A spike in gang-related killings over recent years has seen Sweden move against a general trend of falling violence noted across much of the rest of Europe.
Experts say the government must demonstrate progress before the next election in 2026, with surveys showing it remains a top issue for voters.
“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,” said Jonas Hinnfors, a political scientist at Gothenburg University.
Opinion polls currently show the Social Democrat-led opposition is ahead of the government and allies by around 7 percentage points.
Södertälje Mayor Godner, a Social Democrat, said no one policy measure would be enough to crack the gangs, who have been growing stronger in towns like hers for years.
She called for more national and international inter-agency coordination to target gang leaders and their assets, involving not only police but the tax office, customs and the financial crimes agency.
