Letter to the editor: Sadly, the Liberals have abandoned their principles

The distance between the Liberals’ rejection of New Democracy in 1991 and their embrace of the Sweden Democrats in 2026 could hardly be greater, Monica Hyllén writes in a response to a letter in Dagens Nyheter.

Hylla points to the party’s history of liberal reforms, including the Act concerning support and service for certain disabled people, known as LSS, which was signed by Bengt Westerberg. She recalls that Westerberg stood up from his sofa in 1991 rather than lend his presence to New Democracy, a decision she presents as a principled rejection of the party.

According to Hyllén, the Liberals have since abandoned those principles. She says the party no longer defends individual freedoms and rights, a shift she sees most clearly in its support for deporting children and young people who grew up in Sweden to countries where they have never lived and whose language they do not speak.

Hyllén argues that this change has driven several prominent liberals out of the party. She contrasts Westerberg’s refusal to associate with New Democracy with Simona Mohamsson’s close cooperation with the Sweden Democrats. In her view, the Liberals’ overriding priority today is to remain part of government, regardless of the policies involved.