It is not the far-right that has changed - the radicalization of right-wing political parties in Swe

Professor in media and communication studies Jesper Stroembaeck discusses in his text from 2022 how the Sweden Democrats (SD) use the "big lie," a concept describing a lie so enormous that the public cannot believe anyone would dare lie so blatantly. He points out how this strategy is becoming more common, even in democracies. A concrete example is Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. Stroembaeck notes that Sweden is not immune to such lies and refers to SD's repeated claims that Sweden is ruined despite the country consistently ranking as one of the best in the world in international comparisons.
 
Stroembaeck strongly criticizes the Sweden Democrats' biggest lie – their denial of being a xenophobic and racist party. He argues that SD's rhetoric about cultural differences instead of racial biology is a strategic adaptation rather than a genuine change. This follows a tradition from the fascist New Swedish Movement, whose founder, Per Engdahl, recognized the need to downplay racial biology to gain political support. According to Stroembaeck, SD's talk about cultural differences and ethnicity is functionally identical to previous openly racist ideologies.
 
Furthermore, Stroembaeck emphasizes that the Sweden Democrats' spread of disinformation aligns with other authoritarian and nationalist leaders like Trump, Putin, Orban, and Bolsonaro. These leaders and parties share a standard anti-liberal and anti-democratic view of truth and knowledge. Stroembaeck expresses concern that the Moderates (M) and the Christian Democrats (KD) actively help maintain the big lie that SD has fundamentally changed and is no longer xenophobic and racist. He specifically criticizes the leader of the Moderate Party, Ulf Kristersson, for claiming that SD has stood up for reduced immigration to enable better integration, which Stroembaeck calls a blatant falsehood.
 
 
Kristersson said in 2022 during the Almedalen democracy festival that - "No other party has, like SD, stood up in strong headwinds for the idea that we cannot increase immigration if we are to have a chance at successful integration." According to Stroembaeck, in one sentence, he included two blatant falsehoods: that SD's position has been that we cannot increase immigration when they have always wanted to stop it and make immigrants already living in Sweden return and that SD's motive has been integration when their interest has only been to stop immigration. To claim otherwise is pure historical revisionism.
 
Stroembaeck underscores that the talk of political polarization is misleading because it gives the impression that both left and right parties are radicalizing. In reality, we see a radicalization of traditional right-wing parties like the Moderates and the Christian Democrats, who adopt more radical policies and rhetoric from extreme political forces like SD. He emphasizes that SD has not changed; instead, the traditional right-wing parties have adapted to a more extreme agenda.
 
Finally, Stroembaeck warns about the radicalization of right-wing parties in Sweden and other countries, arguing that this development poses one of the greatest threats to democracy. He cites examples from the USA, Hungary, and Poland to illustrate how radicalizing traditional right-wing parties can threaten democratic institutions and values. Stroembaeck's text strongly warns about the dangers of accepting and normalizing extreme political forces in the name of democracy.

Thanks for reading. Please follow my blog and write your feedback.