Liberalerna Faces Internal Rift Over Cooperation with Sverigedemokraterna Ahead of 2026 Election
The Swedish Liberal Party is divided over cooperating with the Sweden Democrats, with leadership rejecting SD ministerial roles amid internal dissent and voter loss concerns.
- • Liberalerna leadership opposes including Sverigedemokraterna in government.
- • Simona Mohamsson emphasizes SD is not a bourgeois party and must be excluded from ministerial roles.
- • 58 party members signed a letter opposing cooperation with SD, fearing voter loss and party extinction.
- • An internal poll shows Liberalerna losing voters due to association with SD.
Key details
The Swedish Liberal Party (Liberalerna) is currently grappling with significant internal divisions regarding its stance on cooperating with the Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna, SD) in the next government. As the party board prepares to make a critical decision, the prevailing position within Liberalerna remains a rejection of including SD in government.
Party leader Simona Mohamsson has publicly stated that Liberalerna will not participate in a government that includes SD ministers. In an article for DN Debatt, Mohamsson underscored that SD does not behave like a bourgeois party and is not accepted by liberal-minded voters. She warned that aligning with SD could jeopardize the Liberals’ electoral prospects, citing the Social Democrats’ 2010 collapse due to similar political associations. Despite appreciating some of SD’s policy positions, such as on nuclear power and policing, Mohamsson insists SD cannot hold ministerial roles and aims to renegotiate the Tidöavtal with other parties excluding SD ministerial participation (94570).
Reports reveal deep internal dissent as well. An internal letter signed by 58 party members voices strong opposition to any collaboration with SD, fearing it may lead to the party’s national extinction. Liberal group leader Suzanne Liljegren, in particular, has advocated for maintaining an independent Liberal stance away from SD to preserve the party’s identity. She criticized the current leadership for disregarding grassroots concerns, describing their efforts as ‘‘like talking to a wall’’ (94540, 94487).
Meanwhile, SD leader Jimmie Åkesson has demanded ministerial positions if the Tidö parties emerge victorious in the next election, adding to the tension within Liberalerna. A recent opinion poll commissioned by the Liberals suggests the party has already lost voters due to its perceived association with SD, highlighting the strategic risks involved (94487).
The situation places Liberalerna at a critical juncture as it prepares for the election, balancing ideological principles and strategic calculations amid internal and external pressures. The party leadership is expected to uphold its current stance against SD cooperation in the forthcoming party board decision, but internal dissent remains palpable.