Sweden is a beacon of tolerance. So why is a far-right party with neo-Nazi roots set to soar in election?
The Sweden Democrats appear to be sapping votes from the traditional parties of both left and right
The anti-immigration far-right is expected to soar in Sweden’s September 9 general election, capitalising on voter discontent as Swedes punish traditional parties over immigration, integration and health care.
Prime Minister Stefan Lofven’s Social Democrats, who have dominated Swedish politics since the 1930s, will remain the biggest party in the country but likely with a record low score, polls suggest.
The far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) are heading to make the most gains and come in a close second, followed by the conservative Moderates.
A Skop institute poll published on Sunday, a week before the election, credited the Social Democrats with 23.8 per cent of support, compared with 31 per cent in the 2014 election; SD with 20 per cent, up from 13 per cent in 2014; and the Moderates with 17 per cent, down from 23 per cent.
Speaking after a campaign rally outside Stockholm on Sunday, Lofven criticised the former centre-right government in power from 2006-2014 for having “decreased taxes the most for the richest and decreased resources to our welfare” system.
