Sweden’s far-Right is handed election boost
far-Right party last night made striking gains in the country’s general election, with around one in five voters backing anti-immigration policies.
Exit polls saw support surge for the nationalist Sweden Democrats as one of Europe’s most liberal states turned Right.
The Sweden Democrats, a party with white supremacist roots, rose to 19.2 per cent from 12.9 per cent.
Experts said although the result was less than SD had hoped for, it was likely to rise when the votes were counted because many supporters refused to reveal their choice.
The result meant neither of the mainstream parties was set to win a majority, with effectively a dead-heat between Left and Right-wing coalitions. The ruling centre-Left Social Democrats and Greens and their Left Party allies were set to win 39.4 per cent of the vote, while the opposition centre-Right Alliance were seen at 39.6 per cent.
Analysts predicted political deadlock, meaning the SD could end up with some influence on policy and even a veto over who forms the next government. The country is likely to face political deadlock while the formation of a government could take weeks.
SD leader Jimmie Akesson said: “What we, the Sweden Democrats, are saying, and which is considered incredibly controversial in Sweden, is normal politics in the rest of Europe.”
The success of the SD, who want the country to quit the European Union and put a freeze on immigration, follows a surge in popularity for other far-Right parties on the Continent.
It follows a refugee crisis sparked by civil war in Syria and other conflicts.
Magnus Blomgren, a social scientist at Umea University said: “Traditional parties have failed to respond to the sense of discontent that exists. “That discontent maybe isn’t directly related to unemployment or the economy, but simply a loss of faith in the political system. Sweden isn’t alone in this.” The SD party has seen its popularity steadily increase on the back of rising migration in a country famed for its progressive social policies, including generous benefits paid for by the highest taxes in Europe. In 2014 the ruling Left-wing Social Democrats allowed a record 130,000 migrants into the country – 80,000 of whom were asylum seekers. Sweden has a population of 10 million. The election campaign saw unrest in Gothenburg when 100 cars were vandalised. The result will add to concerns in Brussels that it could give more voice to Eurosceptic groups and thwart efforts at closer EU integration.