Parliamentary elections in Sweden | The inevitable rise of the nationalist right

Following tight results in Sweden’s general elections on Sunday, the right-wing bloc is on the verge of power thanks to the rise of the nationalist, anti-immigration Sweden Democrats (SD) party. However, the SD is increasingly popular, to the point of having become the second largest party in terms of votes. Explanations.

Andre Duchesne
The Press

What are the election results?

With 20.6% of the popular vote, the SD party comes second, behind the center-left Social Democrats (30.5%). As the elections are proportional and the SD is part of the right/extreme right bloc of four political parties, it could empower this group. At present, the distribution of seats would be 175 to 174 in favor of the right-wing bloc. About 5% of the ballots remain to be counted. The results are expected on Wednesday.

Why mention a rise of the SD?

Since its founding in 1988, the SD has consistently won votes. Following the arrival of current leader Jimmie Åkesson as leader in 2005, the party entered the Riksdag (Swedish Parliament) for the first time in 2010 with 5.7% of the vote and 20 seats. The SD subsequently won 12.9% of the vote in 2014, 17.5% in 2018 and 20.6% this year. This result gives him 73 seats in Parliament, against 108 for the Social Democrats.

Wasn’t the SD associated with Fascism and Nazism?

Yes, and to white supremacists too. But according to Henry Milner, a retired professor and visiting scholar in the Department of Political Science at the University of Montreal, the party has become more popular on the right of the political spectrum. “The party is nationalist and anti-immigration, but it’s not necessarily right on other issues,” he said. He took more moderate positions, following the example of Marine Le Pen [Front national] in France. The fact that it is now accepted by other right-wing parties testifies to these changes. »

Does this mean that the SD will form the next government and that Jimmie Åkesson will become prime minister?

No. It is the leader of the Moderates (conservatives), Ulf Kristersson, who will become it. “There is no question that the government is led by the SD party,” says Mr. Milner, who taught for several years in Sweden and drew a book from it (Participant/Observer: An Unconventional Life in Politics and Academia). But the party will no doubt ask to play a role that I would describe as not insignificant in the centre-right government if this group takes power. Will Mr. Kristersson appoint members of the Sweden Democrats to the cabinet? That remains to be seen.

What is the typical portrait of the SD voter?

“I don’t want to say this too bluntly, but there is a regional dimension to these voters,” said Henry Milner. There is a link between recent crime and killings in Sweden and the number of young immigrants accepted in recent years. The SD vote is stronger in regions where these crimes are more numerous and noticed. Close to big cities like Stockholm or Gothenburg. But I don’t want to say that’s objectively the case because we don’t really know. This is the impression that people living in these regions have. » An article published Monday in The Guardian was going in that direction. It read that SD “succeeded in exploiting fears around violent crime” and that during the election campaign, this party firmly maintained its policy against non-European immigration.

Should we see the results as a failure of the left?

In fact, the two big blocs exchange power. The left seized power in 2014 and has held it until today. “This defeat was expected, believes Henry Milner. Any government in power has a hard time with inflation. In fact, the only asset the left had in this election was Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. [Parti social-démocrate], in office for a few months. With the former prime minister, probably the result for the left would have been worse. »

If the right takes power, is Sweden’s entry into NATO threatened?

No. Following the Russian invasion, the SD took a stand in favor of military aid to Ukraine. In April, he also supported, subject to conditions, Sweden’s proposed candidacy for NATO, after opposing it. One of these conditions is that Finland also joins the organization. Swedish nationalists are sensitive to the fact that neighboring Finland shares a 1340 kilometer border with Russia.

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