Municipalities are run by a board of top councillors and a general assembly of ordinary representatives. Photo: Pernilla Anth Jacobsson/Sveriges Radio

After the September election Sweden Democrat local councillors have many top opposition posts, but no other party will cooperate with them.

In the southern county of Skåne the Sweden Democrats were the second biggest party in a third of the municipalities.

This means they have full-time and part-time paid politicians in areas including the cities of Malmö, Helsingborg, Treleborg, Svalöv and Landskrona, plus some paid political assistants.

In some areas the parties are cooperating across the political divides in order to...