Lindquist: Sweden Democrats Have Not Softened, But Intensified Their Policies

Kristina Lindquist, writing for Dagens Nyheter, challenges Bengt Ohlsson's recent assessment of the Sweden Democrats (SD), asserting that the party has not moderated its stance but has, in fact, become more radical.

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Now Benke has gotten a feeling about the Sweden Democrats, and this is somehow proof of how the country is doing. Tumultuous, he realizes ahead of the autumn election that SD no longer makes him "sweat cold" (May 28). Congratulations?

Ohlsson suggested that the "sweetness of power" has diluted SD's harsh policies, leading him to no longer "sweat cold" at the thought of the party. He posited that SD's influence has normalized over time, framing it as a natural phenomenon. Lindquist strongly refutes this, arguing that SD has remained true to its roots while other parties have moved closer to its positions. She cites this as part of an international trend identified by scholar Cas Mudde as the "fourth wave" of the far-right.

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Everyone who turns their gaze to reality rather than inward can see that SD has remained true to its roots, while other parties have moved towards them.

Lindquist contends that SD's power stems from alliances with other parties, not from unchecked growth. She criticizes the framing of SD's voter base as a "mythological creature" whose "anxieties" warrant special attention. The author argues that conservative and liberal parties have made calculated decisions to grant influence to "contemporaries' fascists" in exchange for political gains, specifically mentioning the trade-off of maintaining welfare capitalism for SD's ability to expel immigrants.

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It is "time itself" that has normalized SD, writes Bengt Ohlsson. As if it were a natural phenomenon rather than conservative and liberal parties having made successive and well-calculated decisions to give contemporary fascists influence – for the right price.

The article highlights specific policy shifts, such as the abolition of permanent residency permits and the proposal to convert existing permits to temporary ones. Lindquist asserts that power has radicalized SD, particularly concerning ethnic nationalism. She points to the increased incentives for "re-emigration" and the rhetoric labeling immigrants as a burden, which she argues directly leads to the expulsion of individuals already living in Sweden. The government's "safety valve" for teenage deportations, she concludes, does not alter this fundamental trajectory.

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In the Swedish case, the equation looks more or less like the right retaining welfare capitalism in exchange for Jimmie Åkesson being allowed to expel immigrants.