"Immigration has gone too far."
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Sweden-faces-historic-upset-in-election-13165389.php
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Sweden-faces-historic-upset-in-election-13165389.php
Nationalist takeover in Sweden fueled by immigration concerns
- Thread starter Quix0te
- Start date
Fyi, Bruv:
Sweden election polls: Who will win the election in Sweden next month?
THE Sweden election is just under a month away and the latest poll has revealed shocking results as voting day approaches. Who will win the election in Sweden next month?
https://www.express.co.uk/news/worl...tion-polls-2018-who-will-win-swedish-election
Google is your friend.
Sweden election polls: Who will win the election in Sweden next month?
THE Sweden election is just under a month away and the latest poll has revealed shocking results as voting day approaches. Who will win the election in Sweden next month?
https://www.express.co.uk/news/worl...tion-polls-2018-who-will-win-swedish-election
Google is your friend.
You know what my biggest problem with Sweden is?
A banana and pineapple on pizza. Not only is this a breach of international pizza law, it is disgusting and therefore, unacceptable.We need to establish once and for all what is allowed on top of the pizza. And no sneaking pineapple slices under the base either.
A banana and pineapple on pizza. Not only is this a breach of international pizza law, it is disgusting and therefore, unacceptable.We need to establish once and for all what is allowed on top of the pizza. And no sneaking pineapple slices under the base either.
Yes, but reindeer stew is awesome. Just don’t let your testosterone lead you to try surströmming. It ain’t worth it.You know what my biggest problem with Sweden is?
A banana and pineapple on pizza. Not only is this a breach of international pizza law, it is disgusting and therefore, unacceptable.We need to establish once and for all what is allowed on top of the pizza. And no sneaking pineapple slices under the base either.
n Democrats hope to topple century of socialism
A party with its roots in neo-Nazism and white nationalism may be on the verge of an election victory.
by Alexander Smith / Aug.17.2018 / 4:37 AM ET / Updated Aug.17.2018 / 11:35 AM ET
A supporter of the Sweden Democrats listens to a speech by party leader Jimmie Åkesson at last weekend's festival.Julia Lindemalm / for NBC News
SÖLVESBORG, Sweden — Around 4,000 far-right supporters gathered on the grounds of a ruined castle last weekend to plot the downfall of the socialist ideas that have come to define their progressive country.
Their views — anti-immigration, anti-establishment and often anti-Muslim — are not new amid the populist tsunami that's crashed into much of the West.
But this is Sweden, where socialists have dominated every election for the past 101 years, making the Nordic nation something of a lodestar for leftists around the world.
Some polls predict that the supporters' favored party, the Sweden Democrats, with roots in neo-Nazism and white nationalism, will win as much as 25 percent of the vote in an election scheduled for Sept. 9. Such a result would likely earn the Sweden Democrats more seats in Parliament than any other single party.
At the party's annual summer festival here, speeches were interspersed with heavy metal music as supporters gathered at Sölvesborg Castle for the headline act: an address by Jimmie Åkesson, the 39-year-old leader of the Sweden Democrats.
"He's the only politician I can trust," a retiree named Jan shouted above the din. "We need him for our country. I don't have so many years left, but for my children and for my grandchildren."
"Why should we care about Islam? Sweden is not an Islamic country. Why should we be influenced by one of the worst ideologies in the world?"
Like many people here, Jan, 71, spoke on the condition that only his first name be used, so as not to be stigmatized for expressing his political views.
"Jimmie is the only one who can save Sweden," he added.
Sweden might not seem like it needs saving. Its economy is growing, its people are among the happiest and most trusting on the planet, and they enjoy some of its highest living standards.
But according to the Sweden Democrats, it is imperiled by one thing: immigration.
With a population of 10 million, Sweden took in around 165,000 migrants during the 2015 European border crisis — the most per capita in the world.
The Sweden Democrats believe that immigration has strained the country's generous public services, and that Muslim newcomers are diluting their culture to the point of near extinction.
In 2010, a TV channel refused to air a Sweden Democrats advertisement featuring an elderly white woman trying to claim her welfare payments, before being overtaken by a group of women wearing niqab headscarves and pushing strollers.
"Why should we change into a Middle Eastern country?" Richard Jomshof, a Sweden Democrat lawmaker, said while rock music blared from the tent behind him. "Why should we care about Islam? Sweden is not an Islamic country. Why should we be influenced by one of the worst ideologies in the world? I don't understand it."
Jimmie Åkesson takes the stage at his party's summer festival.Julia Lindemalm / for NBC News
The party claims that gangs of young immigrant men are responsible for spikes in violent crime and sexual assault, turning multicultural neighborhoods into so-called no-go zones. This characterization is disputed as a crass oversimplification by police and political opponents.
President Donald Trump promoted this theme last year at a Florida rally, saying: "Who would believe this? Sweden! They took in large numbers, they're having problems like they never thought possible."
Trump's former adviser, Steve Bannon, has spoken favorably about the Sweden Democrats and met with one of their lawmakers.
Sweden has indeed suffered Islamist terrorism, most recently a deadly ISIS-claimed truck attack last year. But Scandinavia's deadliest mass killer remains Anders Behring Breivik, a white nationalist who murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011.
Another Sweden Democrat lawmaker, Mattias Karlsson, insists he's not racist or anti-Muslim. Rather than accept migrants into the country, the party wants to triple Sweden's foreign aid budget to try to help people closer to their home countries.
Whether that would work, the message clearly has a wide appeal.
Almost all the festivalgoers appeared to be white. Many didn't look like supporters of what Sweden's prime minister has called a "Nazi party." Jan, for example, in a pink polo shirt and black baseball cap, could have stepped off any cruise ship in the world.
About 4,000 supporters of the far-right Sweden Democrats gathered for the party's summer festival last weekend.Julia Lindemalm / for NBC News
But these politics also attract a significant fringe element. Dozens of bikers motor onto the site, some whose opinions are as extreme as their tattoos.
"My biker club is very right-wing," said Martin, 44, who works in security on an offshore oil rig. "We are hoping for some fun today: some beer and a good speech from Jimmie, our upcoming prime minister."
Why does he support the Sweden Democrats? "I think that's pretty obvious," Martin said, who also declined to give his full name. "They will stop the Muslim invasion. The whole of Islam is wrong. I'm pro-Swedish."
A few feet away was Marina Coffa, 50, a school worker wearing a leather jacket with a "Lady Biker" patch. "The politicians are so naive because they tell us we're not allowed to say we love Sweden," she said.
NACHOS AND KNYPPLING
With his neat stubble, trendy glasses and light-blue blazer, Åkesson is the face of a party trying to clean up its image. One of its founding members in 1988 was a veteran of the Nazi SS. Its rallies in the 1990s were dominated by skinhead thugs.
Åkesson's tenure since 2005 has seen a litany of representatives ousted for making racist statements. The party declined NBC News' requests to interview him.
"Yeah, we have an image problem and we are constantly working on that," said Karlsson, who earlier this year was accused of using language with anti-Semitic overtones when defending a colleague who suggested Jews and the country’s ethnic Sami people were not true Swedes.
Karlsson was also pilloried in 2010 after he said Los Angeles Galaxy soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, perhaps the most famous Swede on the planet, didn't have Swedish "body language."
Zlatan Ibrahimovic.Katharine Lotze / Getty Images
Ibrahimovic was born in Sweden, the son of a Muslim who relocated from Yugoslavia.
A party with its roots in neo-Nazism and white nationalism may be on the verge of an election victory.
by Alexander Smith / Aug.17.2018 / 4:37 AM ET / Updated Aug.17.2018 / 11:35 AM ET
A supporter of the Sweden Democrats listens to a speech by party leader Jimmie Åkesson at last weekend's festival.Julia Lindemalm / for NBC News
SÖLVESBORG, Sweden — Around 4,000 far-right supporters gathered on the grounds of a ruined castle last weekend to plot the downfall of the socialist ideas that have come to define their progressive country.
Their views — anti-immigration, anti-establishment and often anti-Muslim — are not new amid the populist tsunami that's crashed into much of the West.
But this is Sweden, where socialists have dominated every election for the past 101 years, making the Nordic nation something of a lodestar for leftists around the world.
Some polls predict that the supporters' favored party, the Sweden Democrats, with roots in neo-Nazism and white nationalism, will win as much as 25 percent of the vote in an election scheduled for Sept. 9. Such a result would likely earn the Sweden Democrats more seats in Parliament than any other single party.
At the party's annual summer festival here, speeches were interspersed with heavy metal music as supporters gathered at Sölvesborg Castle for the headline act: an address by Jimmie Åkesson, the 39-year-old leader of the Sweden Democrats.
"He's the only politician I can trust," a retiree named Jan shouted above the din. "We need him for our country. I don't have so many years left, but for my children and for my grandchildren."
"Why should we care about Islam? Sweden is not an Islamic country. Why should we be influenced by one of the worst ideologies in the world?"
Like many people here, Jan, 71, spoke on the condition that only his first name be used, so as not to be stigmatized for expressing his political views.
"Jimmie is the only one who can save Sweden," he added.
Sweden might not seem like it needs saving. Its economy is growing, its people are among the happiest and most trusting on the planet, and they enjoy some of its highest living standards.
But according to the Sweden Democrats, it is imperiled by one thing: immigration.
With a population of 10 million, Sweden took in around 165,000 migrants during the 2015 European border crisis — the most per capita in the world.
The Sweden Democrats believe that immigration has strained the country's generous public services, and that Muslim newcomers are diluting their culture to the point of near extinction.
In 2010, a TV channel refused to air a Sweden Democrats advertisement featuring an elderly white woman trying to claim her welfare payments, before being overtaken by a group of women wearing niqab headscarves and pushing strollers.
"Why should we change into a Middle Eastern country?" Richard Jomshof, a Sweden Democrat lawmaker, said while rock music blared from the tent behind him. "Why should we care about Islam? Sweden is not an Islamic country. Why should we be influenced by one of the worst ideologies in the world? I don't understand it."
Jimmie Åkesson takes the stage at his party's summer festival.Julia Lindemalm / for NBC News
The party claims that gangs of young immigrant men are responsible for spikes in violent crime and sexual assault, turning multicultural neighborhoods into so-called no-go zones. This characterization is disputed as a crass oversimplification by police and political opponents.
President Donald Trump promoted this theme last year at a Florida rally, saying: "Who would believe this? Sweden! They took in large numbers, they're having problems like they never thought possible."
Trump's former adviser, Steve Bannon, has spoken favorably about the Sweden Democrats and met with one of their lawmakers.
Sweden has indeed suffered Islamist terrorism, most recently a deadly ISIS-claimed truck attack last year. But Scandinavia's deadliest mass killer remains Anders Behring Breivik, a white nationalist who murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011.
Another Sweden Democrat lawmaker, Mattias Karlsson, insists he's not racist or anti-Muslim. Rather than accept migrants into the country, the party wants to triple Sweden's foreign aid budget to try to help people closer to their home countries.
Whether that would work, the message clearly has a wide appeal.
Almost all the festivalgoers appeared to be white. Many didn't look like supporters of what Sweden's prime minister has called a "Nazi party." Jan, for example, in a pink polo shirt and black baseball cap, could have stepped off any cruise ship in the world.
About 4,000 supporters of the far-right Sweden Democrats gathered for the party's summer festival last weekend.Julia Lindemalm / for NBC News
But these politics also attract a significant fringe element. Dozens of bikers motor onto the site, some whose opinions are as extreme as their tattoos.
"My biker club is very right-wing," said Martin, 44, who works in security on an offshore oil rig. "We are hoping for some fun today: some beer and a good speech from Jimmie, our upcoming prime minister."
Why does he support the Sweden Democrats? "I think that's pretty obvious," Martin said, who also declined to give his full name. "They will stop the Muslim invasion. The whole of Islam is wrong. I'm pro-Swedish."
A few feet away was Marina Coffa, 50, a school worker wearing a leather jacket with a "Lady Biker" patch. "The politicians are so naive because they tell us we're not allowed to say we love Sweden," she said.
NACHOS AND KNYPPLING
With his neat stubble, trendy glasses and light-blue blazer, Åkesson is the face of a party trying to clean up its image. One of its founding members in 1988 was a veteran of the Nazi SS. Its rallies in the 1990s were dominated by skinhead thugs.
Åkesson's tenure since 2005 has seen a litany of representatives ousted for making racist statements. The party declined NBC News' requests to interview him.
"Yeah, we have an image problem and we are constantly working on that," said Karlsson, who earlier this year was accused of using language with anti-Semitic overtones when defending a colleague who suggested Jews and the country’s ethnic Sami people were not true Swedes.
Karlsson was also pilloried in 2010 after he said Los Angeles Galaxy soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, perhaps the most famous Swede on the planet, didn't have Swedish "body language."
Zlatan Ibrahimovic.Katharine Lotze / Getty Images
Ibrahimovic was born in Sweden, the son of a Muslim who relocated from Yugoslavia.
Some yummy Swedish meatballs that are better than those at IKEA:
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/216564/swedish-meatballs-svenska-kottbullar/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/216564/swedish-meatballs-svenska-kottbullar/
Last edited:
n Democrats hope to topple century of socialism
A party with its roots in neo-Nazism and white nationalism may be on the verge of an election victory.
by Alexander Smith / Aug.17.2018 / 4:37 AM ET / Updated Aug.17.2018 / 11:35 AM ET
A supporter of the Sweden Democrats listens to a speech by party leader Jimmie Åkesson at last weekend's festival.Julia Lindemalm / for NBC News
SÖLVESBORG, Sweden — Around 4,000 far-right supporters gathered on the grounds of a ruined castle last weekend to plot the downfall of the socialist ideas that have come to define their progressive country.
Their views — anti-immigration, anti-establishment and often anti-Muslim — are not new amid the populist tsunami that's crashed into much of the West.
But this is Sweden, where socialists have dominated every election for the past 101 years, making the Nordic nation something of a lodestar for leftists around the world.
Some polls predict that the supporters' favored party, the Sweden Democrats, with roots in neo-Nazism and white nationalism, will win as much as 25 percent of the vote in an election scheduled for Sept. 9. Such a result would likely earn the Sweden Democrats more seats in Parliament than any other single party.
At the party's annual summer festival here, speeches were interspersed with heavy metal music as supporters gathered at Sölvesborg Castle for the headline act: an address by Jimmie Åkesson, the 39-year-old leader of the Sweden Democrats.
"He's the only politician I can trust," a retiree named Jan shouted above the din. "We need him for our country. I don't have so many years left, but for my children and for my grandchildren."
"Why should we care about Islam? Sweden is not an Islamic country. Why should we be influenced by one of the worst ideologies in the world?"
Like many people here, Jan, 71, spoke on the condition that only his first name be used, so as not to be stigmatized for expressing his political views.
"Jimmie is the only one who can save Sweden," he added.
Sweden might not seem like it needs saving. Its economy is growing, its people are among the happiest and most trusting on the planet, and they enjoy some of its highest living standards.
But according to the Sweden Democrats, it is imperiled by one thing: immigration.
With a population of 10 million, Sweden took in around 165,000 migrants during the 2015 European border crisis — the most per capita in the world.
The Sweden Democrats believe that immigration has strained the country's generous public services, and that Muslim newcomers are diluting their culture to the point of near extinction.
In 2010, a TV channel refused to air a Sweden Democrats advertisement featuring an elderly white woman trying to claim her welfare payments, before being overtaken by a group of women wearing niqab headscarves and pushing strollers.
"Why should we change into a Middle Eastern country?" Richard Jomshof, a Sweden Democrat lawmaker, said while rock music blared from the tent behind him. "Why should we care about Islam? Sweden is not an Islamic country. Why should we be influenced by one of the worst ideologies in the world? I don't understand it."
Jimmie Åkesson takes the stage at his party's summer festival.Julia Lindemalm / for NBC News
The party claims that gangs of young immigrant men are responsible for spikes in violent crime and sexual assault, turning multicultural neighborhoods into so-called no-go zones. This characterization is disputed as a crass oversimplification by police and political opponents.
President Donald Trump promoted this theme last year at a Florida rally, saying: "Who would believe this? Sweden! They took in large numbers, they're having problems like they never thought possible."
Trump's former adviser, Steve Bannon, has spoken favorably about the Sweden Democrats and met with one of their lawmakers.
Sweden has indeed suffered Islamist terrorism, most recently a deadly ISIS-claimed truck attack last year. But Scandinavia's deadliest mass killer remains Anders Behring Breivik, a white nationalist who murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011.
Another Sweden Democrat lawmaker, Mattias Karlsson, insists he's not racist or anti-Muslim. Rather than accept migrants into the country, the party wants to triple Sweden's foreign aid budget to try to help people closer to their home countries.
Whether that would work, the message clearly has a wide appeal.
Almost all the festivalgoers appeared to be white. Many didn't look like supporters of what Sweden's prime minister has called a "Nazi party." Jan, for example, in a pink polo shirt and black baseball cap, could have stepped off any cruise ship in the world.
About 4,000 supporters of the far-right Sweden Democrats gathered for the party's summer festival last weekend.Julia Lindemalm / for NBC News
But these politics also attract a significant fringe element. Dozens of bikers motor onto the site, some whose opinions are as extreme as their tattoos.
"My biker club is very right-wing," said Martin, 44, who works in security on an offshore oil rig. "We are hoping for some fun today: some beer and a good speech from Jimmie, our upcoming prime minister."
Why does he support the Sweden Democrats? "I think that's pretty obvious," Martin said, who also declined to give his full name. "They will stop the Muslim invasion. The whole of Islam is wrong. I'm pro-Swedish."
A few feet away was Marina Coffa, 50, a school worker wearing a leather jacket with a "Lady Biker" patch. "The politicians are so naive because they tell us we're not allowed to say we love Sweden," she said.
NACHOS AND KNYPPLING
With his neat stubble, trendy glasses and light-blue blazer, Åkesson is the face of a party trying to clean up its image. One of its founding members in 1988 was a veteran of the Nazi SS. Its rallies in the 1990s were dominated by skinhead thugs.
Åkesson's tenure since 2005 has seen a litany of representatives ousted for making racist statements. The party declined NBC News' requests to interview him.
"Yeah, we have an image problem and we are constantly working on that," said Karlsson, who earlier this year was accused of using language with anti-Semitic overtones when defending a colleague who suggested Jews and the country’s ethnic Sami people were not true Swedes.
Karlsson was also pilloried in 2010 after he said Los Angeles Galaxy soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, perhaps the most famous Swede on the planet, didn't have Swedish "body language."
Zlatan Ibrahimovic.Katharine Lotze / Getty Images
Ibrahimovic was born in Sweden, the son of a Muslim who relocated from Yugoslavia.
Do you even read your own links/articles?
4000 people showed up to "save Sweden". But does Sweden need saving? From what?
"But this is Sweden, where socialists have dominated every election for the past 101 years, making the Nordic nation something of a lodestar for leftists around the world."
And the results?
"Sweden might not seem like it needs saving. Its economy is growing, its people are among the happiest and most trusting on the planet, and they enjoy some of its highest living standards."
And the huge electoral shift the doomsayers are prognosticating?
"Some polls predict that the supporters' favored party, the Sweden Democrats, with roots in neo-Nazism and white nationalism, will win as much as 25 percent of the vote in an election scheduled for Sept. 9. Such a result would likely earn the Sweden Democrats more seats in Parliament than any other single party."
25% for a party with roots in Nazism, founded by a former SS Officer? I imagine the other parties will form coalitions to block the Neo-Nazis. Even so, it's sad to see the hate element gain that kind of electoral ground in Sweden.
Sort of reminiscent of the way the original "Brownshirts" used the electoral process to fill the Reichstag with Nazis and elevate Herr Hitler to power in post Weimar Germany. Good people "slept",and as a result MILLIONS wept.In Germany it was the Jews who were the convenient target, and from the article it appears that the Swedish brand of hate has opted to target both Jews and Muslims.
Meanwhile there are a lot of wonderful folks in Sweden. So 4000 show up at a free event to hear messages of Hate? I guess that passes for a show of force?
I'd like to see one of these Neo-Nazis fill Friends Arena in Stockholm (55,000 +) for one night, let alone 3 consecutive nights like this guy did. Maybe Bruce should run for Prime Minister of Sweden?
And how's this for a different sort of "torch parade" in Gothenburg? Lots of Fantastic people in Sweden...
Populist votes will hit a glass ceiling as they are considered quite extreme. The Sweden Democrats party leader Åkesson has made statements like: "We have to ask ourselves a question: why is it so difficult for these people to get a job? That is because they're not Swedish. They can't adjust to Sweden, and it's hard for them to get a job."
Not surprisingly, they are struggling to have any formal collaborations with other parties.
The outrage over what he said there shows how Europe (especially Scandi countries) are miles more liberal/progressive than the US. Long may it last.
Imagine if Trump said these exact words it would be such routine rhetoric for him and it wouldn’t even be reported on.
Is Quixote trolling us all, our is he partial to white nationalists and Nazis?
Trolling is fine. I expect it from him. But being OK with parties founded by ex-Nazis ain’t cool.
I’m curious Quixote. Are you Native American (full-blooded)? Because if not, your family started here as immigrants at some point in time. Just like the rest of us on here.
Why the extreme dislike of immigrants? Is it limited to one type of immigrant? One religion? A certain country/region?
Your various assumptions about me could more accurately be described as bait. It appears you are playing dumb on some very logical and straightforward issues in order to "gotcha" me as a neo-Nazi racist.
I am not against all immigration, I am against illegal immigration and that includes those who seek amnesty by illegally entering the country. There are two ways to seek amnesty: (1) legally and (2) illegally.
Islamic extremists have committed thousands of acts of jihad against innocents who have done nothing other than being infidels. The far-left cannot bring themselves to accept this fact as reality. Muslims do not assimilate after immigrating to Sweden or Germany or France or Italy or England or America.
I heartily endorse and support most legal immigration. I am opposed to illegal immigrants and those belonging to terrorist cults.
Sweden Moves to the Right in an Election Shaped by Immigration
An anti-immigration party is heading for its best result ever in Sunday’s vote
Sweden Shifts to the Right As Immigration Dominates Election
A party with roots in neo-Nazism had its best-ever showing in Sweden’s general election. The country faces uncertainty over the composition of its next government as all mainstream parties ruled out a coalition with the contentious Sweden Democrats. Image: AFP
By
Bojan Pancevski
Updated Sept. 9, 2018 6:56 p.m. ET
Sweden became the latest European country to shift to the right on Sunday as immigration continues to reshape the continent’s political landscape.
A right-wing party with roots in neo-Nazism garnered an estimated 17.6% of ballots cast in Sunday’s election, according to a count of the vast majority of constituencies. It was the best-ever showing for the Sweden Democrats, and it leaves the composition of Sweden’s next government uncertain.
The vote means that Sweden, a longstanding model of stability and one of the world’s wealthiest nations, is now facing a fractured parliament and unpredictable coalition negotiations.
The party’s performance followed an uncharacteristically strident electoral campaign centered on immigration and crime, subjects previously considered taboo in a country known for the civility of its political debate.
An electoral counselor casts a vote during the Swedish general elections. PHOTO: JOHAN NILSSON/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
Sweden joins a growing list of European countries where right-wing, nationalist, antiestablishment and anti-immigration parties have made significant headway over the past year or so.
Parties long considered on the political fringe have joined the government in Austria, toppled the old establishment in Italy, and become the largest opposition force in Germany.
But the vote in Sweden had been especially anticipated both because the country of 10 million has historically been a bastion of Scandinavian progressivism—with its generous welfare and immigration policies—and because it was one of the countries most affected by the surge in immigration to Europe since 2015.
Rightward TiltSweden Democrats, an anti-immigration party, gained ground against mainstream parties and won anestimated 17.6% of the vote in elections Sunday.Sources: SVT (current); Statistics Sweden (past)Note: With an estimated 5,999 of 6,004 constituencies reporting
%Social Democrats(Mainstream party)ModeratesSweden Democrats(Nationalist)CenterLeft19982000’02’04’06’08’10’12’14’16’180510152025303540Leftx2010x5.6%
The outcome suggests that the popular backlash that has swept Europe since the refugee crisis of three years ago isn’t letting up, and that no country can consider itself immune.
“What we are seeing in most Western democracies is the emergence of a movement that will be with us for some time come. This is not a flash in the pan or a passing moment in the history of liberal democracy: national populism will be a permanent feature of our political system,” Matthew Goodwin, a professor of politics at the University of Kent in Britain, said ahead of the vote.
A count of the majority constituencies released after polling stations had closed showed Sweden’s ruling red-green coalition with a total of 32.7% of the vote, with outgoing Prime Minister Stefan Löfven’s Social Democrats taking 28.4%. They have so far governed with the support of the Left Party, which won an estimated 7.9%, meaning their collective share of the vote would be 40.6%.
Supporters of Sweden's Social Democrats in Stockholm on Saturday. PHOTO: INTS KALNINS/REUTERS
The right-leaning opposition Alliance, consisting of the Moderates, Center Party, Christian Democrats and Liberals, was credited with a total of 40.3%.
That means that both blocs are on track to finish with roughly the same estimated number of seats.
Before the vote, mainstream parties rejected the possibility of cooperating with the Sweden Democrats.
In public comments after the vote, Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson asked the leader of the Alliance, Ulf Kristersson: “The moment of truth is here: Will you choose Stefan Löfven or Jimmie Akesson?”—a reference to two potential coalition options, one uniting the red-green coalition and the Alliance and one involving the Alliance and Sweden Democrats.
Mr. Kristersson didn’t respond directly. He later called on Mr. Löfven to resign as prime minister.
The Sweden Democrats’ proposals—a moratorium on new asylum seekers, faster deportations of illegal immigrants, tighter rules on granting Swedish citizenship—have become more mainstream as other parties have sought to respond to the mounting popular sentiment against immigrants. The party has long disavowed its far-right roots.
By effectively performing a U-turn on immigration policy, the mainstream parties managed to stop the bleeding of votes to the Sweden Democrats, said Patrik Ohberg, a political scientist at Gothenburg University.
Charlie Weimers, 35, a former official of the moderate conservative Christian Democrats, left his party Thursday to join the Sweden Democrats, in what was perhaps the most high-profile defection ahead of the election.
On Sunday night, he was jubilant. “This is a big blow to the current government,” he said of the results. “Swedish society is no longer able to integrate the amount of people who have come already.”
Sweden is a stronghold of stability, with a democratic system that goes back to the mid-19th century, one of the highest standards of living in the world and a long history of embracing diversity.
Yet mainstream political debate has long overlooked some of the challenges the country has had in integrating migrants and refugees. Those challenges are reflected in some urban enclaves with large populations of immigrants that are plagued by unemployment, disaffection, drugs and gang crime.
Mattias Karlsson, parliamentary leader for the Sweden Democrats, said before the vote that his party would back a minority government that pledged to implement its immigration platform. But even if mainstream parties managed to establish a stable coalition, he added, they would have to yield to the populist demands. His ambition, he added, was to “change society” rather than get into government.
—Dominic Chopping contributed to this article.
An anti-immigration party is heading for its best result ever in Sunday’s vote
Sweden Shifts to the Right As Immigration Dominates Election
A party with roots in neo-Nazism had its best-ever showing in Sweden’s general election. The country faces uncertainty over the composition of its next government as all mainstream parties ruled out a coalition with the contentious Sweden Democrats. Image: AFP
By
Bojan Pancevski
Updated Sept. 9, 2018 6:56 p.m. ET
Sweden became the latest European country to shift to the right on Sunday as immigration continues to reshape the continent’s political landscape.
A right-wing party with roots in neo-Nazism garnered an estimated 17.6% of ballots cast in Sunday’s election, according to a count of the vast majority of constituencies. It was the best-ever showing for the Sweden Democrats, and it leaves the composition of Sweden’s next government uncertain.
The vote means that Sweden, a longstanding model of stability and one of the world’s wealthiest nations, is now facing a fractured parliament and unpredictable coalition negotiations.
The party’s performance followed an uncharacteristically strident electoral campaign centered on immigration and crime, subjects previously considered taboo in a country known for the civility of its political debate.
An electoral counselor casts a vote during the Swedish general elections. PHOTO: JOHAN NILSSON/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES
Sweden joins a growing list of European countries where right-wing, nationalist, antiestablishment and anti-immigration parties have made significant headway over the past year or so.
Parties long considered on the political fringe have joined the government in Austria, toppled the old establishment in Italy, and become the largest opposition force in Germany.
But the vote in Sweden had been especially anticipated both because the country of 10 million has historically been a bastion of Scandinavian progressivism—with its generous welfare and immigration policies—and because it was one of the countries most affected by the surge in immigration to Europe since 2015.
Rightward TiltSweden Democrats, an anti-immigration party, gained ground against mainstream parties and won anestimated 17.6% of the vote in elections Sunday.Sources: SVT (current); Statistics Sweden (past)Note: With an estimated 5,999 of 6,004 constituencies reporting
%Social Democrats(Mainstream party)ModeratesSweden Democrats(Nationalist)CenterLeft19982000’02’04’06’08’10’12’14’16’180510152025303540Leftx2010x5.6%
The outcome suggests that the popular backlash that has swept Europe since the refugee crisis of three years ago isn’t letting up, and that no country can consider itself immune.
“What we are seeing in most Western democracies is the emergence of a movement that will be with us for some time come. This is not a flash in the pan or a passing moment in the history of liberal democracy: national populism will be a permanent feature of our political system,” Matthew Goodwin, a professor of politics at the University of Kent in Britain, said ahead of the vote.
A count of the majority constituencies released after polling stations had closed showed Sweden’s ruling red-green coalition with a total of 32.7% of the vote, with outgoing Prime Minister Stefan Löfven’s Social Democrats taking 28.4%. They have so far governed with the support of the Left Party, which won an estimated 7.9%, meaning their collective share of the vote would be 40.6%.
Supporters of Sweden's Social Democrats in Stockholm on Saturday. PHOTO: INTS KALNINS/REUTERS
The right-leaning opposition Alliance, consisting of the Moderates, Center Party, Christian Democrats and Liberals, was credited with a total of 40.3%.
That means that both blocs are on track to finish with roughly the same estimated number of seats.
Before the vote, mainstream parties rejected the possibility of cooperating with the Sweden Democrats.
In public comments after the vote, Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Akesson asked the leader of the Alliance, Ulf Kristersson: “The moment of truth is here: Will you choose Stefan Löfven or Jimmie Akesson?”—a reference to two potential coalition options, one uniting the red-green coalition and the Alliance and one involving the Alliance and Sweden Democrats.
Mr. Kristersson didn’t respond directly. He later called on Mr. Löfven to resign as prime minister.
The Sweden Democrats’ proposals—a moratorium on new asylum seekers, faster deportations of illegal immigrants, tighter rules on granting Swedish citizenship—have become more mainstream as other parties have sought to respond to the mounting popular sentiment against immigrants. The party has long disavowed its far-right roots.
By effectively performing a U-turn on immigration policy, the mainstream parties managed to stop the bleeding of votes to the Sweden Democrats, said Patrik Ohberg, a political scientist at Gothenburg University.
Charlie Weimers, 35, a former official of the moderate conservative Christian Democrats, left his party Thursday to join the Sweden Democrats, in what was perhaps the most high-profile defection ahead of the election.
On Sunday night, he was jubilant. “This is a big blow to the current government,” he said of the results. “Swedish society is no longer able to integrate the amount of people who have come already.”
Sweden is a stronghold of stability, with a democratic system that goes back to the mid-19th century, one of the highest standards of living in the world and a long history of embracing diversity.
Yet mainstream political debate has long overlooked some of the challenges the country has had in integrating migrants and refugees. Those challenges are reflected in some urban enclaves with large populations of immigrants that are plagued by unemployment, disaffection, drugs and gang crime.
Mattias Karlsson, parliamentary leader for the Sweden Democrats, said before the vote that his party would back a minority government that pledged to implement its immigration platform. But even if mainstream parties managed to establish a stable coalition, he added, they would have to yield to the populist demands. His ambition, he added, was to “change society” rather than get into government.
—Dominic Chopping contributed to this article.
"Both the left-leaning bloc led by the Social Democrats and the center-right bloc have said they would refuse to consider the Sweden Democrats as a potential coalition partner.
Sunday’s election was the first in Sweden since its government in 2015 allowed 163,000 migrants into the Scandinavian country with a population of 10 million. The number was far lower than the asylum-seekers Germany accepted that year, but the highest per capita of any European nation." In other words LEGAL IMMIGRATION- you know the kind you "support" ?
"The Sweden Democrats — led by Jimmie Akesson — worked to soften its neo-Nazi image while helping to break down longstanding taboos on what Swedes could say openly about immigration and integration without being shunned as racists
The potential of a surge by the party had many Swedes worried about an erosion of the humanitarian values that have long been a foundation of their country’s identity.
“This election is a referendum about our welfare,” Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said. “It’s also about decency, about a decent democracy … and not letting the Sweden Democrats, an extremist party, a racist party, get any influence in the government.”
At the party’s rally on Saturday, Akesson strongly criticized Lofven’s government for “prioritizing” the cause of immigrants over the needs of citizens.
“This government we have had now . they have prioritised, during these four years, asylum-seekers,” Akesson said, giving an exhaustive list of things he says the government has failed to do for Swedish society because of migrants."
https://www.yahoo.com/news/sweden-apos-far-party-gains-020959403.html
Let's compare a few politicians and examine some historical parallels... America First (Trump) Sweden First (Akesson)...
"During the early 1930s, as the Nazis consolidated control over Germany, the U.S. media baron William Randolph Hearst began touting the slogan “America First” against President Franklin Roosevelt, whom he saw as dangerously likely to “allow the international bankers and the other big influences that have gambled with your prosperity to gamble with your politics.” Hearst regarded Roosevelt’s New Deal as “un-American to the core” and “more communistic than the communists” — unlike Nazism, which he believed had won a great victory for “liberty-loving people” everywhere in defeating communism."
Substitute the 1930s boogeyman (Jews) with the current foil (Muslims)...
But the most prominent of his opponents were the founders of the America First Committee, formed in September 1940. The committee opposed fighting Nazism and proposed a well-armed America confined largely to the Western hemisphere. It soon afterward adopted the noted aviator and enthusiast of fascism, Charles Lindbergh, as their favored speaker. Lindbergh accepted a medal from Herman Goering “in the name of the Fuehrer” during a visit to Germany in 1938, and “proudly wore the decoration.” He thought democracy was finished in Europe, that the western powers could not effectively resist the Nazi war machine and that the United States had better make terms with Adolf Hitler.
Lindbergh wasn’t against wars per se; he could support fighting if it came to “a question of banding together to defend the white race against foreign invasion.” His definition of the white race apparently had little room for Jewish people, about whom he thought Hitler had a point: “We are all disturbed about the effect of the Jewish influence in our press, radio, and motion pictures,” Lindbergh believed, though he allowed the country could benefit from “a few Jews of the right type” — just as Trump would presumably allow Muslims who could pass a perfect and proper screen.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/post...nazi-friendly-history/?utm_term=.f7e50c50e80d
You lefties fingers are just atwitchin' to pound out "Islamophobic" or (your very favorite) "racist" regarding the ban on those from countries that are known to harbor Islamic terrorists. However, Trump has targeted jihadists, not mainstream Muslims. There is no US travel ban on 92% of the world's Muslims.
https://www.cnsnews.com/news/articl...l-ban-countries-account-only-8-worlds-muslims
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Is Saudi Arabia on the list of “terrorist” Muslim majority countries?
It’s not. And 16 of the 18 (or 17 of the 19, can’t remember the exact number) of the 911 terrorists are from SA. And, the roots & heart of Wahhabism are both in SA. Wahhabism (sp?) is essentially where the concept of jihad and acceptance of violence for religious gain emanates from.
Which tells me that the countries on the list are purely a means to keep as many Muslims out as possible. If they were serious, SA would be the #1 country on the list.
And you linked the same damn article. Can you read man? It clearly says the group behind the Sweden rally is linked to and started by a Neo-nazi. And it has a ton of white nationalist adherents.
Somehow that’s a good thing? I don’t see how you can keep linking that article and not expect for people to think that you share the same sentiments.
It’s not bait. At all. It’s an observation, based on this thread and your past posting history. You’ve been hostile to even asylum seekers- which tells me it’s about more than just not liking illegal immigration.
This isn’t rocket science. You’ve revealed yourself here.
Here are the seven countries on Trump's no-travel list: North Korea, Syria, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Venezuela. All are obviously high security risks.
Two of them have nothing to do with Islam. The other five have governments that cannot be trusted to vet travelers to the US. You understand that a official passport from Syria is one that has been issued by the Assad government, right?
https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/27/politics/trump-travel-ban-countries-intl/index.html
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This forum lately:
Poster A: *Somethng Racist*
Poster B: "That's kind of racist."
Poster A: "Don't call me racist, libtard!" Also, to counter your point, have you seen this? *Shares something else racist*
The obvious solution... More brewskis! I will have one for you Goat. Off to a microbrewery now fr lunch.
If by “forum”, you mean “a few posters”, then yeah. That’s the pattern.
The lack of awareness is startling at times. It’s hard to discuss something when folks don’t even understand the objection to it.
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