The right-wing populist Sweden Democrats could win in the parliamentary elections for up to a fifth of the votes. But you can rid themselves of their neo-Nazi Image? Richard Orange reports from Malmö.
Jimmie Akesson, the 39-year-old party leader of the Sweden Democrats (SD), takes the microphone in Hand and immediately the hands begin chorus: “No racists on our streets!” On signs made of cardboard, shut up, you fucking racist” and “SD: Nazis in 1988, Nazis in 2018 is “Holding” The overwhelming majority of those who have come to listen to Akessons speech, are what the party leader “helt vanlight folk” would call, normal people.
It’s not just the protesters, the call of the party and its members to Nazis. Also, Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Lofven referred to the party as “neo-fascist unity party” with “national socialist and racist roots”. The supporters of the party know that this Stigma is a Problem.
“With some people it can be difficult,” says U. C. Nilsson, a 16-year-old student who came with several classmates to support the Sweden Democrats: “You don’t get often pretty hard counter-reactions, because some people may like the policy. But I think it is good for Sweden, we cannot take in so many migrants.”
SD in favour of “cultural nationalism”
In comparison with other populist parties in Europe, the ideology of the Sweden Democrats is less extreme. The SD stands for a “cultural nationalism”, which is open to everyone, no matter where you are born or what skin color you have.
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Neo-Nazis in Sweden on the rise
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Neo-Nazis in Sweden on the rise
At the same time, the party calls for immigration to Sweden is a strong limit. The country should only take in refugees from Denmark, Norway and Finland. In addition, the SD in favour of stricter rules for the granting of work permits.
The Sweden Democrats, however, are also characterized in that they have their roots in the Swedish neo-Nazi movement. Self-Mattias Karlsson, the group’s Chairman and the ideological head of the party, admits that many of the founding come members of the openly racist group “Bevara Sverige Svenskt”, remains as “Sweden Swedish”,. “But this organization was dissolved in 1986 and the SD founded in 1988,” stresses Karlsson. The SD was therefore not a successor-Organisation of the group.
Gustaf Ekström, in the case of the Foundation Fund of the party, having been a former member of the Waffen-SS. Otherwise clear stream, the first party chief, had engaged in the neo-Nazi “Nordic Reich party”
Wolf in sheep’s clothing?
Since Akesson 2005, the party leadership has taken, he strives to reform, and a change of image; however, the question of whether the party is not colored by their ideological origins.
“We have decided in this respect, and uncompromising,” says the Chairman of the group Karlsson. “As soon as we notice any signs of xenophobia and racism, we exclude the corresponding members immediately.”
Julia Kronlid is convinced that the voters appreciate the positions of the SD gradually
Julia Kronlid, the highest-ranking woman in the party leadership, the racist Stigma is less widespread than a decade ago, when she was revealed as a supporter. “When my husband and I talked in the Church for us to join the SD, the suffocation of the people almost in your coffee,” said Kronlid. “But now they appreciate my commitment, and some of them want to join the party.”
Cecilia Bladh comes from the educated middle class and is also SD-politician. You complained that people who support the SD, still face the risk to get problems with their employers. “I hope that will change. Because if we have a fifth of the Swedish population [behind us], maybe even a quarter, then it can’t go on like this,” she says. “Somewhere.”
Nazi roots track Sweden Democrats
The Nazi Stigma keeps so stubbornly is because that many of the members are clearly racists. Just last week, the Swedish newspaper “Expressen revealed” that a local SD politician had written in a closed Facebook group about “the Jewish plague”. It also stated that “Hitler was not wrong in relation to the Jews.” To post such racist comments in a closed forum or on the Russian Social Media site VK, was typical for SD activists, says the author of the newspaper article, David Baas. “You have two faces. On their public Facebook profiles, you would not write such things. On UK post, however, is something completely different,” he says.
Expressen and the anti-fascist magazine “Expo” also reported that at least eight of the currently available SD-politicians, former members of neo-Nazi organisations. One of these groups paid still 2016 member contributions to the violent and anti-Semitic “Swedish resistance movement”.
Andreas Olofsson is fighting for the Sweden Democrats in Klippan, a city close to Malmö. In the late 90s, Olofsson chaired the local branch of the neo-Nazi national socialist Front (NSF). “It was a very sad time for me,” said the politician. “I was young and stupid. I am now a completely different person.”
No tolerance to racism?
The party claims to check the Background of all candidates. In Klippan Olofssons past, however, is not only known, it was forgiven him also to a large extent. Jonathan Leman, who has participated in the Expo magazine published revelations, sees this as evidence that the Null is not rooted tolerance policy “in the party”. “You prefer to talk with people like you about your Zero-tolerance policy, but to turn to the own people, and to ensure that this policy is also taught effectively and enforced,” says Leman.
Ricky Lowenborg insists that the Sweden Democrats are not Nazis
In Malmö Ricky loses Lowenborg, SD-supporters in the football Jersey with a faded Tattoo in the neck, running out of patience. Akessons speech is always drowned out by the chants. “Nazis?”, he barks and scrabbles through the crowd in the direction of the protesters. “The social Democrats are national socialists!” A police officer fixed him with a warning glance, Lowenborg pulls back. “My tax money goes to these scum over there,” he mumbles, as he returns. “That’s why I’m angry.”
In the Background Akesson speaks of immigrants, the “huge mosque want to build a complex with huge minarets everywhere”. As Lowenborg hear that the DW-Reporter from England comes, he starts on an anti-Islam Film in the Alt-right-to speak, move, the he has seen. “It’s really over bad with the Muslims there, I hear. Muslims take Power.”
He thinks about himself. “We are not Nazis,” he says with determination. “They think we are Nazis, but we are not. I’m not a racist, I hope you write the. I am married to a Filipina. I love foreign people.”