Jimmie Åkesson Apologizes for Sweden Democrats' Troubling Past

SD leader Jimmie Åkesson, in his speech at Almedalen, apologized for the party's history.

"I deeply regret that my party could be perceived as frightening to Swedish Jews," he said, referring to a new white paper.

The Sweden Democrats commissioned intellectual historian Tony Gustafsson to review the party's early history, and according to several media outlets, the second part of the party's white paper will be released later this week.

In his Almedalen speech, party leader Jimmie Åkesson stated that he had read parts of the content, and at times, it was disheartening reading.

"It makes me uncomfortable that there was indeed a time when Jews in Sweden had entirely rational reasons to view the Sweden Democrats of the past with concern and fear," he said.

According to Åkesson, the white paper reveals "obvious antisemitism among individual Sweden Democrats."

"I deeply regret, and apologize for, the fact that my party at that time could be perceived as threatening and frightening to Jews in Sweden," he said.