Socialist Party (Sweden, 1929)

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Party flag.

A split in the Sveriges Kommunistiska Parti (The Communist Party of Sweden) in 1929 resulted in the formation of a parallel communist party, led by Karl Kilbom and Nils Flyg. This party won over the entire communist parliamentary faction and a major part of the militancy. They were also able to win over the main publication of SKP, Folkets Dagblad Politiken. The SKP of Kilbom and Flyg were generally called Kilbommare whereas the official ComIntern affiliated SKP were called Sillenare (after their then party leader Hugo Sillén).

In 1930 Flyg, as an MP, put forward a motion on separation of church and state. The motion was voted down in the Lower House.

The Kilbom party merged in 1934 with a break-away group of the Social Democrats based in Göteborg, led by Albin Ström. At the time of the merger, the party changed its name to Socialistiska Partiet (The Socialist Party). The transformation into SP also marked a break with the previous line of the party towards ComIntern and the Soviet Union. Initially the party had tried to persuade the ComIntern to be allowed to return to the International. Gradually, however the party became more and more antagonistic toward the ComIntern and the Soviet Union.

1940 election poster
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1940 election poster

The party gradually disintegrated, and many of the most prominent leaders such as Kilbom, left the party in 1937. After Kilbom's departure, Flyg became the leader of the party. During World War II, their staunch anti-Soviet line led the party to actually embrace some pro-Nazi views (partially since the huge financial problems of the party led it to seek financial aid from Germany). As a result of this, in 1940, a group of members that included Albin Ström and Evald Höglund broke away and formed Vänstersocialistiska Partiet (The Left Socialist Party). In the elections the same year, the party lost its parliamentary representation.

The strange metamorphosis from a Communist to a pro-Nazi party was not complete until the final stage of the war. The party changed its name to Svenska Socialistiska Partiet (Swedish Socialist Party) and began electoral cooperation with Nazi groups.

Flyg died in 1943. After the defeat of Germany, the party disintegrated.

The local units of the party were known as Socialistiska Arbetarkommuner (Socialist Labour Communes).

As per the international contacts of the party, it was initially associated with the International Communist Opposition and later with the London Bureau.

The youth league of the party was called Socialistiska Ungdomsförbundet (The Socialist Youth League).

Electoral results of the party (in elections to the Riksdag):

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