Sweden’s far-right election victory feels like the mobs have won
I hope that the Sweden I grew up in, the Sweden where being different is not a bad thing, will endure
September 15, 2022 at 15.45(Updated 15:51)
“Where are you from?” is a question I get asked very often. “Sweden”, I answer proudly and then nervously add “but my parents are Turkish and Kurdish” because I might be too self-conscious about not having stereotypical “Swedish” features (blonde hair and blue eyes).
This was often a conversation starter over the 10 years I lived abroad. I have lived in the US, Belgium and Turkey and the more time I spent abroad, the more I cherished my home country for its welfare policies, free education and generous parental leave. Sweden is my beloved home. But when I came back in July, I noticed that it had changed.
Like many other countries in Europe, Sweden has seen a growing far-right movement. But unlike other European countries and its Nordic counterparts, the nation has worked hard to push out the nationalist and anti-immigration rhetoric. However, this has not worked as the political party Sweden Democrats (SD), which until now has been treated as a pariah, became the second largest party in the election this week. Most Swedish parties across the political spectrum have been reluctant to cooperate with SD because of its neo-Nazi roots.
Sweden’s right-wing bloc – which consists of the Liberals, the Moderates, the Christian Democrats and SD – took a narrow victory over the center parties. The moderate party leader Ulf Kristersson is likely to become prime minister in a minority government with the support of SD. Since most other parties do not want SD in government, its leader Jimmie Ã…kesson cannot become prime minister. So SD is in talks with the Moderates about giving support in exchange for influence on politics. Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, and leader of the progressive Social Democrats, has accepted defeat and resigned.
This election took place amid rising gang crime per capita, poor integration and the energy crisis. SD promised to “crush” gang violence and stop what they call Sweden’s “destructive” migration policy. The government’s exclusion of SD, while grappling with key electoral issues, has put SD in an extremely favorable position among disaffected voters. They have turned out to be the elephants in the room that grow bigger with each election.
As the 34-year-old daughter of Turkish and Kurdish immigrants, this worries me. I am proof that Sweden is not a homogenous society and that many people with a foreign background have been integrated successfully. They have become doctors, nurses, teachers, journalists, bus drivers, cleaners and businessmen. Many of my friends have similar backgrounds to me and they fear that the embracing and multicultural Sweden they grew up in is now in danger. “It feels like the bullies at school have won,” one of them said as she wiped away her tears.
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There are many far-right parties in Scandinavia and Europe. But what is worrying about the SD is that the party was founded in 1988 by a Nazi and a Waffen-SS veteran. Although the party has tried to change its image and purge itself of its neo-Nazi roots, reports still emerge of local members being accused of inciting violence against minority groups. Being aware of one’s past – no matter how often they claim to have changed – causes me and my peers to worry about Sweden’s future.
Swedes are used to a high quality of life without extravagance. There is a Swedish word for it: “lagom”, which means “just right” or “not too much, not too little.” They are humble people who want their society to work. With the current challenges to Sweden’s harmony, it is clear that the Swedes have had enough. But will SD solve their problems? Just like many other populists, SD knows how to strike a nerve among angry voters. But saying what you think the voter wants to hear is not the same as getting the job done. I fear that voters will be misled about how realistic SD’s election promises are.
My wish for this wonderful country is stability as I fear the coming months will be rocky. I hope that the Sweden I grew up in, the Sweden where being different is not a bad thing, will endure. I am who I am today thanks to Sweden and seeing the country lose its tolerance for other cultures breaks my heart.
Ilgin Karlidag is a journalist based in Malmö, Sweden