What is the issue?

In the recent held elections Sweden’s far-right got less than expected votes, yet its growing popularity is a warning.

What are the results of the election?

• The incumbent Social Democrats have emerged as the single largest party, but short of a clear majority.
• Also, vote share for the centrist parties is shrinking.
• A notable showing by the far right in Sunday’s elections in Sweden echoes the growing anti-immigrant mood in the Nordic nations and across Europe.

How the extreme-right Sweden Democrat is gaining popularity?

• The most notable phenomenon of the election has been the extreme-right Sweden Democrats.
• They have been riding the populist wave over immigration and rising domestic crime.
• The party has its roots in the neo-Nazi movement.
• It has steadily increased its vote share since 2010, when it crossed the minimum threshold to enter Parliament.
• Their share has more than doubled in 2014 and has risen further now.

What lies ahead?

• The Moderate and Christian Democrat parties in the centre-right Opposition seem to be gradually shedding their reservations about the Sweden Democrats.
• The far right’s criticism of the government’s policy to admit Syrian refugees in 2015 as a strain on Sweden’s generous provision of social welfare has already gained some traction.
• Similarly, it has also stoked the anti-immigrant sentiment by playing on security concerns arising from terrorist attacks in several parts of Europe.

What are the challenges for the future Government?

• The challenge for the new government is to address the mounting demands on the country’s public health care and education services
• The country has a healthy economic growth and relatively low levels of unemployment,.
• Addressing the Challenge would be an effective counter to the populist rhetoric of the extreme right.

Source: The