Former Sweden Democrats (SD) MP and now political independent Elsa Widding states that she will not conduct a traditional election campaign out among people ahead of the election with her new party, Ambition Sweden. According to her, the reason is the extensive threats and hate directed at her after she recently voted against the party in a parliamentary vote. At the same time, she calls SD a sect.
Widding says the situation has become so serious that she no longer feels safe participating in public activities or moving among large crowds.
– I can’t move around in the crowds after this storm of hatred, she told TV4.
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Elsa Widding was elected to parliament for the Sweden Democrats in the 2022 election but left the party already the following year and continued as an independent. Since then, the relationship between Widding and her former party has deteriorated significantly.
She directs harsh criticism at SD’s internal workings and claims the party is run with too strict discipline. According to Widding, MPs have very limited space to vote independently or push their own issues.
– It doesn’t work like a normal democratic party, she says, describing the culture as highly top-down controlled.
The conflict recently flared up again after Elsa Widding voted against the Tidö parties regarding stricter citizenship rules. After the vote, she says a new wave of threats and aggressive comments targeted her on social media.
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Widding especially reacts to statements from SD leader Jimmie Åkesson during SVT’s party leader debate, where he suggested that the Green Party had influenced her position. According to Widding, such statements have further fueled anger against her.
– It goes so far that people write outright death threats, she told TV4, stating that there will be no election campaign.
Widding describes the situation as mentally stressful and says the price of political engagement has become very high.