In January 2017, then moderate leader Anna Kinberg Batra announced that she wanted to create a joint Alliance budget to topple the government - with the support of the Sweden Democrats.

In "My Truth" Jan Björklund says that he was notified by Anna Kinberg Batra via sms.

"It came as a big surprise," he says in the program, saying that it was the beginning of the split of the Alliance.

Jenny Madestam, associate professor of political science, agrees that the decision in early 2017 was what ultimately led to the Alliance's dissolution after the election. The Moderates and Anna Kinberg Batra were pressured to take any initiative and that was this, she says.

- The reason why this became a water divider is that C and L so far, and partly also M and KD, have clearly distanced themselves from the Sweden Democrats. Other Alliance parties also felt that the Moderates did this without talking within the Alliance. This in itself, not informing their colleagues, affected trust within the Alliance. The Moderates were perceived to run their own line, also just for their own gain.

"Tricky" relationship

Madestam says the message must be viewed in the light of the Moderates' crisis and Anna Kinberg Batra's panic over having to profile the party and bring back voters from SD.

- After SD entered the Alliance as a game piece, ie something that you may or may not support, the relationship never became similar. Finally, this became the nail in the coffin for the Alliance after the 2018 election.

In the program, Björklund says that his relationship with Anna Kinberg Batra became "troublesome" after this incident.

- Tensions within the Alliance were felt, not least in various media reports that the mood was bad. Many were wondering how they would manage a voting movement together. Ahead of the 2018 election, they tried to put the SD piece aside, which was difficult.

Anna Kinberg Batra has chosen not to comment on Jan Björklund's statements.

In My Truth, Jan Björklund talks about the split of the Alliance and why he left his role as Liberal Party leader. The program can be viewed on SVT Play from Tuesday 8 October and will be broadcast in SVT2 on the same evening at 20:00.