Editing Sweden Democrats (section)

=== International relations ===
In its early days, the Sweden Democrats was known to associate itself with both native Swedish and wider European [[extreme-right]] activist groups and political parties.<ref name=vitbok /><ref name="SDBulle 11-89"/><ref name="Murray"/> During the 1990s, the Sweden Democrats began distancing itself from such groups and made connections with the French National Front (FN) and [[Jean-Marie Le Pen]] through his ''[[Euronat]]'' initiative and received support from the FN in 1998 but otherwise the party did not actively seek formal relationships outside of Sweden.<ref name=vitbok /><ref name="SDBulle 11-89"/> After the party left Euronat, it became more influenced by the neighboring [[Danish People's Party]] (DF) and by the late 2000s said it had ceased regarding the National Front as a role model and instead saw the DF as a sister party.<ref>{{cite news |date=27 May 2014 |title=SD svänger om Nationella fronten |url=https://www.svd.se/sd-svanger-om-nationella-fronten |url-access=subscription |newspaper=[[Svenska Dagbladet]] |via= |access-date=12 March 2021 |archive-date=23 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023175940/https://www.svd.se/sd-svanger-om-nationella-fronten |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010, party secretary [[Björn Söder]] published an article disowning the SD's older connections to extreme groups or individuals like Le Pen and said SD was more focused on Sweden's issues over interacting with foreign parties.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/a/2c4552fa-290b-3561-83ff-5ec70dcefb36/nu-far-sd-mer-danskt-stod |title=Nu får SD mer danskt stöd |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |date=12 November 2010 |access-date=2024-02-04 |last1=Olsson |first1=Lova |archive-date=4 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204222048/https://www.svd.se/a/2c4552fa-290b-3561-83ff-5ec70dcefb36/nu-far-sd-mer-danskt-stod |url-status=live }}</ref>  The party has also been active within [[counter-jihad]] networks, explicitly from 2007 to 2011.<ref>{{cite thesis|title='Green Crescent, Crimson Cross': The Transatlantic 'Counterjihad' and the New Political Theology|url=https://etheses.lse.ac.uk/3780/1/Pertwee__green-crescent-crimson-cross.pdf|pages=6, 101|last=Pertwee|first=Ed|date=October 2017|publisher=London School of Economics|access-date=23 February 2024|archive-date=8 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408194803/https://etheses.lse.ac.uk/3780/1/Pertwee__green-crescent-crimson-cross.pdf|url-status=live|doi=10.21953/lse.xx0e1p4w3f3y|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f4bFAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA181|page=181|title=Extreme Right Wing Political Violence and Terrorism|editor-first1=Max|editor-last1=Taylor|editor-first2=P.M.|editor-last2=Currie|editor-first3=Donald|editor-last3=Holbrook|publisher=Bloomsbury|year=2013|isbn=9781441140876|access-date=23 February 2024|archive-date=23 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240223195625/https://books.google.com/books?id=f4bFAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA181|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C5Q7EAAAQBAJ&pg=PT316|page=316|title=Swedish-American Borderlands: New Histories of Transatlantic Relations|first1=Dag|last1=Blanck|first2=Adam|last2=Hjorthén|publisher=U of Minnesota Press|year=2021|isbn=9781452962412|access-date=23 February 2024|archive-date=23 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240223195625/https://books.google.com/books?id=C5Q7EAAAQBAJ&pg=PT316|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite report|url=https://expo.se/wp-content/uploads/expo_migration/Organiserad-intolerans-i-Finland-och-Sverige_SLUTLIG.pdf|title=Organiserad intolerans i Finland och Sverige|language=sv|first1=Daniel|last1=Poohl|first2=Martha|last2=Hannus|first3=David|last3=Lagerlöf|first4=Mikael|last4=Brunila|first5=Li|last5=Andersson|first6=Dan|last6=Koivulaakso|work=Expo|date=2012|pages=15–23}}</ref>

In Europe, SD has had some contacts with the Austrian [[Freedom Party of Austria|FPÖ]], the Dutch [[Party for Freedom]] and [[Forum for Democracy]], the Flemish [[Vlaams Belang]] and the now defunct Belgian [[People's Party (Belgium)|People's Party]] over the early 2010s.<ref>{{cite web |last=Haglund |first=Fredrik |date=27 May 2013 |title=Sverigedemokraterna söker samarbete inför EU-val |trans-title=The Sweden Democrats seeks cooperation ahead of EU election |url=https://www.europaportalen.se/2013/05/sverigedemokraterna-soker-samarbete-infor-eu-val |website={{ill|Europaportalen|sv}} |place=Brussels |language=sv |access-date=10 July 2021 |archive-date=10 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210710145521/https://www.europaportalen.se/2013/05/sverigedemokraterna-soker-samarbete-infor-eu-val |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/wilders-and-le-pen-plan-right-wing-populist-faction-in-eu-parliament-a-933340.html |title=Euroskeptic Union: Right-Wing Populists Forge EU Alliance |work=Spiegel Online |date=13 November 2013 |access-date=11 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415150910/http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/wilders-and-le-pen-plan-right-wing-populist-faction-in-eu-parliament-a-933340.html |archive-date=15 April 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL81iZZ_awI |title=How Sweden can be saved |date=2019-11-25 |last=Baudet |first=Thierry |author-link=Thierry Baudet |type=Video |publisher=[[Forum for Democracy]] |access-date=2024-08-31 |via=[[YouTube]] |archive-date=16 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416142601/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL81iZZ_awI |url-status=live }}</ref> The Danish People's Party was initially indifferent on collaborating with the SD until 2010 when [[Pia Kjærsgaard]] travelled to Sweden to help with the party's general election campaign.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brandel |first1=Tobias |date=11 September 2010 |title=Kjærsgaard kritiserade Sahlin och Reinfeldt |trans-title=Kjærsgaard criticized Sahlin and Reinfeldt |url=https://www.svd.se/kjrsgaard-kritiserade-sahlin-och-reinfeldt |url-access=subscription |website=[[Svenska Dagbladet]] |language=sv |access-date=12 March 2021 |archive-date=22 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622170815/https://www.svd.se/kjrsgaard-kritiserade-sahlin-och-reinfeldt |url-status=live }}</ref> Shortly after, Danish People's Party foreign affairs spokesman [[Søren Espersen]] hosted the SD's conference and said both parties would work together in the [[Nordic Council]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.svd.se/a/2c4552fa-290b-3561-83ff-5ec70dcefb36/nu-far-sd-mer-danskt-stod |title=Now SD gets more Danish support |newspaper=Svenska Dagbladet |date=12 November 2010 |access-date=2024-02-04 |last1=Olsson |first1=Lova |archive-date=4 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204222048/https://www.svd.se/a/2c4552fa-290b-3561-83ff-5ec70dcefb36/nu-far-sd-mer-danskt-stod |url-status=live }}</ref> Before the [[2014 European Parliament election in Sweden|European election of 2014]] there was some speculation that the SD would enter a grouping with other European nationalist parties led by [[Marine Le Pen]]. SD politicians confirmed they had had met with representatives from the proposed group but said the talks were informal. The Danish People's Party reportedly threatened to end ties with SD if they joined the group, stating that while they were willing to work with the SD and the Dutch Freedom Party, they opposed inclusion of parties like the National Front and the FPÖ.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nyheter24.se/nyheter/politik/756991-dansk-folkeparti-hotar-med-att-overge-sverigedemokraterna |title=The Danish People's Party threatens to abandon the Sweden Democrats |date=14 November 2013 |access-date=2024-02-04 |archive-date=4 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204222049/https://nyheter24.se/nyheter/politik/756991-dansk-folkeparti-hotar-med-att-overge-sverigedemokraterna |url-status=live }}</ref> However, after the election the SD began to distance itself from other European far-right parties and elected to become a member of the more moderate [[Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy]] (EFDD) group with the [[UK Independence Party]]. The SD was also active in the [[European Alliance for Freedom]] and the [[Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe]] (ADDE) Euro parties with members of the [[UK Independence Party]] (UKIP). In 2016, Marine Le Pen stated that the Sweden Democrats were no longer in official cooperation with her party.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/6566067 | title=Marine le Pen critical of Sweden Democrats | newspaper=Sveriges Radio | date=18 November 2016 }}</ref>

In 2015, SD began forging closer relations with the Danish People's Party, and in 2018 announced an official cooperation pact with the [[Finns Party]], which had previously distanced itself from the SD.<ref name="nordicpopulist">{{cite web|url=https://www.hbl.fi/2017-11-27/nordisk-populistfront/|title=Nordisk populistfront|date=27 November 2017|author=Susanna Ginman|work=[[Hufvudstadsbladet]]|lang=sv}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thelocal.se/20150820/denmarks-nationalists-rally-after-sweden-democrats-rise|title=Danish nationalists cheer Sweden Democrat poll|newspaper=The Local Sweden|date=20 August 2015 |access-date=22 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finns_party_hails_closer_ties_with_nationalist_sweden_democrats/10313894|title=Finns Party hails closer ties with nationalist Sweden Democrats|website=yle.fi|date=19 July 2018|access-date=22 April 2020|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109032929/https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finns_party_hails_closer_ties_with_nationalist_sweden_democrats/10313894|url-status=live}}</ref> All three parties are members of the [[Nordic Freedom]] group in the [[Nordic Council]]. Politicians of the Norwegian [[Progress Party (Norway)|Progress Party]] have called for official collaboration with the SD, although the Progress Party's leadership has traditionally not supported any partnership and turned down joining with the Sweden Democrats on the Nordic Council. In 2022, Progress Party leader [[Sylvi Listhaug]] officially endorsed the SD during the 2022 Swedish general election and said that while her party shares common ground with the Sweden Democrats on immigration and law & order policies, differences in economic views prevented her from forming a direct alliance with the SD.<ref name="nordicpopulist"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Nordhagen Walnum |first1=Amanda |last2=Rønning |first2=Mats |date=22 November 2018 |title=Hyller partiet 'ingen' vil samarbeide med. Det får Støre til å reagere |trans-title=Praises the party "no one" wants to cooperate with. That causes Støre to react |url=https://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/hyller-partiet-ingen-vil-samarbeide-med-det-far-store-til-a-reagere/70489591 |work=[[Dagbladet]] |language=no |access-date=2 February 2023 |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202181304/https://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/hyller-partiet-ingen-vil-samarbeide-med-det-far-store-til-a-reagere/70489591 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The SD maintained cooperation with the [[Alternative for Germany]] party under [[Frauke Petry]]'s leadership when both parties sat with the EFDD group and were members of the [[Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe|ADDE]] alliance, with Jimmie Åkesson describing the AfD as the SD's "sister party" in Germany during the [[2017 German federal election]]. However, Åkesson has since distanced the SD from statements made by some AfD politicians and by 2024 said the AfD was no longer ideologically compatible with his party.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/afd-vi-ska-aterta-vart-land-och-vart-folk | title=AFD: "Vi ska återta vårt land och vårt folk" | newspaper=SVT Nyheter | date=24 September 2017 | last1=Lindhe | first1=Jon | access-date=10 February 2024 | archive-date=1 March 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240301035148/https://www.svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/afd-vi-ska-aterta-vart-land-och-vart-folk | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Salo |first1=Sanna |last2=Iso-Markku |first2=Tuomas |title=Centre-right parties in Germany and Sweden |url=https://www.fiia.fi/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bp356_centre-right-parties-in-germany-and-sweden.pdf |access-date=2024-02-16 |publisher=[[Finnish Institute of International Affairs]] |isbn=978-951-769-753-8 |issn=1795-8059}}</ref><ref name="auto10">{{cite web |date=21 April 2024 |title=SD håller dörren på glänt för Fidesz – men vill inte ha gemensam högergrupp i EU-parlamentet |url=https://www.dn.se/varlden/sd-haller-dorren-pa-glant-for-fidesz-men-vill-inte-ha-gemensam-hogergrupp-i-eu-parlamentet/ |url-access=subscription |website=[[Dagens Nyheter]] |place=Brussels |access-date=23 May 2024 |archive-date=23 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523081742/https://www.dn.se/varlden/sd-haller-dorren-pa-glant-for-fidesz-men-vill-inte-ha-gemensam-hogergrupp-i-eu-parlamentet/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Since 2018, the SD has been a member of the [[European Conservatives and Reformists Group]] (ECR Group) and the [[European Conservatives and Reformists Party]] and presently sits alongside [[Brothers of Italy]], the Czech [[Civic Democratic Party (Czech Republic)|Civic Democratic Party]], Spanish [[Vox (political party)|Vox]] party, the Flemish [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]], Polish [[Law and Justice]], the [[Finns Party]] and [[JA21]] from the Netherlands.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/far-right-italy-giorgia-meloni-europe-conservatives-want-a-piece/ |title=Europe's conservatives want a piece of Giorgia Meloni |date=24 January 2023 |access-date=1 February 2023 |archive-date=3 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803040818/https://www.politico.eu/article/far-right-italy-giorgia-meloni-europe-conservatives-want-a-piece/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ecrgroup.eu/ecr/meps |title=MEPs |access-date=1 February 2023}}</ref> In 2019, there was discussions on whether the SD would join a new group with the Danish People's Party headed by [[Matteo Salvini]]'s [[Lega Nord]]. However, Åkesson said SD was not invited to join a new European Parliament group and would stay with the ECR but suggested this may have been due to his party's reluctance to cooperate with Le Pen and pro-Putin parties in Europe.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://euobserver.com/tickers/144763 | title=&#91;Ticker&#93; Sweden Democrats not invited to join Salvini group | date=30 April 2019 }}</ref> In 2024, the SD sought to distance itself from Hungary's [[Fidesz]] citing what they perceive as [[Viktor Orbán]]'s soft stance on Russia following [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|its invasion of Ukraine]] and threatened to leave the ECR if Fidesz joined unless Orbán demonstrated a more pro-NATO and Putin-critical position.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wax |first=Eddy |date=9 February 2024 |title=Sweden Democrats threaten to quit right-wing EU group if Orbán joins |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/sweden-democrats-threaten-to-quit-right-wing-eu-group-erc-if-orban-joins/ |access-date=31 August 2024 |website=[[Politico]] |place=Brussels |archive-date=1 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240901145944/https://www.politico.eu/article/sweden-democrats-threaten-to-quit-right-wing-eu-group-erc-if-orban-joins/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, the Sweden Democrats later softened its stance against Fidesz and said it was open to working with the party in the European Parliament, but maintained it would not cooperate with Alternative for Germany and cast doubt on an alliance with the French [[National Rally]].<ref name="auto10"/> 

In July 2024, the Sweden Democrats formed the European Parliament 'Nordic Freedom' alliance within the ECR along with the [[Denmark Democrats]] and the [[Finns Party]], citing common stances on opposing Russian influence, reducing the EU's intervention into the market, and a desire to participate in governments.<ref>{{cite news|work=Brussels Signal|title=Nordic MEPs promise 'Conservative revival' in Brussels|date=29 July 2024|url=https://brusselssignal.eu/2024/07/nordic-meps-promise-conservative-revival-in-brussels/}}</ref>

Outside of the EU, SD has had informal contacts with the British [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] and the US [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]. Individual politicians of the Norwegian [[Progress Party (Norway)|Progress Party]] have also called for more collaboration with the SD.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/04/tory-meps-criticised-alliance-with-swedish-populists-sweden-democrats |title=Tory MEPs criticised for alliance with Swedish populists |newspaper=The Guardian |date=4 July 2018 |access-date=1 February 2023|last1=Rankin |first1=Jennifer }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kristiansen |first=Tore |date=1 November 2022 |title=Listhaug vil at Norge skal ta samme oppgjør som svenskene med 'naiv asylpolitikk' |trans-title=Listhaug wants Norway to take the same approach as the Swedes with "naive asylum policy" |url=https://www.document.no/2022/11/01/listhaug-vil-at-norge-skal-ta-samme-oppgjor-som-svenskene-med-naiv-asylpolitikk/ |work= |language=no |access-date=2 February 2023 |archive-date=6 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206183806/https://www.document.no/2022/11/01/listhaug-vil-at-norge-skal-ta-samme-oppgjor-som-svenskene-med-naiv-asylpolitikk/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Nordhagen Walnum |first1=Amanda |last2=Rønning |first2=Mats |date=22 November 2018 |title=Hyller partiet 'ingen' vil samarbeide med. Det får Støre til å reagere |trans-title=Praises the party "no one" wants to cooperate with. That causes Støre to react |url=https://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/hyller-partiet-ingen-vil-samarbeide-med-det-far-store-til-a-reagere/70489591 |work=[[Dagbladet]] |language=no |access-date=2 February 2023 |archive-date=2 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202181304/https://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/hyller-partiet-ingen-vil-samarbeide-med-det-far-store-til-a-reagere/70489591 |url-status=live }}</ref> The SD has also sought to improve and build relations with Israel's [[Likud]] which had previously turned down meetings with the SD due to the party's past.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cohen |first=Shirit Avitan |date=13 June 2023 |title=Likud poised to end boycott of Swedish nationalist party |url=https://www.jns.org/israel-news/likud-party/23/6/13/294664/ |access-date=31 August 2024 |website=[[Jewish News Syndicate]] |archive-date=8 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240808022658/https://www.jns.org/israel-news/likud-party/23/6/13/294664/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2024, the SD and Likud began official cooperation with each other.<ref name="auto12"/>