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147-697: In October 1987, Herrmann was expelled from the party. His group reconstituted the Progress Party. The remainder of the party would regroup as the Sweden Democrats in 1988. The Sweden Party was formed in 1986 after a meeting in Stockholm. Its founders included Stefan Hermann, Leif Zeilon and Sven Davidson (politician)  [ sv ] who were active in the Bevara Sverige Svenskt organization. The party never officially ran for election and during

294-732: A dependent territory . Little evidence remains in the Nordic countries of the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, or the Iron Age with the exception of a limited numbers of tools created from stone, bronze and iron, some jewelry and ornaments and stone burial cairns. However, one important collection that exists is a widespread and rich collection of stone drawings known as petroglyphs . The Goths , who originated in southern Scandinavia and would later divide into Visigoths and Ostrogoths , are known to have been one of

441-540: A market economy was superior to a planned economy , but also advocated for certain protectionist measures such as limiting the power of foreign companies in Sweden and breaking up what it called the "power of big finance." Swedish historian Heléne Lööw has argued that the Sweden Party did not hold a coherent ideology and was internally polarized between two groups; those sympathetic to national socialist and neo-Nazi ideas and

588-630: A retaliatory strike in conjunction with the German attack on the Soviet Union. However, more territory was lost and for many years to come Finnish foreign policy was based on appeasing the Soviet Union , even though Finland was able to retain its democratic form of government. Denmark and Norway were occupied by Germany in 1940. The Allies responded by occupying Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Sweden managed to formally maintain its neutrality in

735-405: A white paper for a new party, although observers tend to see the party's foundation as part of a complex decade-long series of events, with some even calling into question whether a meeting took place. Initially, the party did not have a single centralized leader and was instead fronted by two alternating spokespeople before Anders Klarström became the party's sole official chairman and head of

882-565: A "value-oriented" party and stating that "basic social justice with traditional conservative ideas," nationalism and desires for democratic and good governance form the party's main principles. Nevertheless, the party is often described as being right-wing to far-right . In policy, SD articulates its main focus to be the areas of immigration, law and order and the elderly. The party also attaches particular importance to its economic and family policy. The SD criticizes multiculturalism in Sweden and emphasizes preserving national heritage. It

1029-734: A Nazi uniform. Opposition to the party have mistakenly mixed these two events together and falsely claim that she was wearing the uniform at a rally of the Sweden Democrats and that it was because of this that the uniform ban came about. During the early 1990s, the party became more influenced by the French National Rally , as well as the Freedom Party of Austria , the Danish People's Party , German The Republicans and Italian National Alliance . SD   received economic support for

1176-642: A clear day. Even excluding Greenland and the Norwegian islands of Svalbard and Jan Mayen , the remaining part of the Nordic countries covers around 1.3 million square kilometres. This is about the same area as France, Germany and Italy together. To the south, the countries neighbor the Baltic states , Poland, Germany and the United Kingdom, while to the north there is the Arctic Ocean . Notable natural features of

1323-605: A delegation of senior SD members visited Israel to hold meetings with Knesset politicians and discuss a cooperation pact with the Likud party. The party has also taken a strongly pro-Israel position following the outbreak of the 2023 Israel-Hamas war , supporting military action to remove Hamas and calling on the Swedish government to review all funding to Palestinian organizations which the SD accuse of spending aid money on terrorism. In 2011, SD

1470-426: A drunken man. A woman can also be seen approaching Kent Ekeroth while filming; he calls her a whore and pushes her out of the way. A few minutes later they are seen picking up iron bars. Coming only a month after party leader Åkesson had instated a zero-tolerance policy towards racism in the party, the release of the video caused Almqvist to leave his position as the party's economic policy spokesperson and his place in

1617-522: A heavy influence on the weather in the western coastal zones of Iceland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden. The precipitation is high and snow cover during winters is rare. Summers are generally cool. The further away that one gets from the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream the colder it gets during the winters. Finland, most of Sweden and the south-eastern part of Norway are influenced by the vast continent to

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1764-462: A level where it does not "threaten national identity, the country's welfare or security." SD has also campaigned to restrict immigration from what it calls "culturally distant" countries and that temporary work visas should be limited only to skills that are impossible to find in Sweden. SD are against free movement of labour within the European Union, calling on Sweden to revise its membership of

1911-406: A living from street begging, changes in the law to enable the government to strip foreign-born Swedish nationals of their citizenship if found guilty of a serious crime or involvement in terrorism, penalties against employers who use foreign and undocumented labor to circumvent Swedish working conditions and stricter laws against family migration. In recent years, the SD   has tried to approach

2058-434: A long history of political unions and other close relations but do not form a singular entity today. The Scandinavist movement sought to unite Denmark, Norway and Sweden into one country in the 19th century. With the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden (Norwegian independence), the independence of Finland in the early 20th century and the 1944 Icelandic constitutional referendum , this movement expanded into

2205-891: A major role in the establishment of the early-modern states in Denmark–Norway and Sweden. Sweden was very successful during the Thirty Years' War , while Denmark was a failure. Sweden saw an opportunity of a change of power in the region. Denmark–Norway had a threatening territory surrounding Sweden and the Sound Dues were a continuing irritation for the Swedes. In 1643, the Swedish Privy Council determined Swedish territorial gain in an eventual war against Denmark–Norway to have good chances. Not long after this, Sweden invaded Denmark–Norway. The war ended as foreseen with Swedish victory and with

2352-525: A more conventional right-wing populist and national conservative faction. This article about a Swedish political party is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sweden Democrats The Sweden Democrats ( Swedish : Sverigedemokraterna [ˈsvæ̂rjɛdɛmʊˌkrɑːtɛɳa] , SD [ˈɛ̂sːdeː] ) is a nationalist and right-wing populist political party in Sweden founded in 1988. As of 2024, it

2499-594: A new EU strategy calling for Sweden to create a referendum lock in the Riksdag based on the UK European Union Act 2011 to prevent transfer of powers to Brussels without a referendum first and for Sweden's withdrawal from the EU to be possible by removing references to membership in the constitution. The Sweden Democrats are supportive of Israel and favors recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital and proposes moving

2646-542: A political dimension in the joint official bodies called the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. The Helsinki Treaty , signed on 23 March 1962 entered into force on 1 July 1962 and is the political agreement which sets the framework for Nordic cooperation. 23 March is celebrated as the "Nordic Day" as the treaty is sometimes referred to as the constitution of the Nordic cooperation. Several aspects of

2793-658: A series of plateaux and gently undulating plains . The western parts of the mountains are cut by fjords, producing a dramatic landscape. The landscape of Sweden can be described as a mixture of that of Norway, Finland and Denmark. Except at the High Coast the coastal areas of Sweden form lowlands. Sweden has three highland areas, the South Swedish Highlands , the Scandinavian Mountains and the Norrland terrain which

2940-458: A tougher stance on gang violence with longer prison sentences. Preliminary results indicated that the Sweden Democrats had seen their strongest result to date and had overtaken the Moderates to become the second largest party with 20.6% of the vote. The result was confirmed after the election. In October 2022, the SD was allocated chairmanship of four parliamentary committees for the first time in

3087-453: A vetting procedure for its future parliamentary candidates to exclude those who had previously belonged to any extremist groups and issued updated guidelines on conduct and communication for party members. In 2011, the party also changed its self-description from "nationalist" to "social conservative". Sweden Democrat MP William Petzäll was persuaded to leave the party on 26 September 2011 while still retaining his parliamentary seat. This

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3234-578: A vote of no confidence in the government in 2015, albeit without success. Ahead of the 2022 Swedish general election , the SD attempted to form a conservative grouping with the Moderates , Christian Democrats and the Liberals and requested ministerial posts in government should the right-wing bloc form a parliamentary majority. During the election, the SD campaigned to reduce asylum migration close to zero, stricter policies on work permits, lower energy bills and

3381-501: A work that had begun during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Today, the SD officially rejects fascism on their platform and since 2012 has maintained a zero-tolerance policy against "extremists," "lawbreakers," and "racists." The Sweden Democrats oppose current Swedish immigration and integration policies, instead supporting stronger restrictions on immigration and measures for immigrants to assimilate into Swedish culture. The party supports closer cooperation with Nordic countries , but

3528-496: Is a little lower than the United States, but higher than Canada. In round figures, Iceland's population density resembles Canada's. This list includes dependent territories within their sovereign states (including uninhabited territories), but does not include claims on Antarctica . EEZ+TIA is exclusive economic zone (EEZ) plus total internal area (TIA) which includes land and internal waters. The Kingdom of Denmark includes

3675-413: Is a meet in the middle approach and that Swedes should not have to bear the burden over what the party claims have been reckless immigration policies. In 2017, members of the Sweden Democrats' leadership defended comments made by then US President Donald Trump in response to Trump's assertion that Sweden's migration and asylum policies had led to a rise of terrorism and crime in Sweden. However, following

3822-404: Is a strong consensus about keeping to the general concept. A central theme in the Nordic model is the "universalist" welfare state aimed specifically at enhancing individual autonomy, promoting social mobility and ensuring the universal provision of basic human rights, as well as for stabilising the economy. In this model welfare is not just aid to those who are in need of it, but a central part of

3969-531: Is against further European integration and believes Sweden must have a strategy to exit the European Union if it assumes more power and that the Swedish people should be allowed to vote on future EU treaties. The Sweden Democrats are critical of multiculturalism and support having a common national and cultural identity, which they believe improves social cohesion. The party supports the Swedish welfare state but

4116-485: Is against providing welfare to people who are not Swedish citizens and permanent residents of Sweden, a policy known as welfare chauvinism . The Sweden Democrats support a mixed market economy combining ideas from the centre-left and centre-right. The party supports same-sex marriage , civil unions for gay couples, and gender-affirming surgery but prefers that children be raised in a traditional nuclear family and argues that churches or private institutions should have

4263-403: Is also opposed to what it sees as a constant shift of power from Stockholm to the European Union and campaigns to protect Swedish sovereignty and financial autonomy against the EU. Until the 2000s, the SD used ethnopluralist arguments in its defense of a Swedish homeland and culture with its 2005 handbook calling for a "high degree of ethnic and cultural similarity among the population" while

4410-456: Is doing enough to reduce their emissions. The Sweden Democrats support generally increasing minimum sentences for crimes, as well as increasing police resources and personnel. The party also supports increasing the number of Swedish Army brigades and supports raising Sweden's defense spending. Support for the Sweden Democrats has grown steadily since the 1990s and the party crossed the 4% threshold necessary for parliamentary representation for

4557-568: Is hardly any wild nature left. Most of the scarce forests are plantations and nearly 60 per cent of Denmark's total area is cultivated or zoned as gardens or parks. On the other hand, in the other Nordic countries there is much wild nature left. Only between 0 and 9 per cent of the land in the other Nordic countries is cultivated. Around 17 per cent of the land area in Iceland is used for permanent meadows and pastures and both Finland, Norway as well as Sweden have large forest areas. The Nordic region has

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4704-481: Is reputed to be the oldest working parliament in the world. However, it was dissolved for much of the first half of the 19th century. In Denmark, Iceland and Sweden elections are held at least once every four years. Finland, Åland and Norway have fixed four-year election periods. Elections in the Faroe Islands and Greenland follow the Danish system of elections. The Danish Folketing has 179 seats, including two seats each for

4851-537: Is the eastern continuation of the Scandinavian Mountains. The South Swedish Highland and the Norrland terrain are separated by the Central Swedish lowland . The topography of Iceland stands out among the Nordic countries for being a bowl-formed highland. Despite their northern location, the Nordic countries generally have a mild climate compared with other countries that share globally the same latitudes. The climate in

4998-707: Is the largest member of Sweden's right-wing bloc and the second-largest party in the Riksdag . It provides confidence and supply to the centre-right ruling coalition. Within the European Union , the party is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party . The party describes itself as social conservative with a nationalist foundation. The party has also been variously characterised by academics, political commentators, and media as national-conservative , anti-immigration , anti-Islam , Eurosceptic , and far-right . The Sweden Democrats reject

5145-438: The 1988 Swedish general election advocated boycotting the main parties, stating "DO NOT VOTE for the traitors in the 1988 election" and used symbols associated with white power movements. The party was formally dissolved in 1988, with some of its members playing a role in the founding of the Sweden Democrats which emerged as a successor. In its policies, the Sweden Party was critical of immigration into Sweden and argued that

5292-451: The 1998 election from the then called French National Front, and became active in Le Pen's Euronat from the same time. By the end of the decade, the party took further steps to moderate itself by softening its policies on immigration and capital punishment. In 1999, the SD left Euronat although the youth wing remained affiliated until 2002. In 2001 the most extreme faction was expelled from

5439-524: The 2018 Swedish general election , the SD increased its support to 17.5% of the vote, though it did not grow as much as most polls had predicted. According to Emily Schultheis of Foreign Policy , the SD won an ideological victory, as it "effectively set the terms for debate" and forced its rivals to adopt immigration policies similar to its own, and other reporters made similar observations. The SD performed particularly well in Skåne County , having

5586-597: The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine the SD supported accepting and accommodating Ukrainian refugees in Sweden. The SD wants European governments to construct a security wall along the European border with Turkey in response to illegal immigration, terrorism and incursions by the Grey Wolves into Greece. It also calls on Europe to commonly adopt a migration system based on the Australian model to prevent human trafficking across

5733-524: The 2022 Swedish general election , the party campaigned to tighten the rules in the Swedish Aliens Act ( Utlänningslagen  [ sv ] ) to the strictest possible level within European law and encourage voluntary re-migration of asylum seekers and immigrants who are economically inactive or remain culturally unassimilated. Historically, SD sought to repatriate most immigrants and ban immigration entirely; however, these policies were moderated in

5880-783: The Centre Party and the Liberal Party left to support the Social Democratic led government. In October 2018, the Sweden Democrats went into a governing coalitions with the Moderate Party and the Christian Democrats for the first time in Staffanstorp Municipality , Sölvesborg Municipality , Herrljunga Municipality and Bromölla Municipality . In Bromölla, coalition felt apart in 2020, while new coalitions with

6027-579: The European Free Trade Association (EFTA). All the Nordic countries are however members of the European Economic Area (EEA). Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Nordic countries began partnerships with newly liberated neighbouring Baltic states ( Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania ) by opening Nordic council of ministers' offices in the three countries. The Baltic Assembly started to work together with

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6174-661: The European election of 2014 , SD received 9.67% of votes, winning two seats in the European Parliament and becoming the fifth largest party in the country. The party later joined the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe and the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group. In the 2014 election , the Sweden Democrats received 12.9%   of the votes, doubling their support and becoming

6321-681: The Germanic people that would later relate to the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the emergence of Medieval Europe . However, these acquired the Latin culture of Rome . The Nordic countries first came into more permanent contact with the rest of Europe during the Viking Age . Southern Finland and northern parts of Sweden and Norway were areas where the Vikings mostly only traded and had raids, whilst

6468-483: The Iron pipe scandal , although the same videos had already been released on YouTube by Erik Almqvist in 2010. The videos, recorded by MP Kent Ekeroth , featured him along with fellow Sweden Democrats MP Erik Almqvist and Christian Westling . The videos show Almqvist arguing with comedian Soran Ismail : Almqvist is referring to Sweden as "my country, not your country", as an insult to Ismail. They are also shown arguing with

6615-620: The Liberals , and came second overall with 20.5% of the vote. Following the election and the Tidö Agreement , it was negotiated that SD agreed to support a Moderate Party-led government together with the Christian Democrats and the Liberals. It is the first time that SD holds direct influence over the government. The Sweden Democrats party was founded in 1988 as a direct successor to the Sweden Party , which in turn had been formed in 1986 by

6762-833: The National Democratic Party of Germany , the American National Association for the Advancement of White People (founded by David Duke ) and publications like the Nazi Nation Europa and Nouvelle École , a newspaper that advocates racial biology and the British neo-Nazi Combat 18 movement. The SD won municipal representation for the first time during the 1991 Swedish local elections in Dals-Ed Municipality and Höör . In 1995, Klarström

6909-471: The New Swedish Movement and the neo-Nazi Nordiska rikspartiet ( Nordic Realm Party ," abbr. NRP ) and estimated that around sixty percent of party's national board members between 1989 and 1995 were connected to neo-Nazi movements in various ways both before and during their time in the party. However, the study also concluded that a majority of these members were no longer active within

7056-749: The Nordics or Norden ; lit.   ' the North ' ) are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic . It includes the sovereign states of Denmark , Finland , Iceland , Norway and Sweden ; the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland ; and the autonomous region of Åland . The Nordic countries have much in common in their way of life, history , religion and social and economic model . They have

7203-568: The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe , Björn Söder for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and Adam Marttinen the chairman of the joint-parliamentary group for Europol . The party also formed a deal with Moderate leader Ulf Kristersson to provide for the first time in their history parliamentary support to a Moderate Party-led government as part of

7350-569: The Protestant Reformation , the main religion became Lutheran Christianity , the state religion of several Nordic countries. Although the area is linguistically heterogeneous, with three unrelated language groups, the common linguistic heritage is one factor that makes up the Nordic identity. Most Nordic languages belong to North Germanic languages , Finno-Ugric languages and Eskimo–Aleut languages . Danish , Norwegian and Swedish are considered mutually intelligible , and they are

7497-673: The Russian invasion of Ukraine the SD leadership announced it would consider changing its policy to endorse NATO membership and support joining if Finland also applied for NATO membership. The SD has also taken a strongly pro-Ukraine position following the invasion and has called on Sweden and Western governments to help the Ukrainian people defend their homeland. Nordic countries 2 autonomous territories 1 autonomous region 2 unincorporated areas 1 dependency 2 Antarctic claims The Nordic countries (also known as

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7644-416: The Russian invasion of Ukraine , Finland joined NATO in 2023 as did Sweden a year later. The Nordic countries and self-governing regions in alphabetic order – number of inhabitants (2018), area (km ) and population density (people/km ): Denmark is by far the most densely populated country, whilst Sweden, Norway and Finland are low populated and similar to each other from this perspective. Iceland has both

7791-406: The Schengen Area and only a national ID card is required. Within the Nordic area any means of proving one's identity, e.g. a driving licence , is valid for Nordic citizens because of the Nordic Passport Union. When traveling to other countries than the Nordics, public officials in the foreign services of any of the Nordic countries are to assist citizens of another Nordic country if that country

7938-515: The Schengen agreement , but support free movement between Nordic nations . As more state funds are made free from funding immigration, SD believes that Sweden will be better able to help refugees and economic migrants in their home areas. Torbjörn Kastell (former party secretary from 2003 to 2004) said in 2002 that the party wanted "a multicultural world, not a multicultural society". SD also favours assimilation over integration of immigrants from non-European backgrounds, arguing that integration

8085-421: The Swedish Riksdag for the first time, with   5.7% of the vote and 20   MPs. In 2010, the SD leadership introduced a charter against racism on the party platform and later expanded this into a zero-tolerance policy regarding political extremism and law breaking. After some of the SD's elected members caused controversies during the party's first term in the Riksdag, the SD also stated it would introduce

8232-490: The Swedish embassy there. A study by the European Coalition for Israel documented that SD had the most pro-Israel voting record of the Swedish parties in the European Parliament. In 2021, the Israeli government stated that they did not maintain relations with the SD due to "its roots in Nazism" but by 2023 had dropped its non-cooperation stance after SD representatives signed a document of principle with Israeli ministers pledging to combat antisemitism. Between 2023 and 2024,

8379-430: The Tidö Agreement . Defunct Former The Sweden Democrats' current party programme is based on "democratic nationalism " and social conservatism . The SD says that its core philosophy is inspired by Swedish national conservatism and "parts of the social democratic folkhemmet (people's home) idea." SD rejects any positioning of the party within the classic left-right scale, instead referring to itself as

8526-413: The Treaty of Brömsebro in 1645 Denmark–Norway had to cede some of their territories, including Norwegian territories Jemtland , Herjedalen and Idre and Serna , as well as the Danish Baltic Sea islands of Gotland and Ösel . The Thirty Years' War thus began the rise of Sweden as a great power , while it marked the start of decline for the Danish. To some extent in the 16th century and certainly in

8673-551: The UNHCR resettlement programme in accordance with a quota based on each municipality 's capacity. SD has also referred to the recommendations from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which state that the return of refugees should be the solution to refugee problems. The party also supports giving priority to cases of persecuted Christian, former Muslim and other religious or sexual minorities fleeing war or death for apostasy believing that such individuals are less likely to be offered refuge elsewhere. Ahead of

8820-422: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights to be a cornerstone of its policies. In 2005, Åkesson defeated Jansson in a leadership contest. Shortly after, the party changed its logo from the flaming torch to one featuring an Anemone hepatica , reminiscent of the party's very first, but short-lived, logo (a stylised Myosotis scorpioides ). In the 2010 Swedish general election , SD   won representation in

8967-423: The common market as in the EU have been implemented decades before the EU implemented them. Intra-Nordic trade is not covered by the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), but by local law. The Nordic countries have cooperated closely in the administrative and consular fields since the Nordic Passport Union was established and the Helsinki Treaty concluded. According to

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9114-483: The remigration allowance given to foreign-born residents who seek to voluntarily leave the country. The Sweden Democrats support close political co-operation within the Nordic sphere, but are eurosceptic and against further EU integration and cession of Swedish sovereignty to the European Union . The party opposes EU regulation over Swedish tax and domestic affairs and calls for the national sovereignty and cultural identity of European nations to be prioritized over

9261-439: The 11th century, three northern kingdoms emerged in the region: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Iceland first became a commonwealth before it came under Norwegian rule in the early 13th century. There were several secular powers who aimed to bring Finland under their rule, but through the Second and Third Swedish Crusade in the latter part of 13th and through the colonisation of some coastal areas of Finland with Christian Swedes,

9408-428: The 17th, the Nordic region played a major role in European politics at the highest level. The struggle for dominion over the Baltic Sea and its trading opportunities raged between Denmark–Norway and Sweden, which began to impact upon the neighbouring nations. Sweden prevailed in the long term and became a major European power as it extended its reach into coastal tracts in modern-day Russia, Estonia, Latvia, and – following

9555-491: The 1990s before being scrapped altogether. Presently, SD wishes to strongly restrict and place more controls on immigration, and instead give generous support to immigrants who do not want to assimilate into Swedish society to emigrate back to their country of origin and change laws to revoke residency or citizenship of those who engage in illegal activity. The party argues that its migration policies are not based on xenophobia towards immigrants, but believe immigration must stay at

9702-541: The Axis/Allies conflict and avoided direct hostilities, but in practice it adapted to the wishes of the dominant power – first Germany, later the Allies. However, during the Winter War between Finland and Russia in 1939–1940, Sweden did support Finland and declared itself "non combatant" rather than neutral. Compared with large parts of Europe, the Nordic region got off lightly during the World War II, which partially explains its strong post-war economic development. The labour movement – both trade unions and political parties –

9849-410: The EU's political ambitions. SD rejects joining the Economic and Monetary Union by opposing the Euro currency and favors keeping the krona . They also seek to reduce Swedish financial contributions to Brussels, renegotiate Swedish membership of the Schengen Agreement , protect freedom of speech and the free access to the internet from EU copyright bills, and are against the accession of Turkey to

9996-409: The European Union . The SD states that it supports European political cooperation to combat cross-border organized crime, illegal immigration, Islamism , terrorism and environmental challenges but opposes creating an EU army or policies that could lead to the creation of a Federal European Superstate . The party also calls for Sweden to renegotiate its EU membership terms and seeks an amendment to

10143-437: The Faroe Islands and Greenland, which had been re-colonised in the 18th century, became Danish. Population growth and industrialisation brought change to the Nordic countries during the 19th century and new social classes steered political systems towards democracy. International politics and nationalism also created the preconditions for the later independence of Norway in 1905 , Finland in 1917 and Iceland in 1944 . During

10290-570: The Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Finnish Eduskunta has 200 seats, including one seat for Åland. The Icelandic Althing has 63 seats, the Norwegian Storting 169 seats and the Swedish Riksdag 349 seats. The Faroese Løgting has 32 seats, Greenland's Inatsisartut 31 seats and Åland's Lagtinget 30 seats. Nordic citizens – and in the three member countries of the EU also EU citizens – living in another Nordic country are normally entitled to vote in local government elections after three months of residence, while other foreign citizens have to reside in

10437-417: The Helsinki Treaty, public officials in the foreign services of any of the Nordic countries are to assist citizens of another Nordic country if that country is not represented in the territory concerned. Nordic cooperation is based on the Helsinki Treaty. Politically, Nordic countries do not form a separate entity, but they cooperate in the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers . The council

10584-593: The Mediterranean which the party states enables illegal immigrants and would-be terrorists to reach Sweden. SD calls for compulsory measures for immigrants to be employed, learn the Swedish language , be put through an assimilation program, and be subject to a language and social skills test before becoming eligible for citizenship. The party also supports increased spending on border patrol forces, expulsion of illegal immigrants and foreign-born criminals, repatriations of Schengen Area migrants who move to Sweden to make

10731-510: The Nordic Council to form the Nordic-Baltic Eight in 1992, while big Baltic companies were bought by Nordic companies in sectors such as banking or telecommunications. In 1999, Estonia started to promote its Nordic heritage (see Nordic identity in Estonia ) while government of Sweden expressed regrets regarding the deportation of Estonian and Latvian soldiers to USSR in 1946. Following

10878-596: The Nordic Realm Party. Klarström later elaborated he had briefly been part of the NRP as a teenager before distancing himself from it by the time he became SD leader. The SD's logo from the 1990s until 2006 was a version of the torch used by the British National Front . Political historian Duncan McDonnell has argued that it is disputed as to whether the SD was explicitly founded to be a neo-fascist movement, but it

11025-511: The Nordic countries are members of NATO. The Nordic foreign and security policy cooperation became closer and expanded its scope in 2014. The Nordic Council of Ministers is responsible for inter-governmental cooperation. Prime ministers have ultimate responsibility, but this is usually delegated to the Minister for Nordic Cooperation and the Nordic Committee for Co-operation, which coordinates

11172-446: The Nordic countries are situated on the southern parts of the region, with the exception of Reykjavík , the capital of Iceland. Helsinki , Oslo and Stockholm are all close to the same latitude as the southernmost point of Greenland, Egger Island ( Itilleq ): about 60°N . All of Denmark and most of Finland lie below 200 m and the topography of both is relatively flat. In Denmark, moraines and tunnel valleys add some relief to

11319-444: The Nordic countries for three to four years before they are eligible to vote. In Denmark and the Faroe Islands, the percentage turn-out at elections is close to 90% per cent, but it is only about 67% in Åland and Finland. Men are more often elected to the national assembly compared to women. The biggest bias between the two sexes is seen in the Faroe Islands and Åland, while in Sweden men and women are close to being equally represented in

11466-681: The Nordic countries include the Norwegian fjords , the Archipelago Sea between Finland and Sweden, the extensive volcanic and geothermal activity of Iceland , and Greenland, which is the largest island in the world. The southernmost point of the Nordic countries is Gedser , on the island of Falster in Denmark. The northernmost point is Kaffeklubben Island in Greenland, which is also the northernmost point of land on Earth. The largest cities and capitals of

11613-522: The Nordic countries is mainly influenced by their northern location, but remedied by the vicinity to the ocean and the Gulf Stream which brings warm ocean currents from the tip of Florida. Even far to the north, the winters can be quite mild, though north of the Polar Circle the climate zone is mostly subarctic with harsh winters and short summers. In Greenland and Svalbard the climate is polar. The sea has

11760-485: The Nordic countries' borders without having their passport checked, but still have to carry some sort of approved travel identification documents. During the 2015 European migrant crisis , temporary border controls were set up between Denmark and Sweden to control the movement of refugees into Sweden. Since 1996, these countries have been part of the larger EU directive Schengen Agreement area, comprising 30 countries in Europe. Border checkpoints have been removed within

11907-445: The Nordic model of economy and social structure to varying degrees. This includes a mixed market economy combined with strong labour unions and a universalist welfare sector financed by high taxes, enhancing individual autonomy and promoting social mobility . There is a high degree of income redistribution, commitment to private ownership and little social unrest. North Germanic peoples , who comprise over three-quarters of

12054-499: The Nordic region was politically united in the loose Kalmar Union . Diverging interests and especially Sweden's dissatisfaction over the Danish dominance gave rise to a conflict that hampered the union from the 1430s onward until its final dissolution in 1523. After the dissolution Denmark and Norway, including Iceland, formed a personal union of the two kingdoms called Denmark–Norway whilst the successful period of Vasa Kings began in Sweden and Finland. The Lutheran Reformation played

12201-506: The Riksdag until the late 2010s, with other parties maintaining a policy of refusing cooperation with them . In 2019, the leader of the Christian Democrats , Ebba Busch announced that her party was ready to start negotiations with the Sweden Democrats in the Riksdag, as did Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson . In the 2022 Swedish general election , the party ran as part of a broad right-wing alliance with those two parties and

12348-588: The Riksdag with party secretary Richard Jomshof appointed to head the Justice Committee , Aron Emilsson the Committee on Foreign Affairs , Tobias Andersson the Committee on Industry and Trade , and Magnus Persson the Committee on the Labour Market . SD parliamentarians were appointed as international delegation leaders for the first time, with Markus Wiechel becoming chairman of the Swedish delegation to

12495-427: The SD as having transformed itself from an extreme past to becoming part of a broader European family of national-populist parties which combine social and cultural conservative nationalism and populism but are opposed to fascist, anti-democratic and revolutionary ideas. Within the party, the SD's leadership have rejected the extreme and "far-right" label and argued it no longer represents the party. Oscar Sjöstedt ,

12642-450: The SD does not match the description of a radical far-right party but is mistakenly labelled as such by media or opponents who focus on the party's early rather than current beliefs. She stated that the SD is now a national conservative party with populist elements but does not contradict democratic or Swedish constitutional principles. Similar observations were made in 2021 by Swedish political scientist Sören Holmberg that "extreme right"

12789-460: The SD emerged in Svalöv Municipality (2019), Bjuv Municipality (2020) and Surahammar Municipality (2021). In 2020, Mattias Karlsson , the former group leader of the Sweden Democrats in the Riksdag founded Oikos , a conservative think-tank which has been alleged to be an "extension of the Sweden Democrats' political project", supposedly also receiving funding from the party. In 2021,

12936-466: The SD was invited to participate in alternative budget agreement talks with the Christian Democrats and the Moderates for the first time. That same year the SD also issued a vote of no confidence against the Löfven II cabinet citing the government's handling on immigration, the economy and housing which was carried by the other opposition parties and led to Löfven's impeachment. The SD had previously issued

13083-521: The SD's financial spokesperson, places the party around the centre on the left–right political spectrum , while leader Jimmie Åkesson has stated that they are parallel with the Moderate Party . In addition, the party has in recent years increasingly distanced itself from other European ultra-nationalist or far-right parties. In spite of this, a 2022 report by Swedish researchers Acta Publica claimed to have found 289 Swedish politicians who expressed racist or neo-Nazi views, with 214 of them being members of

13230-691: The SD. The SD itself has argued that some of these controversies with members have been as a result of the party's rapid growth since the late 2000s rather than the party being extreme. The Sweden Democrats believe that current Swedish immigration and integration policies have been a national failure. In a statement filed before the Riksdag Committee on Migration in August 2020, SD claims that Sweden's "irresponsible" immigration and asylum policies have subjected Sweden to an on-going "long-term, albeit low-intensity crisis". Their official policy brief states that

13377-472: The Sweden Democrats' national board in 1989. According to Expo , it is generally agreed that the Sweden Democrats have never been a neo-Nazi party, although some of the SD's early members and founders had previously been connected with Swedish fascist and white nationalist groups. Studies by Expo documented that around nine of the original 30 people who played a role in founding the SD had direct associations to known Nordic fascist organisations such as

13524-522: The Swedish constitution to make it mandatory that proposed EU treaties be first put to a public vote. The SD believes that if the EU cannot be reformed and tries to transform itself into a Superstate, Sweden should immediately reconsider its membership via a referendum and prepare to leave the EU. The SD's youth-wing, the Ungsvenskarna support a Swedish exit from the EU. In 2023, party leader Akesson and SD European Union spokesman Charlie Weimers unveiled

13671-467: The Swedish government conceded to some of the SD's immigration policy demands on requirements for obtaining Swedish citizenship and expanding the deportation criteria for foreign-born residents and asylum seekers. Following scenes of people in Swedish cities celebrating the Palestinian attack on Israel , the SD leadership stated that those who praised the attack should be expelled from the country and that

13818-520: The Swedish rule was gradually established in the region. During the Middle Ages , increased trade meant that the Nordic countries became increasingly integrated into Europe and Nordic society became more Continental . The monarchies strengthened their positions in the 12th and 13th centuries through imposing taxes on peasants and a class of nobles also emerged. By the Late Middle Ages, the whole of

13965-600: The Thirty Years' War – also into Pomerania and other North German areas. Sweden also conquered vast areas from Denmark–Norway during the Northern Wars in the middle of the 17th century. Sweden also had several conflicts with Russia over Finland and other eastern areas of the country and after the Great Northern War (1700–1721) Sweden lost most of its territories outside the old Swedish border to Russia which then became

14112-506: The Tidö Agreement clause on deporting non-citizens on grounds of poor character and not just criminal convictions should be used against those who support Hamas . The Sweden Democrats have also called for an expansion of circumstances in which citizenship can be revoked from naturalized citizens, with Åkesson mentioning individuals who commit crimes, abuse state welfare or are unintegrated into society. The Sweden Democrats support raising

14259-456: The advent of Foreningen Norden . The term is derived indirectly from the local term Norden , used in the North Germanic (Scandinavian) languages , which means 'The North(ern lands)'. Unlike the Nordic countries , the term Norden is in the singular. The demonym is nordbo , literally meaning 'northern dweller'. Similar or related regional terms include: Norga Italics indicates

14406-404: The characterization of the SD as radical or extreme far-right has come under dispute in recent years by scholars and political observers. Commentator on political extremism and national security Kateřina Lišaníková observed that the SD had hardline origins through its founders and initial support network, and notes the SD's leadership openly acknowledges its history, but argues the present version of

14553-581: The countries are among the wealthiest worldwide and there is little social unrest. In 2015, Save the Children ranked the Nordic countries as number 1–5 of countries where mothers and children fare the best (among 179 countries studied). Nordic parliaments are all based on a one-chamber system . The Norwegian parliament, the Storting , did actually function as two separate chambers until 2009 when dealing with certain issues. The Icelandic Althing , founded in 930 AD,

14700-588: The day-to-day work. The autonomous territories have the same representation as states. The Nordic countries share an economic and social model, which involves the combination of a market economy with a welfare state financed with heavy taxes. The welfare states were largely developed by strong social democrat parties and in Finland with cooperation with the Agrarian League . Although the specifics differ between countries and there are ongoing political arguments, there

14847-409: The death penalty. The party promoted concerts by the Swedish offshoot of Rock Against Communism and sponsored music of the nationalist Viking rock band Ultima Thule . Various party officials today acknowledge that being fans of Ultima Thule's music factored prominently in their decision to become politically engaged. Early on, the party recommended international connections to its members such as

14994-459: The decision to remove Almqvist and Ekeroth in an op-ed in Dagens Nyheter , arguing that the party should not give in to media pressure. Only two weeks after Almqvist and Ekeroth were forced to step down, fellow MP Lars Isovaara reported being robbed of his backpack and pushed out of his wheelchair by "two unknown men of an immigrant background". When trying to get into the Riksdag, Isovaara

15141-496: The east which results in warm and long summers and clear and cold winters, often with snow. For example, Bergen at the west coast of Norway normally has a temperature above zero in February while Helsinki in Finland normally will have a temperature of 7–8 °C below zero during the same month. Climatic conditions and quality of land have determined how land is used in the Nordic countries. In densely populated mainland Denmark there

15288-523: The executive committee on 14 November. He excused himself as having been under a lot of pressure and threats of violence at the time. As more segments of the video were released, revealing the other two men's involvement, the party announced on 15 November that Ekeroth would take a break from his position as the party's justice policy spokesman. Almqvist and Ekeroth both took time off from their parliament seats. Sweden Democratic Youth president Gustav Kasselstrand and vice president William Hahne criticised

15435-418: The far-right label, saying that it no longer represents its political beliefs. Among the party's founders and early members were several people that had previously been active in white nationalist and neo-Nazi political parties and organizations. Under the leadership of Jimmie Åkesson since 2005, the SD underwent a process of reform by expelling hardline members and moderating its platform, building on

15582-410: The final say on performing a wedding over the state. The SD also calls for a ban on forced, polygamous or child marriages and stricter enforcement of laws against honour violence. The Sweden Democrats support keeping Sweden's nuclear power plants in order to mitigate climate change but argues that other countries should reduce their greenhouse gas emissions instead of Sweden, which the party believes

15729-407: The first safe country that they arrive in. Until such legislation is realized, SD supports setting limits on the right to welfare and making cultural integration mandatory. The party opposes offering permanent residency to asylum seekers, believing that temporary residency should be the standard for those who claim asylum in Sweden. SD supports Sweden eventually accepting refugees exclusively through

15876-464: The first time during the 2010 Swedish general election , polling 5.7% and gaining 20 seats in the Riksdag . This increase in popularity has been compared by international media to other similar anti-immigration movements in Europe. The party received increased support in the 2018 Swedish general election , when it polled 17.5% and secured 62 seats in parliament, becoming the third largest party in Sweden. The Sweden Democrats were formerly isolated in

16023-398: The high immigration figures and the European migrant crisis , the Sweden Democrats soared in all opinion polls during the summer of 2015, even topping web-based polls from YouGov and Sentio in late summer, with a little over a quarter of the vote. The party also saw rising support in phone-based polls, although the swing was lower. In early 2018, the far-right Alternative for Sweden

16170-469: The highest number of voters in 21 out of the county's 33 municipalities. An SVT analysis of the results found that at least 22 seats in 17 city councils would be empty as the Sweden Democrats won more seats than the number of candidates it had. The party also received its first mayor, in Hörby Municipality . Following the election, Christian Democratic leader Ebba Busch announced that her party

16317-463: The home-rule ( hjemmestyre ) territory of the Faroe Islands and the self-rule ( selvstyre ) territory of Greenland . The Nordic countries have a combined area of around 3.5 million square kilometres and their geography is extremely varied. The area is so vast that it covers five time zones . To the east the region borders Russia, and on the west the Canadian coastline can be seen from Greenland on

16464-516: The immigration policies of the Danish People's Party , which from 2001 to 2011 provided parliamentary support for the former Danish liberal / conservative governments in return for a tightening of Danish immigration policies and stricter naturalisation laws. Following the 2022 Swedish general election , the Sweden Democrats achieved this objective under the Tidö Agreement with the centre-right Moderate, Christian Democrat and Liberal Party coalition government. In exchange for SD parliamentary support,

16611-418: The landscape while in Finland the surroundings of lakes Pielinen and Päijänne display some moderate relief. The Finnish area just east of Bothnian Bay stands out as the largest plain in the Nordic countries. The Scandinavian Mountains dominate the landscape of Norway. The southern part of the Scandinavian Mountains is broader than the northern one and contains higher peaks. The southern part contains also

16758-485: The life of everybody: education is free, healthcare has zero or nominal fees in most cases, most children go to municipal day care, etc. The Nordic model is distinguished from other types of welfare states by its emphasis on maximising labour force participation, promoting gender equality, egalitarian and extensive benefit levels, the large magnitude of income redistribution and liberal use of expansionary fiscal policy. Trade unions are strong. The model has been successful:

16905-411: The lowest population and by far the lowest population density. But large areas in Finland, Norway and Sweden, like most of Iceland, are unpopulated. There are no such areas in Denmark. Denmark has a population density around continental average, higher than for instance France and Poland but lower when compared to the United Kingdom, Italy or Germany. Finland, Norway and Sweden has a population density that

17052-526: The merger of Bevara Sverige Svenskt (BSS; in English: "Keep Sweden Swedish") and a faction of the Swedish Progress Party . The SD continued to use Keep Sweden Swedish as its slogan until the late 1990s. The SD claims 6 February 1988 as the date of its foundation and that the party was formally registered after a meeting in Stockholm designed to bring together various nationalist movements who issued

17199-417: The moderation policy, which included ousting openly extremist members, banning neo-Nazi activists from attending party events or obtaining membership, and further revising the SD's policy platform. Before the 2002 election, former Member of Parliament (MP) for the Moderate Party , Sten Andersson defected to SD, citing that the party had gotten rid of its extreme-right elements. In 2003, the party declared

17346-582: The modern organised Nordic cooperation. Since 1962, this cooperation has been based on the Helsinki Treaty that sets the framework for the Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers . The Nordic countries cluster near the top in numerous metrics of national performance, including education, economic competitiveness, civil liberties, quality of life and human development. Each country has its own economic and social model, sometimes with large differences from its neighbours. Still, they share aspects of

17493-472: The national assembly. The Nordic Passport Union, created in 1954 and implemented on 1 May 1958, allows citizens of the Nordic countries: Denmark (Faroe Islands included since 1 January 1966, Greenland not included), Sweden, Norway (Svalbard, Bouvet Island and Queen Maud Land not included), Finland and Iceland (since 24 September 1965) to cross approved border districts without carrying and having their passport checked. Other citizens can also travel between

17640-665: The new major power in Northern Europe. After the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), the political map of the Nordic countries altered again. In 1809, Finland was conquered by Russian Empire from Sweden in the Finnish War , after which Finland became the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland . In turn, Sweden captured Norway from Denmark in 1814 in the Swedish–Norwegian War and started a Union between Sweden and Norway . Iceland,

17787-513: The party "welcomes those who contribute to our [Sweden's] society, who follow our laws and respect our customs. On the other hand, anyone who comes here and exploits our systems, commits crimes or exposes our citizens to danger is not welcome." When handling asylum seekers, the party supports protecting national sovereignty in regards to Sweden's decisions on migration and border control, as well as "the principle of first safe country", meaning that asylum seekers should only be able to seek asylum in

17934-400: The party by the mid-to-late-1990s. The party's first auditor, Gustaf Ekström , was a Waffen-SS veteran and had been a member of the national socialist party Svensk Socialistisk Samling in the   1940s. The SD's first chairman Anders Klarström and deputy board members and party co-founders Fritz Håkansson and Sven Davidson (politician)  [ sv ] had all been active in

18081-467: The party has since evolved to the "softer side" of European populist parties. The party has been described by sociologist Jens Rydgren and political scientist Cas Mudde variously as xenophobic, far-right, racist or right-wing populist. In 2013, a Sveriges Radio journalist called the SD "xenophobic," which resulted in a complaint lodged to the broadcasting regulator by the party. The Swedish Broadcasting Commission determined that this description

18228-421: The party platform described the need to preserve the "inhereted essence" of ethnic Swedes. However, since 2018 SD has stressed a more moderate cultural conservative position by promoting a shared national identity in which foreign-born people can become culturally Swedish through strong assimilation policies. Nordic Studies scholar Benjamin R. Teitelbaum has called the SD radical nationalist and in 2018 said

18375-473: The party was the second largest in "Scania North & East" while being the third largest party in 25. Although relying heavily on rural areas and the deep south, the party also made strong inroads and results above 15% in some medium-sized central Sweden cities such as Norrköping , Eskilstuna and Gävle , indicating a widening of its voter base in all areas. Some time after that, Åkesson announced he would go on sick leave due to burnout . Mattias Karlsson

18522-436: The party's policies are fascist or anti-democratic. Sweden-based British journalist Richard Orange noted in 2018 that the SD stands out due to its neo-Nazi roots but in the present is comparably less extreme than other European populist forces and now endorses more inclusive "cultural nationalism" over ethnic homogeny while calling for stricter immigration policies. In 2022, British political scientist Matthew Goodwin described

18669-434: The party, leading to the formation of the more radical National Democrats which in turn resulted in many of the SD's remaining hardline members leaving for the new party. During the early 2000s, the so-called "Scania gang", also known as the "Gang of Four" or "Fantastic Four," which consisted of the youth wing chairman Jimmie Åkesson , as well as Björn Söder , Mattias Karlsson and Richard Jomshof continued and expanded

18816-414: The permanent settlements of Vikings in the Nordic region were in southern Norway and Sweden, Denmark and Faroes as well as parts of Iceland, Greenland and Estonia . Christian Europe responded to the raids and conquest of Vikings with intensive missionary work. The missionaries wanted the new territories to be ruled by Christian kings who would help to strengthen the church. After conversion to Christianity in

18963-530: The region had over 27 million people. Especially in English, Scandinavia is sometimes used as a synonym for the Nordic countries, but that term more properly refers to the three monarchies of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Geologically, the Scandinavian Peninsula comprises the mainland of Norway and Sweden and the northernmost part of Finland. The term Nordic countries found mainstream use after

19110-643: The region's population, are the largest ethnic group, followed by the Baltic Finnic Peoples , who comprise the majority in Finland; other ethnic groups are the Greenlandic Inuit , the Sami people and recent immigrants and their descendants. Historically, the main religion in the region was Norse paganism . This gave way first to Roman Catholicism after the Christianisation of Scandinavia . Then, following

19257-550: The relative representation of the political parties in those parliaments. It holds its main session in the autumn, while a so-called "theme session" is arranged in the spring. Each of the national delegations has its own secretariat in the national parliament. The autonomous territories – Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland – also have Nordic secretariats. The Council does not have any formal power on its own, but each government has to implement any decisions through its country's legislative assembly. All of

19404-607: The third-largest party. The party remained big in Scania and Blekinge ; for example in Malmö the party received 14% of the votes, in Landskrona it received 19% of the votes and in Sjöbo a total of 30% rendering the party the largest in that municipality. Other parties, however, remained firm in their decision to isolate them from exerting influence. Out of 29 constituencies electing parliamentarians,

19551-543: The two world wars and the Cold War , the five small Nordic states were forced into difficult balancing acts, but retained their independence and developed peaceful democracies. The Nordic states had been neutral during World War I , but during World War II they could no longer stand apart from world politics. The Soviet Union attacked Finland in 1939 and Finland ceded territory following the Winter War . In 1941, Finland launched

19698-503: The working languages of the region's two political bodies. Swedish is a mandatory subject in Finnish schools and Danish in Faroese schools. Danish is also taught in schools in Iceland. The combined area of the Nordic countries is 3,425,804 square kilometres (1,322,710 sq mi). Uninhabitable ice caps and glaciers comprise about half of this area, mainly Greenland. In September 2021,

19845-402: Was a better term for the SD. Swedish sociologist Göran Adamson has also argued some political opposition conflate the SD's national conservative image as being right-wing extremist, and argued the SD today is not comparable to European extreme-right or neo-fascist parties since the SD has a more liberal direction in several areas, and there is no evidence to suggest that the current incarnation of

19992-558: Was acceptable to use. According to Sveriges Radio in 2017, a European research agency classed the party as "extreme" using the Swedish GAL-TAN  [ sv ] political scale, arguing that the SD is more traditionalist, socially authoritarian and nationalist and less progressive compared to other Swedish parliamentary parties and described the SD as similar to the French National Rally in some of its policies. However,

20139-649: Was an important political presence throughout the Nordic countries in the 20th century. The big social democratic parties became dominant and after World War II the Nordic countries began to serve as a model for the welfare state. Economically, the five Nordic countries were strongly dependent on foreign trade and so they positioned themselves alongside the big trading blocks. Denmark was the first to join European Economic Community (EEC) in 1972 and after it became European Union (EU) in 1993 Finland and Sweden also joined in 1995. Norway and Iceland are members of

20286-498: Was appointed to temporarily take over Åkesson's duties as party leader. On 23 March 2015, it was announced that Åkesson would return from his leave of absence to resume his duties as party leader following an interview to be broadcast on the Friday, 27 March instalment of the Skavlan program on SVT , and a subsequent press conference with the Swedish media. Amid media coverage regarding

20433-514: Was done because of Petzäll's substance abuse and the problems this might cause for SD's   public image. Petzäll later died of an overdose and his seat was turned over to Stellan Bojerud in September 2012. In November 2012, videos from August 2010 were released, in segments, over the course of three days by Swedish newspaper Expressen (a year earlier, Expressen had released the same videos without making much noise). This came to be known as

20580-779: Was established after World War II and its first concrete result was the introduction of a Nordic Passport Union in 1952. This resulted in a common labour market and free movement across borders without passports for the countries' citizens. In 1971, the Nordic Council of Ministers, an intergovernmental forum, was established to complement the council. The Nordic Council and the Council of Ministers have their headquarters in Copenhagen and various installations in each separate country, as well as many offices in neighbouring countries. The headquarters are located at Ved Stranden No. 18, close to Slotsholmen. The Nordic Council consists of 87 representatives, elected from its members' parliaments and reflecting

20727-519: Was founded by members of the Sweden Democratic Youth , who were collectively expelled from the Sweden Democrats in 2015. Three Sweden Democrat members of the Riksdag , Olle Felten , Jeff Ahl and former leader Mikael Jansson subsequently defected to the party. On 2 July 2018, the two Sweden Democrats MEPs left the EFDD group and moved to the European Conservatives and Reformists Group . In

20874-399: Was himself reported by the police for racial abuse against safety guards. The Sweden Democrats initially defended Isovaara, but backed down when Expressen revealed that Isovaara had actually forgotten his backpack at a restaurant, and that the two men had helped him when he fell out of his wheelchair. He left his seat in the Riksdag on 29 November, and was replaced by Markus Wiechel . In

21021-471: Was not a good description for the SD when placed within the traditional left-right scale, since the party contains centre-left and centrist policies on some issues compared to the other centre-right parties in Sweden. Holmberg furthermore argued that while SD can be considered a right-wing populist party, the label "populist" has become unstable due to some of the other parties in the Riksdag adopting populist ideas of their own. He concluded national-conservative

21168-408: Was replaced as party chairman by Mikael Jansson , a former member of the Centre Party . Jansson strove to make the party more respectable and, after skinheads started to impose on party meetings, the wearing of any kind of political uniform was formally banned in 1996. Also in 1996, it was revealed that a party member, Tina Hallgren , had been to a party meeting of National Socialist Front posing in

21315-762: Was the only Swedish political party to vote against Swedish involvement in the 2011 military intervention in Libya . SD has advocated a "neutral" position on the Syrian civil war and sent a delegation to meet with Syrian officials in 2017. SD also supports the creation of an independent Kurdish state and for the Armenian genocide to be formally recognised by the international community. The party supports closer military cooperation with neighboring Nordic countries and previously opposed Swedish membership of NATO , instead calling for an alignment without full membership. However, following

21462-407: Was widely known to publicly align itself with extreme fringe politics and faced criticism in the late 1980s and early 1990s for attracting skinhead gangs to its public events. The SD also encountered controversy for some of its early policy ideas before 1999, which included a proposal to repatriate most immigrants who came to Sweden from 1970, banning adoption of foreign born children and reinstating

21609-476: Was willing to enter negotiations with the Sweden Democrats in the Riksdag. In December 2019, Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson held an official meeting with the Sweden Democrat leadership for the first time, despite having previously ruled out negotiating with the party. This led to speculation that the SD could be included in a new centre-right grouping to replace the Alliance which had collapsed after

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