Sweden Democrats Step Back From Demanding Exit from the EU

(Bloomberg) -- Sweden’s nationalist party, which emerged as the third-largest in last year’s election, is stepping back from demands to leave the European Union.

In an opinion article in newspaper Aftonbladet, Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson said he would instead seek to reform the bloc from within to give more power back to the nation states.

“If this isn’t successful in the long term, I can’t rule out that Sweden will need to renegotiate the conditions of membership or hold a new referendum,” he said.

The shift comes against a backdrop of a tumultuous Brexit process in the U.K. and amid growing support in Sweden to remain within the bloc. The Nordic country is now without a party in parliament arguing for an EU exit, after the Left Party last year also eased its demands.

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