Sweden's Far-Right Party with Little Presence... Leading Opposition Polls Ahead of General Election

Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie ?kesson campaigning locally ahead of the general election.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-seop] In Sweden, where the general election campaign is underway, the far-right party 'Sweden Democrats' is expected to make significant gains. The Sweden Democrats have pledged policies such as 'zero refugees' and 'deportation of foreign criminals' under the slogan "Make Sweden Great Again."

According to a report by the U.S. political media outlet Politico on the 7th (local time), recent local polls showed the Sweden Democrats' support at 22%. They are rapidly closing in on the ruling Social Democrats' support rate of 28%. Although they had minimal presence due to their roots in neo-Nazi forces active in the 1990s, they have now grown enough to threaten the ruling party.

If several center-right opposition parties form a coalition, the Sweden Democrats will secure the lead in forming the government. Among the opposition parties, the Sweden Democrats hold the highest support rate. When combined with the support rates of three conservative parties, it becomes comparable to the center-left coalition led by interim Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson.

If the opposition coalition actually wins the general election, the Sweden Democrats' anti-immigration policies are highly likely to be realized. The Sweden Democrats have also pledged to overhaul the criminal justice system, which currently focuses on offender rehabilitation and reform, by strengthening sentencing.

However, evaluations of the Sweden Democrats are divided even locally. Support is relatively high in the southern region, where conservative-leaning voters are numerous. Jimmy ?kesson, leader of the Sweden Democrats, visited the southern port city of Helsingborg and told voters, "The time has come for the Swedish people to give us a chance. We have the opportunity to make Sweden great again."

On the other hand, in downtown Stockholm, progressive opposition protesters were seen disrupting ?kesson's remarks. One protester silently held a protest sign while wearing sunglasses.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.