The post, published on May 1, showed Kristersson and Svantesson holding ice creams with the caption: 'The feeling when it's Friday, you're off and you don't have to walk in any parade.' The response was immediate and largely negative, with many commenters branding the post as tone-deaf, ahistorical, and even disgusting. According to multiple reports, the post quickly garnered thousands of reactions, sparking a heated debate online.
Political opponents and commentators were quick to denounce the post as tone-deaf. Former Social Democratic leader Håkan Juholt wrote on social media that 'the prime minister should not mock people who gather for an idea they believe in.' Author and debater Alexandra Pascalidou called it 'tone-deaf and out of touch.' Podcaster Hanna Persson accused the party of 'pissing on the entire labor movement's commitment.'
The feeling when it's Friday, you're off and you don't have to walk in any parade.
Reactions from the public were mixed, with some defending the post. Comedian Kirsty Armstrong commented with 'Motherf*.' One user reminded the ministers that 'if it hadn't been for the labor movement, you'd be working today.' Moderaterna's press chief, Amos Friedman, downplayed the criticism, stating that the post captured a relatable sentiment: many Swedes prefer ice cream over parade chanting on their day off. Meanwhile, analyst Rutger Brattström from the free-market Timbro think tank, writing in Göteborgs-Posten, dismissed the outrage as petty and questioned the existence of a public holiday dedicated to a single ideology.
Prime Minister Kristersson addressed the controversy, confirming he ate ice cream on May Day and stating he does not demonstrate. He explicitly denied that the post was intended as a dig at opposition leader Magdalena Andersson, insisting the photo was lighthearted. Kristersson said he has nothing against demonstrators and that everyone can celebrate spring in their own way, including with ice cream. Expressing amazement at the focus on the ice cream, he questioned why people are worried about such a trivial matter given the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. The exact number of reactions remains unknown, and it is unclear whether Kristersson personally approved the post. The Social Democrats have not issued an official response.
No, the prime minister should not mock people who gather for an idea they believe in.
Mocking those who fight for a better world is tone-deaf and out of touch.
The feeling when you piss on the entire labor movement's commitment.
Motherf*
I think quite a few people recognize that it's nice to eat ice cream when it's warm and the sun is shining. Besides, it's quite nice not to have to walk in a May Day parade where unpleasantries are often chanted.
It's a bit strange that we have a red day that is meant to celebrate a single ideology. That's the odd thing in this context, not that someone posts a picture of eating ice cream.
I ate an ice cream on May Day. I don't think I was the only one in Sweden eating an ice cream in 23-degree heat. That I don't demonstrate on May Day cannot be a unique secret.
I have nothing against them demonstrating. The rest of us don't demonstrate on May Day, we enjoyed spring in other ways. Everyone can celebrate spring in their own way.
We have a war in the Middle East and we have a war in Ukraine, and here people are worried about an ice cream. Don't they have anything more important to do?