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===Family policy===
===Family policy===
They are in favor of the traditional [[nuclear family]] and believe that every child should have "one father and one mother," according to their website. It is opposed to adoption rights for gay couples, and to letting lesbian women become inseminated.<ref>http://www.s-info.se/page/blogg.asp?id=1749&blogg=28025</ref> Despite official claims not to be hostile to homsoexuals, prominent members of the party, including Party Secretary Björn Söder, have repeatedly attacked homosexuality.<ref>http://expo.se/2007/48_2020.html</ref>
They are in favor of the traditional [[nuclear family]] and believe that every child should have "one father and one mother," according to their website. It is opposed to adoption rights for gay couples, and to letting lesbian women become inseminated.<ref>http://www.s-info.se/page/blogg.asp?id=1749&blogg=28025</ref> Despite official claims not to be hostile to homosexuals, prominent members of the party, including Party Secretary Björn Söder, have repeatedly attacked homosexuality.<ref>http://expo.se/2007/48_2020.html</ref>


=== Immigration policy ===
=== Immigration policy ===

Revision as of 09:37, 16 August 2010

Sweden Democrats
LeaderJimmie Åkesson
FoundedFebruary 6, 1988 (1988-02-06)
HeadquartersStockholm
Youth wingSweden Democratic Youth
Membership4,571 (2010)
IdeologySwedish nationalism,
National conservatism,
Social conservatism,
Euroscepticism
European affiliationAEN[1] (observer status)
European Parliament groupNone
International affiliationNone
ColoursBlue, Yellow
Parliament:
0 / 349
European Parliament:
0 / 18
Counties:[2]
16 / 1,656
Municipalities:[2]
286 / 13,078
Website
www.sverigedemokraterna.se

Sweden Democrats (Template:Lang-sv, SD), founded in 1988, is a Swedish political party that describes itself as a nationalist movement. Polling data throughout the summer months of 2008 showed the party approaching the 4 percent threshold necessary for entry into the Swedish Parliament, notably reaching 4.4% in both August and September.[3] In a March 2010 poll the party reached 7.6%, their best poll result to date.[4]

As of 2010 the party claims 4,571 members, a 26% increase from the year before.[5] There are thirteen district party associations in Sweden for the SD, as well as around one hundred local or municipal associations. Young members are organised in the Sweden Democratic Youth. The current youth organisation was founded in 1998. The party also distributes a newspaper to its members, SD-Kuriren. Since 2005 the paper has been printed in tabloid format, and approximately 28,000 copies have been published.

Polls indicate that there is a strong possibility that the Sweden Democrats could break the 4% threshold and enter the Swedish parliament for the first time at the 2010 Swedish general election.[6]

Ideology

The Sweden Democrats' party programme is based on Nationalism:[7][8]

Foreign policy

The Sweden Democrats believe that immigration, Islamization, supranationality (e.g., the European Union), cultural imperialism (mainly from the USA), and globalisation are threats to Swedish culture. The party wishes to pursue a looser co-operation between Sweden and other European states.

National and social justice

The party claims to advocate national responsibility, social justice, and an ecological consciousness. Further, the party wishes to promote a general moral improvement in Swedish society, protect fundamental Western and Protestant ethics, and strengthen national unity in order to create solidarity between Swedes citizens [citation needed].

Economic policy

The Sweden Democrats wish to lower taxes and reduce government intervention in the economy to promote the growth of small business enterprises. In order to reduce unemployment, the party sees a need to improve the general business climate, especially for smaller enterprises. A key point in the party's economic policy[citation needed] is the argument that immigration in 1999 alone cost the Swedish government approximately 267 billion Swedish kronor (US$36.7 Billion), up from 100 billion in 1990.[9] Thus, by reducing the costs of immigration, the party believes that it will both be able to reduce taxes as well as enhance the general level of welfare.

Family policy

They are in favor of the traditional nuclear family and believe that every child should have "one father and one mother," according to their website. It is opposed to adoption rights for gay couples, and to letting lesbian women become inseminated.[10] Despite official claims not to be hostile to homosexuals, prominent members of the party, including Party Secretary Björn Söder, have repeatedly attacked homosexuality.[11]

Immigration policy

The party believes that the current Swedish immigration and integration policies have been a failure. The party feels that the current situation with a large number of immigrants living in cultural enclaves is not beneficial for the country. The immigrants themselves are rootless, there has been rising antagonistic tensions between various population groups (socially, ethnically, religiously and culturally), and the immigration in itself, the party says, has caused social and economic strains on the country. The party reject the policy of multiculturalism, but accept a multiethnic society where cultural assimilation is promoted. With this background, the party wish to strongly restrict immigration, and give "generous support" for immigrants who instead of wanting to assimilate in Sweden voluntarily prefer to emigrate back to their country of origin.[12] For the 2010 election in the municipality of Södertälje, it was however the only party with a majority of immigrants on its electoral list, mostly Chaldean Christians from the Middle East.[13] It has also managed to attract some Muslim voters in Södertälje by appealing to their hostility to homosexuality. However, this reaching out to foreigners from the Middle East has been condemend by party members in other parts of Sweden.[14]

The party has referred to the recommendations from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which state that the return of refugees should be the solution to refugee problems. Party secretary Torbjörn Kastell has said that the party wants "a multicultural world, not a multicultural society."[7] In a 2008 survey, a significant minority of 39 percent of all Swedes thought that there were "too many foreigners in the country",[15] and in 2007 a survey showed that 49 percent of all Swedes wanted to restrict the number asylum seekers.[16] In recent years, the party has tried to approach the immigration policy of the Danish People's Party, a party which since 2001 has given parliamentary support for the current Danish government, and in return have demanded a tightening of Danish immigration policies.[17]

Political history

Early campaign sticker using the Bevara Sverige Svenskt ("Keep Sweden Swedish") slogan.

The party has its origins in the movement Bevara Sverige Svenskt ("Keep Sweden Swedish").[7][18] During the mid 1990s, the party leader Mikael Jansson strove to make the party more respectable, modelling it after other "euronationalist" parties, most prominently the French National Front. This policy continues to be followed by the present leader Jimmie Åkesson. This effort included ousting openly extremist members.

The Sweden Democrats were active in Le Pen's Euronat, but first the main party left, then the youth organisation.[19]

The 2002 election campaign

The Sweden Democrats regarded their results in the 2002 Swedish general elections as a success. The party focused its campaign on its pledges to restrict immigration and build a culturally homogenous Sweden. Party officials stressed during the campaign that the Sweden Democrats is a democratic party that opposes all forms of xenophobia and racism. The party's meetings were disturbed by demonstrations by left-wing groups such as Anti-Fascist Action and the Young Left and several party members were assaulted.[20]

The 2006 election campaign

The Sweden Democrats again failed to gain representation in Sweden's national parliament, the Riksdag, in the 2006 general elections. However, they significantly increased their support by receiving 2.93% support at the national level and gaining representation in a majority of the nation's municipalities. In the municipality of Landskrona, 22,26% voted for the Sweden Democrats, leading to them becoming the third biggest party after the Social Democrats and tied with the Liberal Party. [21]

The Mohammed cartoon debate

After the Danish paper Jyllands-Posten published twelve cartoons depicting Mohammed and ignited the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy during the fall and winter of 2005, the party gave its unreserved support to the publication with reference to the freedom of speech. The party stated that it saw no reason why a Danish newspaper should be forced to abide by Muslim rules and prohibitions regarding expression. When the boycott of Danish products was launched in the Middle East, the Sweden Democrats launched a "Buy Danish" campaign in support of Danish workers.[22] In 2006 the party entered the Mohammed cartoon debate by publishing a Mohammed-depicting cartoon on its youth league and SD-Kuriren websites. The cartoon showed Mohammed from behind holding a mirror in front of his face. However, instead of any facial features, the mirror showed only a blank head. The cartoon was captioned "Mohammed's Face" (Muhammeds ansikte in Swedish).[23]

The publication attracted the attention of the Swedish government. The government informed internet service provider Levonline about the party's publications. Subsequently, Levonline shut down the party’s web page. The government and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Laila Freivalds, denied any direct interference. However, at the same time Laila Freivalds condemned the publication as a provocation.[24][25][26][27] Freivalds then resigned as Minister after being accused of interference with press freedom, and lying about such actions.

This event spurred debate on government censorship in Sweden. The party also had a hate speech charge filed against them due to the posted caricature.[28] Similar hate speech charges were filed against other Swedish publishers who depicted Mohammed.[23] However, these charges were immediately deemed to be unfounded by the Swedish Justitiekansler (Chancellor of Justice).[29]

The party originally planned to publish a set of cartoons in the party newspaper, SD-Kuriren. However, after the controversy erupted, party leader Jimmie Åkesson issued a statement on the party's website on 9 February 2006, stating that it would refrain from further publications online and in print, due to concerns that it might spur hostile actions against Swedes and Swedish interests.[30][31][32][33]

The shutdown of the party's websites was reported to Konstitutionsutskottet by the Liberal People's Party leader Lars Leijonborg.[34] The party filed charges against the Security Police and the Department of State with the Swedish Justitiekansler and Justitieombudsman, alleging that the government's interference was unconstitutional.[35] The spokesperson of the Swedish Green Party Peter Eriksson also expressed concern over possible government involvement in the event.

Controversies

The Sweden Democrats have complained about difficulties buying advertising space due to the media banning the party from advertisement,[36] which has been critisised by free speech organisations.[37] On June 16, 2006, however Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet decided to stop their boycott. Expressen though still retains the ban on Sweden Democrat advertising.[38]

During the 1990s, it is known that some outspokenly far-right persons has been involved with the party.[18] The party was supported financially in the 1998 general election by the French National Front,[39][40] and for the 2004 European election by Belgian Bernard Mengal.[41][42]

The Sweden Democrats' response to the controversy

The party dissociates itself from all forms of totalitarianism and racism and states that it considers the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights a fundamental component of its politics. Furthermore, the party says that its fundamental goal is to combine the principle of social and economic justice with traditional conservative values. For this reason, the party believes that it is not easily pinpointed on the traditional left-right political spectrum in Swedish politics.[30] Also, the Sweden Democrats say they have expelled all openly extremist members from the party, and refuse membership to anyone who has extremist views. The Sweden Democrats have complained of a media boycott, which they say has resulted in constant negative characterisations of the party.

Election results

The party has seen its electoral support increase, receiving 2.93% of the votes in the 2006 Swedish general election and more recently 3.27% in the Swedish elections for the European Parliament in 2009. At the local level, the party is represented in a majority of the Swedish municipalities.

In the 1988 Swedish general elections, the party received 1,118 votes. At the municipal level, the party failed to gain seats in any municipality.

In the 1991 Swedish general elections, the party received two local mandates (that is, two representatives in the municipal assembly), one in Dals-Ed and one in Höör.

In the 1994 Swedish general elections, the party received 13,954 votes. It received a total of five local mandates, two in Höör, two in Dals-Ed, and one in Ekerö.

In the 1998 Swedish general elections, the party received 19,624 votes (0.37% of the total number of votes cast). It received a total of eight local mandates, two in Höör, two in Trollhättan, two in Haninge, one in Sölvesborg, and one in Dals-Ed. In the Swedish elections for the European Parliament in 1999, the party received 8,568 votes (0.33% of the total number of votes cast). In the 2001 elections to the Church Assembly, the party received 0.8% of the total number of votes cast and gained two mandates in the Church Assembly (Kyrkomötet).

SD municipal election results 2002-2006.

In the 2002 Swedish general elections, the party received 76,300 votes (1.44% of the total number of votes cast), making it the largest party without representation in the Swedish Parliament. At the municipal level, the party presented candidates in 79 Swedish municipalities. In 29 municipalities the party gained a total of 63 local seats.

Popular vote in the general election 2006 after municipality.
  4 percent or more
  2.93 percent or more

In the Swedish elections for the European Parliament in 2004, the party received 28,303 votes (1.13% of the total number of votes cast).[43] In the 2005 elections to the Church Assembly, the party received 1.7% of the total number of votes cast and got four mandates in the Church Assembly (+ 2 compared with 2001).

In the 2006 Swedish general election the Sweden Democrats went forward strongly, gaining 162,463 votes (2.93% of the total number of votes cast) and thus ensuring governmental financial support for the next four years. The party is thus 1.07 percentage point from achieving representation in the national parliament, the Riksdag, and it has also strengthened its positions in various local assemblies, particularly in southern Sweden. In the city of Landskrona the party received 22.26% (5,250 votes) and is thus the third largest party in the city council with 12 of the 51 seats.[21] The party gained a total of 286 local seats in 145 Swedish municipalities.

In the Swedish elections for the European Parliament in 2009, the party received 103,584 votes (3,27 % of the total number of votes cast).[44] Despite this increase compared with 2004 (+ 2.14 %), the party failed to get any seat in the european Parliament.

General election results

Year Vote % MPs
1988 0.0% 0
1991 0.1% 0
1994 0.3% 0
1998 0.4% 0
2002 1.4% 0
2006 2.9% 0

Party leaders

Other prominent party members

References

  1. ^ Sverigedemokraterna.net: Sverigedemokraterna erhåller observatörsstatus i europeisk partigrupp (Swedish)
  2. ^ a b "Allmänna val, valresultat". Statistics Sweden.
  3. ^ Sifo Väljarbarometern (Swedish)
  4. ^ "Rekordnotering för Sverigedemokraterna - 7,6 procent i opinionsundersökning". sverigedemokraterna.se. 4 April 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
  5. ^ "Sverigedemokraternas medlemsantal har ökat med 26 procent". Sverigedemokraterna.se. 1 March 2010.
  6. ^ "Sweden Democrats Increase To 5.8 Percent". SR International - Radio Sweden. 15 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-16.
  7. ^ a b c Rydgren, Jens. "Radical Right-wing Populism in Sweden and Denmark". The Centre for the Study of European Politics and Society. Retrieved 2006-05-25.
  8. ^ "Sverigedemokraterna - Presentation in English". Retrieved 2009-04-13. Template:Sv icon
  9. ^ Jansson, Lars (21 August 2002). "Vad kostar invandringen?". svd.se.
  10. ^ http://www.s-info.se/page/blogg.asp?id=1749&blogg=28025
  11. ^ http://expo.se/2007/48_2020.html
  12. ^ "Invandringspolitiskt program". sverigedemokraterna.se. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  13. ^ Pettersson, Roland (23 April 2010). "SD har flest invandrare på vallistan". LT.
  14. ^ http://www.thelocal.se/discuss/index.php?showtopic=31568
  15. ^ The Local - New poll: Sweden Democrats on the rise,
  16. ^ SVD: Folk tycker inte som journalister
  17. ^ Holmøy, Katrine Ree (21 May 2007). "Vil kopiere Dansk Folkeparti". Klassekampen.
  18. ^ a b "Aftonbladet nyheter: HOTET MOT DEMOKRATIN". Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  19. ^ Janssons Frestelse week 18, 1999.
  20. ^ "I Sveriges namn". Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  21. ^ a b "Allmänna val 17 september 2006". Val.se. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
  22. ^ "Stöd Danmark - Köp danskt!". Sverigedemokraterna. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  23. ^ a b "Muhammedteckningar borta efter Säposamtal". Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  24. ^ "Regeringen har inte varit inblandad". Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved 2006-05-26. Template:Sv icon
  25. ^ "Säpo försvarar beslut att stänga SD-sajt". Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved 2006-05-26. Template:Sv icon
  26. ^ "Mycket krävs för sajtstängning". Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved 2006-05-26. Template:Sv icon
  27. ^ "Säpo lägger locket på". Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  28. ^ "Centerpartist polisanmäler Sverigedemokraterna". Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  29. ^ "Kritik mot stängning av nättidning". Svenska Dagbladet. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  30. ^ a b "Sverigedemokraterna". Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  31. ^ "Vädjanden från landsmän fick oss att stanna upp". SD Kuriren. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  32. ^ "Sverigedemokratisk Ungdom tar bort bilder efter samtal med SÄPO". SD Kuriren. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  33. ^ "Sverigedemokraterna avstår från vidare publicering av Muhammedbilder av hänsyn till svenska liv". SD Kuriren. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  34. ^ "Stängning av SD-sajt till KU". Dagens Nyheter. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  35. ^ "Sverigedemokraterna anmäler UD och SÄPO till JO och JK". SD Kuriren. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  36. ^ "Swedish General Election 2002". British Helsinki Human Rights Group. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
  37. ^ Cohen, James (18 September 2009). "Locking Out the Sweden Democrats". IFPS.
  38. ^ "DN - Kultur - Fritt fram för Sverigedemokraterna att annonsera". Retrieved 2006-08-01.
  39. ^ "Extremparti får mothugg". Svenska Dagbladet. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  40. ^ "Sverigedemokraternas utländska kontakter". Sverigedemokraterna. Archived from the original on 2004-06-17. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon (via Internet Archive)
  41. ^ "Extremist ska finansiera sd:s EU-val". Helsingborgs Dagblad. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  42. ^ "Sverigedemokraterna får miljoner av rik rasist". Expressen. Retrieved 2006-05-25. Template:Sv icon
  43. ^ "Europaparlamentsval 13 juni 2004". Val.se. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
  44. ^ "Röster - Val 2009". Val.se. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
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