Former Sweden Democrats MP calls party leader “a pain in the ass” in interview

The independent lawmaker Elsa Widding, who left the Sweden Democrats (SD) party, has said in an interview with public broadcaster SVT that she has been “a pain in the ass” for her former party and its leader Jimmie Åkesson.

Widding, now one of Sweden’s so-called “wild” MPs—lawmakers who operate outside party discipline—has gained influence after voting against the governing Tidö coalition and her former party. She told SVT she refuses to leave parliament and dismissed Åkesson’s claims that her vote had been “bought.”

“Why would he count on my vote?” Widding said when asked if Åkesson could rely on her support in future parliamentary decisions.

The breakdown of Sweden’s traditional quid-pro-quo voting system has made parliamentary outcomes less predictable, giving independent MPs like Widding a potential swing role in close votes. She told SVT that she remains in parliament to represent her voters and rejected accusations of political opportunism.

Åkesson has previously accused Widding and other “wild” MPs of being influenced by opposition parties, a claim she denied. The term “wild” refers to lawmakers who no longer follow their original party’s line after leaving or being expelled.