Åkesson tells dissenters to leave over Swedishness debate

Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson says party members who reject its position on Swedish identity should leave or risk expulsion, SVT reports. In a debate article in Expressen, he reaffirmed the party’s principle that a person can become Swedish without being born in Sweden.

The dispute has centred on how the party defines Swedishness. Mattias Karlsson supports the party’s position of “open Swedishness”, based on language, culture, loyalty and identity. Richard Jomshof has argued that biological ties and ethnicity also matter.

The party’s principle programme says Swedishness is not defined by ethnicity or genetic background. It says people with a foreign background can become Swedish if, among other things, they speak Swedish, identify as Swedish and adapt to Swedish culture. The programme also distinguishes Swedish citizenship from national belonging and supports assimilation rather than multiculturalism.

The debate flared after deputy party leader Henrik Vinge described political conversations with people of Somali background on the podcast “Den sista måltiden”. His remarks prompted reactions inside and outside the party and revived discussion about Swedishness, ancestry and ethnicity. The debate has since played out publicly on social media, and several members of the party board have regarded Jomshof’s comments as problematic, according to SVT News sources.

Åkesson warned that a lack of clarity on Swedishness could harm the party. He said members who do not support the principle programme and its position on open Swedishness must leave or could be expelled. Karlsson shared Åkesson’s article on Facebook, thanked him for taking a clear stance and said he would step back from the debate for now.