So people are mostly driven of "what is popular", so if you spam the article and astroturf them. You give the illusion that it is a big problem that a lot of people care about. And that leads to people taking it more seriously.

So the end here is to make people who would leave the left-party (Vänsterpartiet) to vote for ÖP, feel alienated. "Oh my god, I can't vote for a far right party! I better vote for the 'only' left party that is left." is the thought they want them to have.