Editing Sweden Democrats (section)

=== Entrance into parliament and ideological realignment (2010–2014) ===

In the [[2010 Swedish general election]], SD{{nbsp}}won representation in the [[Riksdag|Swedish Riksdag]] for the first time, with{{nbsp}}5.7% of the vote and 20{{nbsp}}MPs.

In 2010, the SD leadership introduced a charter against racism on the party platform and later expanded this into a zero-tolerance policy regarding political extremism and law breaking. After some of the SD's elected members caused controversies during the party's first term in the Riksdag, the SD also stated it would introduce a vetting procedure for its future parliamentary candidates and issued updated guidelines on conduct and communication for party members.<ref name="SD launches an internal glossbook">{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/a/43e049ec-539d-38c4-8e86-448ef8e9b8c2/sd-lanserar-en-intern-glosbok |title=SD launches an internal glossbook |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |date=25 October 2012 |access-date=30 January 2024 |last1=Stiernstedt |first1=Jenny |archive-date=30 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130223134/https://www.svd.se/a/43e049ec-539d-38c4-8e86-448ef8e9b8c2/sd-lanserar-en-intern-glosbok |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2012/12/17/sweden-democrats-racism-scandal-hellstrom/ |title=The Sweden Democrats racism scandal will not be a fatal blow to the party's appeal to the Swedish electorate. |work=EUROPP |date=17 December 2013 |access-date=20 June 2023 |archive-date=20 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230620192250/https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2012/12/17/sweden-democrats-racism-scandal-hellstrom/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/10823028/EU-elections-2014-I-can-hear-the-boots-of-the-1930s-marching-through-Europe.html |title=EU elections 2014: 'I can hear the boots of the 1930s marching through Europe' |date=17 December 2013 |access-date=20 June 2023 |archive-date=8 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108224958/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/10823028/EU-elections-2014-I-can-hear-the-boots-of-the-1930s-marching-through-Europe.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2011, the party also changed its self-description from "nationalist" to "social conservative".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-rise-of-sweden-democrats-and-the-end-of-swedish-exceptionalism/ |title=The Rise of Sweden Democrats: Islam, Populism and the End of Swedish Exceptionalism |date=25 March 2020 |access-date=20 January 2023 |archive-date=27 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327042822/https://www.brookings.edu/research/the-rise-of-sweden-democrats-and-the-end-of-swedish-exceptionalism/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Sweden Democrat MP [[William Petzäll]] was persuaded to leave the party on 26 September 2011 while still retaining his parliamentary seat.<ref name=expressen>{{cite news|url=http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/avslojar/1.2572011/sd-ledamoten-william-petzall-lamnar-partiet-blir-politisk-vilde|title=SD-ledamoten William Petzäll lämnar partiet – blir politisk vilde|work=[[Expressen]]|first=David|last=Baas|date=26 September 2011|access-date=9 October 2011|language=sv|archive-date=27 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927173605/http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/avslojar/1.2572011/sd-ledamoten-william-petzall-lamnar-partiet-blir-politisk-vilde|url-status=live}}</ref> This was done because of Petzäll's [[substance abuse]] and the problems this might cause for SD's{{nbsp}}public image. Petzäll later died of an overdose and his seat was turned over to [[Stellan Bojerud]] in September 2012.

In November 2012, videos from August 2010 were released, in segments, over the course of three days by Swedish newspaper ''[[Expressen]]'' (a year earlier, ''Expressen'' had released the same videos without making much noise). This came to be known as the [[Iron pipe scandal]], although the same videos had already been released on [[YouTube]] by Erik Almqvist in 2010. The videos, recorded by MP [[Kent Ekeroth]], featured him along with fellow Sweden Democrats MP [[Erik Almqvist]] and [[Christian Westling]]. The videos show Almqvist arguing with comedian [[Soran Ismail]]: Almqvist is referring to Sweden as "my country, not your country", as an insult to Ismail. They are also shown arguing with a drunken man. A woman can also be seen approaching Kent Ekeroth while filming; he calls her a whore and pushes her out of the way. A few minutes later they are seen picking up iron bars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.se/44440/20121115/ |title=Swedish press: scandal shows 'true face' of Sweden Democrats |website=[[The Local]] |date=15 November 2012 |access-date=19 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118062322/http://www.thelocal.se/44440/20121115 |archive-date=18 November 2012 }}</ref> Coming only a month after party leader Åkesson had instated a zero-tolerance policy towards racism in the party,<ref name="zero-tolerance_policy" /> the release of the video caused Almqvist to leave his position as the party's economic policy spokesperson and his place in the executive committee on 14 November. He excused himself as having been under a lot of pressure and threats of violence at the time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.se/44418/20121114/ |title=Top Sweden Democrat quits after racist film |website=[[The Local]] |date=14 November 2012 |access-date=19 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121117003358/http://www.thelocal.se/44418/20121114 |archive-date=17 November 2012 }}</ref> As more segments of the video were released, revealing the other two men's involvement, the party announced on 15 November that Ekeroth would take a break from his position as the party's justice policy spokesman.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.se/44432/20121115/ |title=Ekeroth takes 'break' after new revelations |website=[[The Local]] |date=15 November 2012 |access-date=19 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118062251/http://www.thelocal.se/44432/20121115 |archive-date=18 November 2012 }}</ref> Almqvist and Ekeroth both took time off from their parliament seats. [[Sweden Democratic Youth]] president [[Gustav Kasselstrand]] and vice president [[William Hahne]] criticised the decision to remove Almqvist and Ekeroth in an [[op-ed]] in ''[[Dagens Nyheter]]'', arguing that the party should not give in to media pressure.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/sdu-fel-peta-almqvist_7671922.svd|title=SDU: Fel peta Alqvist|newspaper=[[Svenska Dagbladet]]|date=15 November 2012|access-date=19 November 2012|language=sv|archive-date=18 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118040052/http://www.svd.se/nyheter/inrikes/sdu-fel-peta-almqvist_7671922.svd|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:SD-sympatisörer inför EU-valet 2014.jpg|thumb|Sweden Democrat supporters in Stockholm during the 2014 European elections]]

Only two weeks after Almqvist and Ekeroth were forced to step down, fellow MP [[Lars Isovaara]] reported being robbed of his backpack and pushed out of his wheelchair by "two unknown men of an immigrant background". When trying to get into the Riksdag, Isovaara was himself reported by the police for racial abuse against safety guards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.se/44724/20121128/ |title=Oinking Sweden Democrat spat at guard |website=[[The Local]] |date=28 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121130222936/http://www.thelocal.se/44724/20121128/ |archive-date=30 November 2012 }}</ref> The Sweden Democrats initially defended Isovaara, but backed down when ''Expressen'' revealed that Isovaara had actually forgotten his backpack at a restaurant, and that the two men had helped him when he fell out of his wheelchair.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelocal.se/44726/20121129/ |title=Found bag puts Sweden Democrat MP in doubt |website=[[The Local]] |date=29 November 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121202170753/http://www.thelocal.se/44726/20121129 |archive-date=2 December 2012 }}</ref> He left his seat in the Riksdag on 29 November, and was replaced by [[Markus Wiechel]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/isovaaras-ersattare-tidigare-domd-for-fortal/|title=Isovaaras ersättare tidigare dömd för förtal|newspaper=[[Expressen]]|first=Oscar|last=Julander|date=29 November 2012|language=sv|access-date=29 November 2012|archive-date=1 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121201074520/http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/isovaaras-ersattare-tidigare-domd-for-fortal/|url-status=live}}</ref>