Politicians opposed to Sweden’s EU membership have been tipped to follow Britain’s “Brexit playbook” in a bid to secure the way for the country’s exit from the bloc. Eurosceptic leader of the Sweden Democrats party (SD), Jimmie Åkesson, has previously called for a re-evaluation of the Scandinavian country’s EU membership.
Mr Åkesson and European Conservatives and Reformists Vice-President Charlie Weimers in February called for more powers to be returned to Stockholm from Brussels, in an op-ed published by Swedish daily Aftonbladet.
They demanded a new strategy to strengthen Sweden’s negotiating position with the bloc, including the removal of the country’s EU membership from the constitution, which they argued will signal Sweden is prepared to leave “as a last resort”.
The pair also put forward a proposal for a lock which would prevent changes to the amount Sweden contributes to EU coffers without a referendum.
Elsie Gisslegard, a Swedish Centre Party candidate for the European Parliament, said the conditions are now “perfect” for the SD to follow the “Brexit playbook” and secure Swexit without opposition from any of Sweden’s main parties.
Ms Gisslegard, writing in Best for Britain, warned: “My concern is the Sweden Democrats have learnt how to introduce an exit from Brexit, but on the flipside, that so few of Sweden’s mainstream parties have learnt their own lessons. We have the perfect conditions for the SD to successfully follow the Brexit playbook.”
She argued former British Prime Minister Lord David Cameron’s 2013 promise to renegotiate Britain’s EU membership to appease Tory Eurosceptics is similar to the stance the SD is pushing for.
Ms Gisslegard wrote: “Instead, the renegotiations became a club for the Brexiters, used to smash Britain’s relationship with Europe, and by extension Britain itself. Brexit became a fact.
“It is precisely this dynamic that the Sweden Democrats are trying to recreate. But unlike Cameron, this is something they are doing intentionally.”
She argued that it is “well-established” that Lord Cameron’s renegotiations “unintentionally” paved the way for Brexit, the SD are trying to do the same and nobody is surprised the party is trying to open Pandora’s box, although what is surprising is the minimal resistance they face.
The dual Swedish and British citizen concluded: “This is how Swexit starts unless decent parties listen to the warning bells and act. The Government coalition and the Social Democrats must have the courage to speak up.
“I say this as a citizen who has seen the consequences of isolationism first hand: Sweden must not repeat Britain’s mistake.”
A populist, right wing party, SD is the largest member of Sweden’s governing coalition and is the second largest party in the Riksdag.
Mr Åkesson earlier this month warned Sweden’s Conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson won’t be able to serve a second term unless the SD is in government after the country’s next general election, due in September 2026.
In the 2022 general election, the SD secured 20.5 percent of the vote and their support was pivotal in enabling the minority Moderate, Christian Democrat and Liberal coalition to take power.
