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Activist Tess Asplund reflects on far-right political shifts ahead of Swedish general election

Ten years after a viral photo captured her protest against neo-Nazis, activist Tess Asplund warns of normalized far-right politics in Sweden.

Updated Aug 30, 2026 · 07:18 UTC1 reports

The short version

Tess Asplund, who gained international attention in 2016 for standing up to a neo-Nazi march in Borlänge, spoke out about the normalization of far-right politics in Sweden ahead of the upcoming election.
The far-right Sweden Democrats are projected to secure the second-highest vote share in the September 13 general election, following a supporting role in the current ruling coalition.
Asplund expressed concern over Sweden's tightening migration policies, shifting public discourse, and the growing mainstream influence of far-right rhetoric.

Tess Asplund stood against a Nordic Resistance Movement march in Borlänge on May 1, 2016, in a viral photograph captured by David Lagerlöf.[The Guardian]
Sweden is holding a general election on September 13, with public opinion polls showing the center-left opposition leading the ruling right-wing coalition.[The Guardian]
The Sweden Democrats, a political party with neo-Nazi origins, are expected to garner the second-highest number of votes in the upcoming election.[The Guardian]
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson previously indicated that the Sweden Democrats could potentially enter government if his four-party coalition retains power.[The Guardian]
The United States designated the Nordic Resistance Movement as a terrorist organization in 2024.[The Guardian]

Whether the ruling right-wing coalition will form a government with official far-right inclusion depends on the final results of the September 13 vote.[The Guardian]