Logo: to the web site of the Swedish Defence University

In Sweden, there is an intense and politicized debate about the phenomenon of firearm-related violence by criminal gangs, especially among Sweden's parliamentary parties. The purpose of the following study is to explain how a phenomenon is constructed and managed politically by the government and the opposition. The focus will be on how framing and accountability are exerted concerning gang-related shootings in Swedish politics. The theory that will be used to analyze the political game is Boin, ‘t Hart and McConnell's theoretical framework about framing and crisis exploitation. The study shows that even though different frameworks are used, there is an existing consensus among the political parties Socialdemokraterna, Moderaterna and Vänsterpartiet that firearm-related violence by criminal gangs is considered a crisis in Swedish politics. It is evident that the government chooses to deny responsibility while the opposition focus on blaming the government. It was therefore concluded that the outcome of the political game regarding firearm-related violence by criminal gangs will be a ‘blame showdown’, where the political implications are difficult to apprehend.