SD leaders clash over definition of Swedishness, sparking heated internal feud

The Sweden Democrats are embroiled in an internal conflict over the meaning of Swedishness. Mattias Karlsson said the controversy arose after many public figures urged the party to shift from cultural to ethnic nationalism. In response, Richard Jomshof posted on X that Sweden belongs to the Swedish people, the nation's original inhabitants, and that maintaining a Swedish ethnic majority is valuable.

Karlsson rebuked Jomshof, accusing him of suggesting that only those with "right" genes or ancestry truly belong, and labeled the view immoral and repugnant. The heated Facebook exchange was later deleted, and both Karlsson and Jomshof declined interview requests. Carl Eos of the SD think-tank Oikos interpreted the dispute as a symptom of anxiety over long-term immigration effects, noting its negative impact on party cohesion.