Jan Emanuel is back in the Social Democratic Party.
He was forced to leave the party after the launch of the Folklistan.
I can definitely imagine sitting in parliament again, if the Social Democrats become Social Democrats again, he says.
He got his membership confirmed at the end of last week after an interview with the local party in Norrtälje.
They were completely fine with me coming back, says Jan Emanuel from his luxury yacht in Visby.
The former member of parliament for the Social Democratic Party was expelled from the party in connection with the EU election when he and former KD top Sara Skyttedal launched the Folklistan. The Social Democratic Party's secretary, Tobias Baudin, then reacted strongly: He has allied himself with a "right-wing populist".
We agreed, I and the party secretary Baudin, that I would take a time-out during the time I was involved with the Folklistan. After that, I would come back again. We were very clear about that. And now it went faster than planned, one might say.
Competitor with the Social Democratic Party
Jan Emanuel understands if people wonder why he wants to return to the Social Democratic Party. The Folklistan was a competitor to the Social Democratic Party and received 0.6 percent in the EU election – almost 26,000 votes.
The Folklistan also had a ten-point program – the EU must abolish the right of asylum, send criminals to prison abroad, and return power from Brussels to Sweden. All of this he still wants.
My hopes are to influence the party, it has been an outspoken goal that has been far from secret for the past 15 years. I am the internal opposition trying to make the Social Democrats Social Democrats again. And that's exactly what I will continue to do, says Jan Emanuel.
My journey into the Folklistan was to influence the Social Democratic Party.
Jan Emanuel sat in parliament for the Social Democratic Party between 2004 and 2010 – now he can imagine running again in the 2026 election.
I can definitely imagine sitting in parliament again. But then the starting point is that we – the Social Democrats – become Social Democrats again, he says, emphasizing that the Social Democratic Party must become a "workers' party" again.
Wants to govern with the Sweden Democrats
If he runs, it will be with a stance on the government issue that differs significantly from the party line. The Social Democratic Party should govern with the Sweden Democrats, possibly with the support of The Moderate Party, says Jan Emanuel. He wants the Green Party to be dropped.
People may wonder why you are a Social Democrat and not a Sweden Democrat?
Look at the Social Democratic Party's experience of taking Sweden through crises, see what Göran Persson did during the economic crisis. We are extremely good at driving Sweden as a country. Sweden is more than just migration policy and security on streets and squares.
Jan Emanuel, formerly Johansson, grew up in Gottsunda, Uppsala.
He became nationally known when he won Expedition Robinson in 2001.
Described as an opinion leader, entrepreneur, outspoken welfare entrepreneur, and venture capitalist.
Sat in parliament for the Social Democratic Party between 2004 and 2010 and in the Norrtälje municipal council in different periods between 2002 and 2014.
Has a large following on social media, including 227,000 followers on Instagram and 165,000 on Tiktok.
Was the top name for the Folklistan in the 2024 EU election, a party he founded together with the former Christian Democrat Sara Skyttedal.
Wrote the book "Så var det med det", his catchphrase, which was published in 2023.
