Editing Sweden Democrats (section)

=== Racist incidents and expulsions ===
The Sweden Democrats have, among all Swedish parliamentary parties, had the largest share of elected municipal representatives resign since the 2010 elections (27.8%).<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/hot-tommer-sd-stolar-i-kommunerna/|title=Hot tömmer SD-stolar i kommunerna – DN.SE|date=9 November 2011|newspaper=[[Dagens Nyheter]]|language=sv-se|access-date=15 January 2017}}</ref> Many of these resignations were brought on by racist statements or actions by these representatives.<ref name=":0" />

In November 2012, party spokesperson [[Erik Almqvist]] resigned after he had been caught on tape making racist and sexist statements.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/almqvist-tvingades-bort-efter-filmen/|title=Almqvist tvingades bort efter filmen|newspaper=Expressen|access-date=15 January 2017}}</ref> In November 2012, parliamentarian [[Lars Isovaara]] resigned after accusing two people of foreign origin of stealing his bag (which Isovaara had left at a restaurant) and then proceeding to verbally abuse a security guard of a foreign background.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.svd.se/sd-backar-om-stold-fran-isovaara|title=SD backar om "stöld" från Isovaara|last=TT|newspaper=SvD.se|access-date=15 January 2017}}</ref> Isovaara's replacement in parliament, [[Markus Wiechel]], was found in April 2013 to have referred to a group of black people as "monkeys" in a Facebook comment back in 2011. Wiechel later apologised and stated the comment had been in reference to a video of a tribal witch burning in Africa.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thelocal.se/20130426/47570|title=Sweden Democrat MP in racist Facebook chat|date=26 April 2013|access-date=15 January 2017}}</ref>

In March 2013, 12 individuals were thrown out of the party for their involvement in [[Nazism in Sweden|neo-Nazi]] or other extremist movements.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.svd.se/tolv-personer-utesluts-ur-sd|title=Tolv personer utesluts ur SD|last=TT|newspaper=SvD.se|access-date=15 January 2017}}</ref> In November 2013, parliamentarian and then vice party leader [[Jonas Åkerlund (politician)|Jonas Åkerlund]] gained attention for having called immigrants "parasites" during a broadcast on SD's own radio station in 2002, after the recording was publicly rediscovered. In his defence, Åkerlund stated that he only said it to provoke people.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article17830641.ab|title=SD-toppens rasistiska uttalanden|newspaper=Aftonbladet.se|access-date=15 January 2017}}</ref> In September 2014, the party chairman of the local [[Stockholm]] branch, [[Christoffer Dulny]] was asked to resign from his position after it was found he had previously posted mocking comments about immigrants, calling them "shameless liars" on [[Alternative media|alternative media sites]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/expressen-avslojar/har-ar-sd-toppens-inlagg-pa-hatsajten/|title=Här är SD-toppens inlägg på hatsajten|newspaper=Expressen.se|access-date=9 February 2017}}</ref> He also resigned from parliament on the same day.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/christoffer-dulny-lamnar-fler-uppdrag/|title=Christoffer Dulny lämnar fler uppdrag|newspaper=Expressen.se|access-date=9 February 2017}}</ref>

In October 2016, a video of the parliamentarian and economic policy spokesperson [[Oscar Sjöstedt]] laughing at [[Antisemitism|antisemitic]] jokes was released by a former school friend of his who also accused Sjöstedt of chanting fascist slogans. Whilst at a party believed to have been organized by the neo-Nazi group ''[[Info-14]]'' in 2011 when Sjöstedt was a member of the SD's youth wing, he laughingly told a story about former co-workers with [[Nazism|Nazi]] sympathies mocking Jews and comparing them to sheep. Following an investigation by the SD, Sjöstedt stated that a friend had invited him to the party but he had walked out upon discovering who had organized it and denied expressing fascist statements.<ref>{{Cite web|title=SD-toppen gick på en nazistspelning 2005|url=https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/sd-toppen-gick-pa-en-nazistspelning-2005/|access-date=23 January 2021|website=www.expressen.se|date=11 October 2016 |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|last2=|date=11 October 2016|title=Oscar Sjöstedt gick på nazistspelning|url=https://www.di.se/nyheter/oscar-sjostedt-gick-pa-nazistspelning/|access-date=23 January 2021|website=Dagens industri|language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.expressen.se/nyheter/har-skamtar-sjostedt-sd-grovt-om-judar/|title=Här skämtar Sjöstedt (SD) grovt om judar|newspaper=Expressen.se|access-date=14 February 2017}}</ref> During the same month, the parliamentarian and second deputy party leader [[Carina Ståhl Herrstedt|Carina Herrstedt]] was confronted with having sent an allegedly [[Racism|racist]], [[Antisemitism|antisemitic]], [[Homophobia|homophobic]] and [[Anti-Romanyism|anti-romanyist]] email to her then spouse in 2011. The email, which had been leaked from the party's internal servers, for instance contained phrases that named black [[association football|football]] players from the team [[Landskrona BoIS]] as "[[nigger]]s" whilst also picturing [[Romani people]] as thieves. The email was meant to be playful and ironic, Herrstedt told [[Aftonbladet]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.expressen.se/kvallsposten/sd-toppens-skamt-om-judar-och-romer/|title=SD-toppens "skämt" om judar och romer|newspaper=Aftonbladet.se|access-date=14 February 2017}}</ref>

Between 2015 and 2016, various members of the party were expelled from the SD for expressing extremist or racist views,<ref name="thelocal2">{{cite news |date=22 April 2015 |title=Sweden Democrat youth leaders face expulsion |url=https://www.thelocal.se/20150422/sweden-democrat-youth-leaders-face-expulsion |work=[[The Local]] |location=[[Stockholm]] |access-date=2 September 2018}}</ref><ref name="SVR2">{{cite news |date=5 December 2016 |title=Sweden Democrats expel MP after antisemitism accusations |url=https://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2054&artikel=6580112 |work=[[Sveriges Radio]] |location=[[Stockholm]] |access-date=2 September 2018}}</ref><ref name="Heinisch">{{cite book |last1=Heinisch |first1=Reinhard |last2=Mazzoleni |first2=Oscar |date=2016 |title=Understanding Populist Party Organisation: The Radical Right in Western Europe |location=London |publisher=[[Palgrave Macmillan]] |pages=204–207 |isbn=978-1-137-58196-9 }}</ref> or because of disagreement with the party's shift towards [[Centrism|moderation]] and [[social conservatism]].<ref name="Heinisch"/> In April 2015, the [[Sweden Democratic Youth]] leaders were also expelled for these reasons,<ref name="thelocal2"/><ref name="Heinisch"/> and the organisation was dissolved shortly after with the mother party issuing a warning for remaining SDU members to leave the youth wing or be expelled from the party.<ref name="Heinisch"/> In December 2016, the parliamentarian [[Anna Hagwall]] was thrown out of the party after using arguments associated with [[antisemitism]] to argue for a bill that she introduced in parliament intended to reduce [[concentration of media ownership]] in Sweden.<ref name="SVR2"/><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/sverigedemokraterna-utesluter-anna-hagwall/|title=Sverigedemokraterna utesluter Anna Hagwall – DN.SE|date=5 December 2016|newspaper=[[Dagens Nyheter]]|language=sv-se|access-date=15 January 2017}}</ref>

In September 2017, a report from ''Dagens ETC'' found that 14 former municipal representatives of the party had infiltrated the SD in order to financially support the [[Nordic Resistance Movement]],<ref name="ETC1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.etc.se/inrikes/sd-topp-medlem-i-nazistgrupp-en-god-sak|title=SD-topp medlem i nazistgrupp: "En god sak"|date=12 September 2017|newspaper=ETC|access-date=2 September 2018}}</ref><ref name="ETC2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.etc.se/inrikes/har-ar-sd-politikerna-som-stottat-nazistgruppen-nmr|title=Här är SD-politikerna som stöttat nazistgruppen NMR|date=12 September 2017|newspaper=ETC|access-date=2 September 2018}}</ref> a neo-Nazi organisation, through [[financial transaction]]s,<ref name="ETC1"/><ref name="ETC2"/> memberships,<ref name="ETC1"/><ref name="ETC2"/> or purchases of antisemitic and racist literature or souvenirs.<ref name="ETC1"/><ref name="ETC2"/> In August 2018, 2 members were kicked out due to purchases of [[Nazi memorabilia]] online;<ref name="SVR3">{{cite news |date=30 August 2018 |title=Two Sweden Democrats kicked out of party for Nazi purchases, Hitler support |url=https://www.thelocal.se/20180830/two-sweden-democrats-kicked-out-of-party-for-nazi-purchases-hitler-support |work=[[Sveriges Radio]] |location=[[Stockholm]]}}</ref> following the expulsions, Michael Erlandsson, one of the SD's spokespeople,<ref name="SVR3"/> publicly stated that people who "have these types of views and share these types of materials" have no place in the party and that the SD maintains a zero-tolerance stance on expressing fascist views.<ref name="SVR3"/> 14 candidates were expelled from the party as well after being exposed as former members of neo-Nazi organisations.<ref name="Expressen">{{cite news |last1=Baas |first1=David |last2=Rogvall |first2=Filippa |date=31 August 2018 |title=14 SD-politiker lämnar – efter nazistavslöjanden |url=https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/fjorton-sd-politiker-lamnar-efter-nazistavslojanden/ |work=[[Expressen]] |location=[[Stockholm]]}}</ref> Referring to the latest expulsions, SD leader [[Jimmie Åkesson]] declared that the party "works extremely hard to keep clean".<ref name="Expressen"/>

In 2017, Martin Strid, party spokesman in [[Borlänge]], appeared to state at a televised SD rally that Muslims were not "fully human" and humane. Strid's comments were met with condemnation within the SD. Åkesson and SD party secretary [[Richard Jomshof]] described them as racist, with Jomshof stating the SD advocates ideological criticism, but not violating human rights. SD board member [[Aron Emilsson]] said that Strid would face a disciplinary meeting for violating the party's code of conduct. In response, Strid said he had expressed himself "clumsily" but chose to quit the party after being given an ultimatum to resign or be expelled.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/swedish-politician-muslims-not-completely-human-martin-strid-mohammedan-sverigedemokraterna-a8077521.html |title=Swedish politician forced to resign after saying Muslims are 'not fully human'|website=[[Independent.co.uk]] |date=27 November 2017 |access-date=2024-09-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newsweek.com/muslims-sweden-martin-strid-muslims-not-human-politician-islam-722921 |title=Muslims Are The Opposite Of Human, Swedish Democrat Says|website=[[Newsweek]] |date=27 November 2017 |access-date=2024-09-17}}</ref>

In March 2022, parliamentarian [[Roger Richthoff]] was sacked from his role as party defense spokesman and subsequently expelled from the SD and banned by the party from standing as a candidate for them in the [[2022 Swedish general election]] after posting controversial comments on [[Twitter]], including sharing a video supporting Russia in the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]] in which several [[antisemitic conspiracy theories]] were presented.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SD-ledamot i försvarsutskottet sprider film som tackar Ryssland för invasionen |url=https://expo.se/2022/03/sd-ledamot-i-forsvarsutskottet-sprider-film-som-tackar-ryssland-for-invasionen |access-date=30 March 2022 |website=Expo.se |date=28 March 2022 |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Richtoff (SD) blir politisk vilde |url=https://www.altinget.se/artikel/richtoff-sd-blir-politisk-vilde |access-date=30 March 2022 |website=Altinget.se |date=30 March 2022 |language=sv-SE}}</ref>

Researcher on Nordic nationalism [[Benjamin R. Teitelbaum]] described the present day version Sweden Democrats as paradoxical compared to other European nationalist parties on the issues of racism and radicalism among its members. Teitelbaum notes that in contrast to other Nordic and wider European populist parties, the SD differs by having a past rooted in white nationalism and extremism, but in the present day is comparably more proactive in rejecting ethno-nationalism and expelling members who make racist statements to the point where he considers the SD to be on the "softer side" of national-populism.<ref name="auto7"/> Similar observations were made by British conservative author [[Douglas Murray (author)|Douglas Murray]] who described the SD as undergoing one of the most significant transformations on the European political right from a party on the fringes that openly pushed extreme tendencies to a more mainstream movement that draws on diverse support.<ref name="Murray"/> Kateřina Lišaníková argued that out of all the parties in Sweden, the SD was more likely to attract individual members who made extreme statements regarding immigrants but this was a consequence of the SD being the only party in the Riksdag willing to challenge the political consensus on immigration for several years as opposed to the SD itself being an extremist or racist party.<ref name=":4"/>

[[Ashley Fox]], leader of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|British Conservative]] [[Member of the European Parliament|MEPs]], praised the Sweden Democrats regarding the party's policy decisions on the expulsion of extremist and racist members:<ref name="Independent2"/> "Over the past decade the Sweden Democrats have made progress in reforming themselves, expelling any members displaying unacceptable views or behaviour and diversifying their party base."<ref name="Independent2"/>