of influence and authority was celebrated as a sign of positive change within Swedish politics. She stood for something beyond herself — an emerging voice of a new generation that was calling for a more inclusive society. Indeed, the response from far-right actors has rendered her tenure uniquely difficult. She routinely encountered open aggression due to her party’s comparatively liberal stance, espousing concerns for immigrant rights and integration. Right-wing reactionaries lost no time vocalizing their outrage at these appointments.
Today’s atmosphere shows a more alarming international trend. Women in public life experience increasing, targeted threats, meant to terrorize them from power and intimidate others into silence. Yet a recent report by the European Parliament exposed the extent of psychological violence, finding that eight in ten women Members of Parliament experience it. The report revealed a shocking truth — 65% of the female politicians surveyed experienced sexualized, demeaning comments. In addition, 44% said they had been threatened with death, rape, beatings, or kidnapping.
These sorts of threats affect much more than the experience of each person. This further prevents women from engaging in political life, thus producing a chilling effect. With every resignation or withdrawal from public life, the representation of women shrinks more and more. This cycle has had a huge impact on today’s political landscape. As a result, it turns off future generations of women from pursuing careers in public service.