Are the Sweden Democrats Really Far-Right Extremists?

Calling the Sweden Democrats far-right extremists may sound forceful, but imprecise criticism risks missing the point, argues Civita adviser Skjalg Stokke Hougen.

Hougen accepts that parties should face criticism when they attack democratic institutions. But he says the examples cited by Thea Joramo Lysne of Agenda in her criticism of the Sweden Democrats do not make a sufficiently strong case.

One example concerns Sweden Democrats politician Richard Jomshof, who compared Aftonbladet political editor Anders Lindberg and Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson with Vidkun Quisling. Hougen calls the comparison clearly objectionable, but asks whether Lysne should also have mentioned that the leader of the Left Party made a similar comparison involving Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson in 2007. If one example proves anti-democratic politics, he asks, would that make the Left Party an anti-democratic party as well?

Hougen also questions the comparison between a Sweden Democrats local branch that shared an unsubstantiated claim about missing ballot papers on Facebook and the Maga movement’s “Stop the Steal” campaign. The local post, which turned out to be false, was removed. Hougen says the U.S. campaign was a deliberate effort to overturn an election result, making the comparison more damaging than useful.

Instead, he argues, the growth of right-wing populist parties should be understood. At their best, he writes, they can act as a corrective by showing what concerns voters, often gaining support because established parties have ignored issues important to them. Their rhetoric is frequently sharp, but Hougen says that alone does not justify describing the Sweden Democrats as far-right extremists. He defines far-right extremism as inherently undemocratic, opposed to free and fair elections, and often willing to legitimize violence. He says none of those characteristics accurately describes Sweden Democrats policy.