The far right’s march to power in Sweden has been halted, but its influence remains
The far-right Sweden Democrats party suffered a significant setback in the recent general election, falling to third place and losing their path to government. Despite this electoral defeat, the party's influence on mainstream Swedish politics remains substantial due to their previous role in the governing coalition.
Why it matters
This reflects a broader European trend of far-right parties shifting from the fringes to influencing mainstream political agendas.
The Sweden Democrats leader, Jimmie Åkesson, delivers a speech at the party’s election results event near Stockholm after the far-right party slipped to third place./Getty Images The Sweden Democrats leader, Jimmie Åkesson, delivers a speech at the party’s election results event near Stockholm after the far-right party slipped to third place./Getty Images Sweden Analysis The far right’s march to power in Sweden has been halted, but its influence remains Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent The Sweden Democrats slipped to third after decades of growth, but their hardline positions have already reshaped the political mainstream
Swedish centre-left opposition widens lead to three seats with 95% of votes counted – live
Since the party was founded in 1988, the story of the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) has been one of such continuous growth that a triumph in Sunday’s general election seemed inevitable.
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