The Sweden Democrats’ shift from a clearly nationalist and social conservative party to a more liberal profile has been the topic of debate for a long time. The party leadership likely sees this evolution as a strategic way to get closer to the Tidö parties and increase its influence in Swedish politics. But how far can adaptation go before the party risks losing its own compass? The question is brought to the forefront after SD suddenly recruited moderate MPs ahead of the 2026 election—and, without prior activism in SD or shown loyalty, promised them top spots on the party’s list for parliament. One of them is a devoted Reinfeldt-Moderate who, for years, has praised her former party leader as her role model, mourned his resignation, and never criticized his policies—while at the same time criticizing and labeling SD as Nazis. But now, after being ousted from the Moderate’s parliamentary list and losing her well-paid job, she has suddenly become a newly converted supporter of SD. The party has also promised her a place just below Jimmie Åkesson, even though her political loyalty is highly unclear, as she herself claims she “hasn’t changed values—just platform.” Samnytt takes a closer look at her political journey towards the promise of becoming SD’s top candidate.

On Friday, it was announced that two members of parliament, Marléne Lund Kopparklint and Arin Karapet, are leaving the Moderates to join the Sweden Democrats, just shortly before the election and when the party lists for parliament are already settled. It’s not surprising in itself that some people become SD sympathizers or have been for a long time, and this can be seen as a sign of the party’s growth. At the same time, it’s worth slowing down to scrutinize both the people involved and what the SD leadership is actually doing.

The party is now offering fast access to desirable positions on the party lists and opportunities for influence to recruits from a liberal party who have barely reflected on their years under Reinfeldt. To many, this seems like a pure free ride—suddenly claiming to be an SD supporter after many years as a Moderate and being immediately rewarded with a high position on the list. The question is how this is even possible without having been active in the party or showing any loyalty to its policies.

Both Marléne Lund Kopparklint and Arin Karapet have given interviews about their party switch, including with Riks. Arin Karapet, who grew up in the Stockholm suburbs of Hässelby and Rinkeby, appears more credible between the two Moderate politicians. Even as a child, he noticed the problems that SD raised early on—and, according to him, the party was right about. That SD is the leading party in the Tidö cooperation and that he wants to work for SD’s vision of Sweden.

“We wouldn’t have the migration policy we have today if it weren’t for the Sweden Democrats. I can sign off on that. I’ve seen it from the inside. It’s the Sweden Democrats who have taken the fight because if you’re confident in your values, you dare to take the fight even when the winds are against you. That’s what the Sweden Democrats have done since 2010 in parliament—they’ve been proven right in the end,” says Arin Karapet in the interview.

He has clearly stated that he never felt at home in the Moderates, that he often voted against his own values internally—such as on the gender transition law—and that during collaborations in parliament, he felt more at home in SD than in his old party. He is also said to have friendships with several in SD. During the interview, Karapet himself took the initiative to explain to SD voters watching how he has felt, and he even apologized for his earlier yes vote on the gender transition issue, saying it’s been eating away at him inside.

In the same interview, Marléne Lund Kopparklint from Värmland appeared far more restrained regarding any kind of common ground with SD or distancing herself from her voting history.

Marléne Lund Kopparklint shared no personal stories like Arin Karapet, did not comment on her yes vote on the gender transition law even though it was discussed in the studio, and instead emphasized that the party switch was not about changing her values, but about SD now offering “a larger platform” for her.

She returned to this point several times, giving the impression of opportunism rather than genuine engagement with the party’s politics.

Moderate to SD voters: “I will be in third position”

This impression is reinforced when looking at Marléne Lund Kopparklint’s political activities in the Moderates, where she was long inspired by Fredrik Reinfeldt’s transformation of the party into the liberal “New Moderates”. She has never criticized Moderate policies—and during periods when SD fought powerful campaigns and was labeled as Nazi by commentators and media, she too joined in on criticizing the party.

We’re talking about a politician who for years has been loyal to the Moderates and Reinfeldt’s policies, but now, just months before the 2026 election, has suddenly become an SD supporter. She has been given a top position on the parliamentary list without having demonstrated long-term loyalty or active work within the party.

In an interview with public service television, Lund Kopparklint herself highlighted with a smile that, as the new SD top candidate, she will be placed just below party leader Jimmie Åkesson.

– I’ll be on the Sweden Democrats’ national list, and Jimmie Åkesson tops all the lists around the country, so I will be listed in third position, she told SVT.

The strategic work of moving closer to the liberal Tidö parties on some issues may well be a smart move for SD to get through the most critical topics that need solutions here and now. At the same time, it raises questions about how far adaptation can go without changing the party’s core values. If the party is being filled with liberal forces who gain influence while more conservative voices are sidelined—then what kind of a party is it?

For many, the difference between SD and the Moderates in practice will likely become blurry—so blurry that Riks political editor and editor-in-chief, Richard Sörman, even asks SD’s parliamentary group leader, Linda Lindberg, who presents the new recruits in the studio, if there are in fact any differences between SD and M today. Lindberg insists there are, but doesn’t provide any deep explanations, instead referring to SD as the party with a genuine desire to build something good.

It becomes even blurrier when a die-hard Reinfeldt-Moderate, who previously never lifted a finger for SD, suddenly, now that it’s socially acceptable, is placed in a top position without having shown any real shift in political views or loyalty to SD through engagement.

In the same interview with Riks on Friday, the Sweden Democrats’ group leader in parliament, Linda Lindberg, said the party could now announce that these Moderates would be on the parliamentary list. Lindberg was asked how this was possible considering the lists are essentially finalized just a few months before the election.

Here, the reasoning from the SD leadership becomes unclear. Rewind and listen again. Lindberg’s answer to Richard Sörman’s question comes across as both muddled and vague. Her main argument is that the politicians in question from the Moderates “have worked well” with SD during the mandate period—even though they represent another party.

– It ties together… a bit. We’ve worked well together this mandate period, and as I see it, both from Arin and Marléne, it’s grown throughout the mandate period—that they’ve felt this is where they belong, says Lindberg and continues:

– And of course, as we approach the deadline for actually submitting the lists in April, it has to happen now. That means both Arin and Marléne will be on our parliamentary lists.

At the same time, Lindberg avoids explaining clearly how these Moderates actually deserve to be high on the lists, or even be on them at all.

Furthermore, Lindberg avoids addressing the consequences of the decision—namely that loyal SD politicians are pushed down and made way for liberal new recruits. Instead, Lindberg repeatedly returns to the necessity of the timing, without explaining why these particular Moderates should be prioritized or why the decision is so urgent. After that, the questions on the subject stop.

“I haven’t changed values – just platform”

In another interview with Riks, Marléne Lund Kopparklint claims that moving to the Sweden Democrats felt natural, since she suggests the party has become more liberal thanks to “reform work”.

– The Sweden Democrats have gone through reforms for many, many years and are a Tidö party, so my values are completely in line with the Sweden Democrats. I think the party’s tackling the issues I’ve long fought for, she told Riks.

In another statement during the interview, Marléne Lund Kopparklint clarified that she hasn’t changed her values upon switching parties but merely changed “platform” and “tools”.

– I left the lists in Värmland already in November and I think it is important to have a platform to work on the issues I am passionate about. The Sweden Democrats have excellent platforms. I’m not changing values; I’m just changing tools and joining a party that is prepared to move issues forward, Marléne Lund Kopparklint told Riks.

The issues Marléne Lund Kopparklint highlights in her political work mainly concern children’s rights—protecting children and preventing sexual crimes against children—a very worthy cause, with as many as 137 motions in parliament. However, it’s questionable whether it is really necessary to leave the Moderates to continue working hard on these issues.

The Moderates have, in practice, a similar political approach to SD regarding the fight against sexual crimes against children, and both parties have, in recent years, repeatedly communicated what the Tidö government plans to implement in this area. Against this background, her arguments for switching parties are hard to defend.

An important question is whether her claims in front of SD voters are true, and why she needed to leave the Moderates at all in order to keep working on these issues.

Was Passed Over—Would Lose Parliamentary Job—Switched to SD

According to Expressen’s sources, Marléne Lund Kopparklint withdrew her candidacy for the Moderate parliamentary list after she was reportedly ousted internally at a meeting last year. According to SVT, it was because she was about to lose the vote on electable parliamentary spots, something she could not accept, and therefore she withdrew her candidacy.

– Of course, I am disappointed. But this is how things have turned out, and I decided early on to remove myself from the list, and I’ve come to terms with it, Marléne Lund Kopparklint told Värmlands Folkblad at the time.

Her disappointment seems to confirm Expressen’s and SVT’s descriptions of the internal coup against her, and that the move to SD was, to a large extent, a way to secure her place as a parliamentarian.

After the news that Marléne Lund Kopparklint and Arin Karapet were leaving for SD broke, the Moderates stated that both had been “outcompeted.” They were not trusted by members to gain an electable spot before the parliamentary election.

Given this, the rapid switch to SD appears to be more of an opportunistic career move to secure the MP’s monthly salary of 81,400 kronor after the election rather than a sudden ideological revelation. If a politician misses out on an electable position, the person in practice has no chance of being elected.

“They were outcompeted, did not get members’ trust to stand on an electable spot and thus lost the job. Now they’re looking for a new job, and we wish them good luck,” wrote the Moderates’ group leader Mattias Karlsson in a text message to Aftonbladet.

Aftonbladet, with reference to Moderate sources, reports that the new SD converts were considered “benchwarmers.”

– They have been benchwarmers for a long time, and it was never on the cards for them to take leading roles, a source told the paper.

Reinfeldt as Biggest Role Model: “You Made the Country Better”

So who is this Moderate who is getting special treatment in SD, with just months to go before the campaign, and who can barely provide a credible explanation for her party switch, where she’s also avoided distancing herself from her years in the Moderates?

Let’s go through it—in case SD has overlooked this.

The same person who was ousted from the candidate list in the Moderates and claims she hasn’t switched values but only platforms—over the years, Marléne Lund Kopparklint has made several statements about SD.

On her own blog, the Reinfeldt-Moderate writes about being asked what she thinks about the Sweden Democrats. Her answer was that she is far from agreeing with SD and that they do not have sustainable policies:

Marléne Lund Kopparklint has been active in the Moderates for many years. She claims to have been brought into the Moderates during Reinfeldt’s years, when he turned the party into the “New Moderates.” After that, among other things, she made a career as a municipal commissioner in Karlstad before launching her parliamentary career.

Marléne Lund Kopparklint was elected to Karlstad municipal council in 2010 and appointed chair of the care and social committee. After New Year 2012, she became municipal commissioner as part of the Moderates’ strategy for the 2014 election. Between 2012 and 2018, she was municipal commissioner in Karlstad, and since the 2018 parliamentary election has been an MP for the Moderates in Värmland—a seasoned Moderate who has driven party policy through all the chaotic years of mass immigration.

Upon closer digital review, we have found a series of posts that may be interesting for SD voters, considering the trust SD leadership has suddenly placed in this former Moderate. For a politician to suddenly change ideological positions after facing defeat in the Moderates’ candidate selection, facing the loss of her seat and salary, is remarkable—especially since she has never before criticized the Moderates, but instead during the Reinfeldt era directed all criticism at the Sweden Democrats.

In a post on her blog, Marléne Lund Kopparklint writes that she is in a “period of mourning” and shows a t-shirt with former prime minister and Moderate leader Fredrik Reinfeldt, whom she says carries great responsibility for the mass immigration that has affected Sweden. At the same time, she displays her personal grief over Reinfeldt’s resignation as party leader by wearing the t-shirt.

“I can only tip my hat to them,” she summarizes her feelings about Reinfeldt leaving politics.

In another blog post, the M-liberal states that Reinfeldt is her greatest role model. She praises him for transforming the Moderates from a more conservative party to the liberal “New Moderates.” SD’s new top candidate clarifies for her readers that it was precisely this change—from the conservative Moderates to the more liberal Moderates under Reinfeldt—that attracted her to the party.

“I got to see how they have influenced and driven politics forward both nationally and internationally. I saw how they turned the Moderates into the New Moderates,” she writes, among other things.

Further, she has, in large heading text on her blog, written “Thank you Reinfeldt – you made the country better” and linked to an opinion piece praising the former Moderate leader in connection with his resignation.

Wanted to Act Against SD and Erase Borders in Europe

When Samnytt reviewed Marléne Lund Kopparklint’s posts through the years, a clear picture of her political positions emerged. There are a number of liberal statements, where she thanks Fredrik Reinfeldt for the mass immigration policy, advocates to “erase borders in Europe and put people first,” criticizes SD for engaging in “martyr politics,” and encouraged mobilizing energy to “act” against SD’s successes when the party reached 13 percent of the vote in 2014.

At the same time, there are also more attention-grabbing aspects, such as a post where she claims, parallel to these political statements, that she “showed my breasts to get out of a speeding ticket.”

Her Political Key Issues: Labeling SD as Nazis

While active SD members spent many years fighting an uphill battle to gain traction for their party’s policies—facing threats, vilification by established media, losing jobs and friends, and encountering abuse and stone-throwing at rallies—the top Moderate politician joined in demonizing the party.

In a 2013 blog post, Marléne Lund Kopparklint draws a parallel between the Sweden Democrats before entering parliament in 2010 and the neo-Nazi Svenskarnas parti. “This is something to keep in mind,” she writes before launching into the comparison.

The text says “the same people who laughed at how small the Sweden Democrats were before the 2010 election are about the same people who laugh at Svenskarnas parti today” and connects this to the need for clarity against xenophobia to stop the parties, quoting Fredrik Reinfeldt: “Mumbling and silence is not the answer to xenophobia.”

SD’s new top candidate writes this under the heading “Generally About My Political Key Issues” on her blog.

Voted for the Gender Transition Law

In addition to seeing Fredrik Reinfeldt as a role model, praising him as the best prime minister and thanking him for his contributions to Sweden, Marléne Lund Kopparklint has continued to take a left-liberal stance in the party after his resignation. This became particularly clear in 2024, when she was one of the Moderate MPs who voted yes to the highly controversial gender transition law—a law that several opinion polls showed lacked support among the Swedish people.

While her Moderate colleague Ellen Juntti went against the party leadership and voted no to the gender transition law, Lund Kopparklint chose not to express any criticism.

READ MORE: Here are all politicians who voted YES to the gender transition law

In her interview with Riks on Friday, in connection with her switch to SD, the issue of the gender transition law was addressed. While her former Moderate colleague—now SD colleague—Arin Karapet apologized for his yes vote and shared that he still struggles with making the wrong decision, Lund Kopparklint chose to remain silent and did not comment on her political decision or whether she has changed her stance on the issue.

Most likely, Lund Kopparklint has not done so. She has only stated that her values have not changed with the switch to SD, only that she is “changing platform” and “changing tools.”

Pride Activist: “Prejudice-Free Sweden”

Alongside the gender transition law issue, Pride events appear as a central commitment for SD’s newly minted top candidate. A review of her posts and pictures over the years suggests she may become the party’s Pride ambassador at the annual parades—something the party has never previously engaged in.

In a social media post, SD’s new top candidate in this fall’s parliamentary election says she longs for a “prejudice-free society” and uses the hashtag “#loveparade” while holding a Pride flag.

READ ALSO: Pride is not what you think it is—the lie, obedience, and power

The post includes a picture quoting then party leader Fredrik Reinfeldt saying that “Sweden should be an open country.”

Marléne Lund Kopparklint has been strongly critical of citizens who have expressed disapproval of the Pride movement. She has previously reacted strongly when representatives from SD Värmland have criticized Pride events, something she claims “offends” people. In further posts, she stresses the importance of deepening knowledge about discrimination to create a more equal and prejudice-free society.

According to Marléne Lund Kopparklint, those who strongly oppose left-liberal propaganda in society offend, upset, hurt, and sadden people. She argues that such views do not promote respect for equal rights for all.

“I believe in freedom of speech. However, that does not mean we can insult or speak disparagingly about other people,” SD’s new top candidate writes on her blog about the right to express opinions under the constitution.

In several posts, the newly converted SD supporter has called Reinfeldt the “best prime minister.”

We Are Contacting Marléne Lund Kopparklint and SD

Samnytt has reached out to Marléne Lund Kopparklint to get answers about her sudden about-face—from a loyal Reinfeldt-Moderate, who during her years in the Moderates never criticized party policy but only SD, to now becoming an SD supporter just in time for the 2026 parliamentary election. In interviews, she has stated that she hasn’t changed her values with the party change, but is “just switching platform” and “switching tools” and emphasizes that SD offers a larger platform.

This raises questions about the motives behind the switch and where she actually stands politically, especially considering it came after she was removed from the Moderate parliamentary list. Only then did the step over to SD—the party she previously wanted to mobilize against—become relevant.

Furthermore, Samnytt has reached out to the Sweden Democrats party organization as well as group leader in parliament, Linda Lindberg, to ask how a politician with this background can go from praising Reinfeldt and mourning his resignation, labeling SD as Nazis, wanting to act against SD’s success, advocating open borders, voting for the gender transition law without distancing herself—and now being promised top placement on the party’s parliamentary list under Åkesson, above people who have been active in SD for a long time.

The decisions raise speculation as to whether liberal Moderate MPs, who have never been active in SD, are prioritized over conservative forces who have built the party to its current level.

We also want to know how Linda Lindberg, as parliamentary group leader, could already earlier this week promise top spots on SD’s lists—without any formal decision in the party board. It raises questions about the party’s internal democracy and decision-making process, where lists seem able to be altered quickly to make room for liberal Moderate politicians.

Samnytt is also seeking answers about how the party believes voters perceive this type of recruitment shortly before the election, where the M‑liberal Marléne Lund Kopparklint—who has not been active in the party a single day and has shown no loyalty, and who has a history of criticizing SD and voting liberally in parliament—is prioritized over other SD politicians on the lists who have worked for the party for many years. This is likely a question many of the party’s elected representatives are also asking themselves.