Report
Förtroendevaldas trygghet i Ludvika kommun
2018Frisk, L., Axelson, T., Korsell, L., Lundberg, E., & Stier, J.Interkulturellt utvecklingscentrum Dalarna (IKUD), Högskolan Dalarna, rapport nr 6
What is this study about?
The report examines the safety of elected politicians in Ludvika municipality. The focus is on their experiences of threats, harassment and other forms of vulnerability in connection with their political mandate. The report also highlights how such experiences affect the everyday lives of elected representatives and their ability to carry out their political work.
What did we find?
The results show that elected representatives may face threats, harassment and other forms of pressure that create insecurity in the political mandate. This vulnerability can affect both how politicians act in their role and how they relate to publicity and contacts with citizens. The report thus makes visible that safety is an important prerequisite for locally elected representatives to be able to fulfil their democratic mandates.
Why does it matter?
Representative democracy depends on people being willing and able to take on political mandates. Threats and harassment against elected representatives are therefore not only a problem for the individuals affected. If fear and insecurity affect who wants to engage politically, which issues politicians dare to pursue, or how they participate in the public conversation, this can also affect how democracy functions. The report therefore shows why the safety of elected representatives is a question of democracy, not merely of working conditions.
Citation
Frisk, L., Axelson, T., Korsell, L., Lundberg, E., & Stier, J. (2018) Förtroendevaldas trygghet i Ludvika kommun. Interkulturellt utvecklingscentrum Dalarna (IKUD), Högskolan Dalarna, rapport nr 6