How Sweden’s far right went from political pariah to powerbroker
Summary
The Sweden Democrats (SD), a far-right party with roots in extremist movements, have changed their image and political stance over the years. They moved from being shunned to becoming Sweden’s second-largest party and a key supporter of the government.Key Facts
- The Sweden Democrats were founded in the 1980s with links to neo-Nazi and far-right skinhead groups.
- The party has worked to change its image, removing extreme members and adopting more moderate policies.
- SD dropped demands like leaving the EU and opposing NATO to appear more mainstream.
- They first entered the Swedish parliament in 2010 after passing the 4% vote threshold.
- The 2015 refugee crisis increased voter concern about immigration, benefiting the party.
- By 2018, SD won 17.5% of the vote and 62 seats, becoming the third-largest party in Sweden.
- Since then, SD has become accepted by other right-wing parties and plays a role in supporting the government.
- The party changed its logo from Viking imagery to a flower, reflecting its rebranding effort.
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