All local politicians for the Sweden Democrats in Jokkmokk have left the party following a clash with the party leadership. The conflict was triggered by migration spokesperson Ludvig Aspling's criticism of the municipality on social media. The former representatives now sit as independents in the municipal council.
In Jokkmokk, a municipality in Norrbotten, the Sweden Democrats have been hit by a severe internal crisis. All of the party's local politicians have chosen to leave the organization following a high-profile clash with the party leadership in Stockholm. The conflict escalated last fall when Jokkmokk municipality responded 'no thank you' to an invitation to a meeting on voluntary repatriation, organized by the government's national coordinator.
Migration spokesperson Ludvig Aspling reacted strongly to this in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He described Jokkmokk as a welfare-dependent municipality and questioned why the state should support a municipality that refuses to cooperate. "Jokkmokk is totally dependent on state support. Why should the state help a municipality that obviously doesn't want any collaboration?", Aspling wrote.
This post was poorly received by the SD local board in Jokkmokk, which was already grappling with internal disputes over a potential merger with other SD branches in Norrbotten. Matts Tikka, former vice chairman of SD in Jokkmokk, describes Aspling's outburst as "the nail in the coffin". "The feeling was that they didn't care about us down in Stockholm", Tikka tells Aftonbladet.
The party won two seats in the 2022 municipal election, and Tikka believes they had momentum heading into the 2026 election with growing street support. Now, both he and former chairman Tor Erling Andreassen sit as political independents. Tikka has received offers from other parties and emphasizes the importance of getting things done for Jokkmokk.
The local association in Jokkmokk held an extraordinary annual meeting about two weeks ago and decided on dissolution, but according to SD's press office, two such meetings are required to formally end it. Aspling declines to comment on the events, saying he lacks insight into the politicians' decisions.
The crisis reflects broader internal struggles within the Sweden Democrats in Norrbotten, with resignations in several municipalities ahead of the election.
