Sweden Democrats Archives

The rise and eventual death of radical-right parties in the Nordic Region

Posted on June 8, 2023June 8, 2023 by Migrant Tales

Denmark is a good example of how radical-right parties like the Danish People’s Party (DPP) grow and eventually die off. In the 2022 election, the DPP saw its support plummet to an all-time low of 2.63%, losing 11 MPs to end up with a total of 5 MPs. In the 2015 election, the DPP had their best election result ever, winning 37 seats.

It should not come as any surprise that the radical right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* are close ideological allies of the DPP. It should not also come as a surprise that the catastrophic election result of the DPP last year sent shivers up the PS’ spine.

From left to right, three Nordic Region parties have captured the racist imagination of their voters: The Danish People’s Party, Sweden Democrats, and Perussuomalaiset.

The spectacular fall from the political grace of the DPP to the rapid rise of the Sweden Democrats and PS in the last decade rings a similar bell: rapid growth with the help of a hostile anti-immigration campaign message is easy but does not mean that voters will continue to support such parties forever.

Support for the Danish People’s Party plunged by 87.4% from 2015 to the 2022 general election. Source: Statistics Denmark

Even if anti-immigration parties may grow rapidly, Denmark proved that the most effective way of destroying them is by adopting the same radical policies as these parties. The key is to become more radical because voters will not vote for “light” xenophobic versions of a radical right party.

It’s clear that the Moderate Party in Sweden and the National Coalition Party of Finland are taking a big risk in cooperating with the Sweden Democrats and PS. For one, such support could enable their radical-right partners to eat them up unless they react.

An election pact with the devil

Posted on March 21, 2023 by Migrant Tales

Sometimes, the hunger for power is so voracious that politicians and their parties will make pacts with the devil. It was the case in September in Sweden when the conservative Moderate Party joined forces with the Sweden Democrats, a party with neo-Nazi roots. Finland will hold its election on April 2, and there is the same trend: the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) is looking at the radical-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* to form a government.

Apart from losing credibility, a conservative party that goes to bed with a party like the Sweden Democrats or PS may devour the party’s support.

The Moderate Party came in second place after the Sweden Democrats. The arrangement was like in Denmark with the Danish People’s Party (DPP), which supported a minority government in return for concessions on the anti-immigration front.

Contrary to the DPP and the Sweden Democrats, the PS has said it will support a minority government arrangement. In Finnish political terms, it means they have to either win the election, giving them the power to form the next government, or be an integral part of the new government if Kokoomus wins.

**Finland will hold its parliamentary election on April 2.** **Source: vaalit.fi**

The Social Democrats (SDP), Left Alliance, Greens, and Swedish People’s Party have said they will not form a government with the PS. The reason? SDP Prime Minister Sanna Martin has branded the PS a racist party.

With the parliamentary election only 12 days away, recent opinion polls show Kokoomus, SDP, and the PS neck-and-neck for the top spot.

Media Monitoring Group of Finland [1]: Finland’s “youth gang problem” is Finland’s denied “racism problem”

Posted on January 28, 2023 by Migrant Tales

The youth gang “problem” in Finland is a knee-jerk racist reaction.

On and off, we have read about our youth gang “problem” with sensationalist headlines from newspapers that should know better. Remember back in 2014, when radical-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* MP Tom Packalén created quite a stir when he claimed that a youth gang in East Helsinki was terrorizing people?

Another ludicrous claim by the PS MP is that these youth gang members are the “ripening fruits” of our failed immigration and integration policy.

Then, in 2020, Helsingin Sanomat, Finland’s largest circulating daily, warned its readers: “Over one hundred possibly dangerous youths with migrant backgrounds roam about downtown Helsinki – according to experts, this is a new migrant phenomenon.”

What do Packalén’s claim and Helsingin Sanomat’s story have in common? They are both incomplete and based on personal opinion.

They are a storm in a teacup that aim to instill fear in people who aren’t white.

Helsingin Sanomat story corrected its claims about “rising youth street violence,” claiming that these are brown and black Finns, which they marginalize and otherize by labeling them “youths of migrant backgrounds.”

The impact of both claims should not surprise us. What else can you expect if Finns have been taught to believe that minorities are a danger and threat to society?

Having worked as a journalist for over twenty years and poured over scores of stories about “youth gangs” and how the Finnish media frames migrants and minorities, there is one matter that always stands out: Important facts that give context to the story and the lack of minority voices and experts.

You commit or fall into de facto bias when you leave out facts that give important context to understanding a news story. This can be intentional or unintentional.

Why hasn’t the media tried to analyze where Sweden’s gang problem arose? There are many good lessons we could learn in Finland from such investigative journalism.

One good source could be reading Anne-Françoise Hivert‘s article, “The Swedish model is breaking down.”

Thank you, Ambriosius Wollstén, for the heads-up.

Different sensationalist captions by “respected” media in Finland. Source: *Viimeinen sana*

In light of the column and stories mentioned, the number of stories about our youth gang “problem” started to proliferate, especially in the fall.

“Youth gang violence” is a political stunt based on lies

Posted on December 19, 2022 by Migrant Tales

I would go as far as to predict that after the election in April, the youth gang issue will disappear. It was the case in Oulu when Finland became hysterical about sexual assaults committed by migrants.

We’re in the same situation today. True, we have to address social problems with good social policy. Fortunately, Finland has a comprehensive welfare state. Still, parties like the Perusuomalaiset (PS)* and the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), who want to slash such spending if they win the election, lead us towards a cycle of exclusion and deception.

Remember what happened in Oulu in 2008-2009?

Let me refresh your memory. The media, politicians, and even the police caved into their exaggerated lies by turning an important issue into a storm in a teacup.

Every sexual assault is too much, period. However, if we look at the coverage of these cases, we see the same problem as in 2018-2019 with the so-called “rising” of youth gang violence that Yle and other media are spiking.

Similarities with the Oulu sexual assault cases: parliamentary elections, gang violence, a winning issue in Sweden’s election, and lack of correct checks and balances by the media and politicians.

For the police, it is also a winning issue. It ensures that more funds will be earmarked for them.

Have any of you seen any statistics about youth crime violence?

Why are the police and politicians holding back?

Considering that Finland’s gang “problem” is only a drop in the bucket compared to Sweden, the debate has revealed some nasty things about politicians and the media: washing our hands of the problem, simplifying and scapegoating migrants and minorities, and outright racism. President Sauli Niinistö, who never has anything positive to say about Muslims and people of color, joined the populist bandwagon over a week ago. Shameful.

Despite all the fear-mongering, it is a good sign that papers like Helsingin Sanomat are questioning the populism and hardline stance to solve the problem by parties like the PS and Kokoomus.

Quoting David Saudsdal, a sociologist at Lund University, he claims there is no proof that tougher laws against gang violence in Denmark have worked.

Migrant Tales Media Monitoring: Yle continues to shamefully label racialized youths as dangers to society

Posted on November 9, 2022December 31, 2025 by Migrant Tales

The Finnish mainstream media has a poor reputation in the eyes of racialized Finns for spreading and labeling them. Yle did it again on its 8:30 pm news, where it led with a picture of a white youth giving the finger, followed by no sources except for “the police believes” that street gang criminal activity has taken a turn for the worst.

Then the reporter gives her verdict, sourcing her opinions to the police without mentioning statistical information, never mind an official’s name.

“Shootings in public places, bragging about criminals and showing it on social media indicate that street gang criminal activity has grown in Finland, according to the police.”

The Yle reporter states that the National Bureau of Investigation (KRP) said four years ago that there were no youth street gangs in Finland. Today there are about ten gangs, mainly in Turku and Helsinki and surroundings, with about 200 members, according to the police.

Who are these youth gang members anyway?

Surprise, surprise: “Youth gangs are different from motorcycle gangs,” the reporter states, “since they listen to rap music, they are mainly men of foreign background and exert influence in the neighborhoods they live.”

Sweden’s election and UK PM Liz Truss’ demise are a warning to Finland’s National Coalition Party

Posted on October 21, 2022 by Migrant Tales

Populism is a good way to win elections but an impossible way to govern.

Eugene Robinson

How far will right-wing parties like the Moderate Party of Sweden go to make a pact with their political devils? How much populism and empty nationalism led to the demise of UK Prime Minister Liz Truss? These are valid questions for Finland’s National Coalition Party (Kokoomus), which is making similar pacts with populism.

Kokoomus, like the Moderate Party of Sweden, and the rapid downfall of UK Prime Minister Truss must have raised some concerns. An election strategy is needed for April, but peppered with toxic populism and anti-immigration soundbites?

Finland faces a lot of challenges. For one, it needs labor migrants but this is difficult to realize on a grand scale because the Perussuomalaiset, Kokoomus, and other parties that attack and see migrants as a threat.

Politicians make fiery speeches against migrants – note they speak of all migrants – and then expect people to move here. Even for some who live here, the environment looks and feels hostile.

If we continue down the road of populism and exclusive nationalism, it’s clear that our future spells ruin.

Disagree?

See the UK before and after Brexit.

Migrant Tales Media Monitoring: An Helsingin Sanomat editorial that boosts xenophobia

Posted on October 13, 2022 by Migrant Tales

There is a lot of talk and unfortunate examples of how the media helps to spread populist parties’ hateful messages about migrants and minorities. An editorial published by Helsingin Sanomat Thursday is a good example of how the media does this.

The good showing of the Sweden Democrats in September’s parliamentary election is due to the country’s youth gangs, which received a lot of attention.

In the same way as the Sweden Democrats, the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS) is trying to use the same campaign theme in Finland. Even if the editorial does not mention that it is racist for parties like the PS to label whole groups as a menace to society, it correctly points out that Finland’s so-called youth gang problem is different from Sweden’s.

Finland’s political atmosphere has been poisoned so much by xenophobia that such social ills have become normal. Especially parties like the PS and the National Coalition Party are directly responsible.

**Read the full story (in Finnish) here.**

European far-right parties are part of a conspiracy to replace our democracies

Posted on September 25, 2022 by Migrant Tales

A paradox: “Liberal” Nordic countries like Finland have large far-right parties that feed off racism.

If I were to use the racist rhetoric of the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party to solve social problems, I’d be lost. Solutions, like tougher laws, more restrictions, enforcing marginalization, and strengthening institutional racism, would leave me in a bind.

Fearmongering and stirring up the us-and-them message is the bread and butter of parties like the PS. They have nothing to offer except to feed your prejudices and embolden your hatred.

Politicians like PS chairperson Riikka Purra and Jussi Halla-aho are fortune tellers. All they can do is tell us the horrible things migrants will do if we let them in Finland.

The latest prank by the PS is to end Russian tourists from coming to the country. They claim that these people are a security threat. What about if some of these Russians are fleeing Putin’s terror? OK, I get it: the plan is to restrict asylum seekers from coming to Finland.

The ad by the youth chapter of the PS received a lot of criticism on **social media. It reads: “Russians vacationing in Finland…genocide in Ukraine. Close the border.”**

As the sign in Helsinki shows, it is time to close our easter border with Russia because there is “genocide in Ukraine.”

Sweden’s election spells trouble for Muslims, migrants, and minorities

Posted on September 21, 2022 by Migrant Tales

The election in Sweden was of special interest to me since I live next door to the country in Finland. Will the good showing of the far-right Sweden Democrats boost our far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS)* party in the April parliamentary election?

While it is fair to predict that the election result in Sweden should not hurt the election prospects of the PS, I am certain that the party took a lot of notes from the election and is now drafting a campaign strategy that hinges on migration.

Like many, I am not surprised by the election result in Sweden and the rise of the Sweden Democrats. Considering that all the Nordic countries now have large far-right parties that wield political power, it was only a question of when the chickens would come home to roost in Sweden. In Finland, the PS plays the same anti-Muslim tune as in Denmark (Social Democrats today and formerly Danish People’s Party) and Norway’s Progressive Party (FrP).

How can affluent countries with a comprehensive social welfare system that values and professes social equality end up with far-right parties that are hostile and want to exclude people from society who come from different backgrounds?

If we can’t receive an answer to the latter question, could we figure out how got here? Possibly we were always there. Our Nordic social welfare system and values were not meant for people who aren’t like us.

While some will blame migrants for the success of the Sweden Democrats, I would point the finger at the media and political parties like the Moderates, which gave the far-right party a platform of legitimacy to strike.

As of September 11, the future looks bleaker in Sweden and the Nordic region if you are a migrant or minority.

The Nordic region’s slippery Islamophobic slope

Posted on September 20, 2022 by Migrant Tales

The Nordic saw a predictable political earthquake on September 11, when the right-wing bloc led by the far-right Sweden Democrats nudged the right-wing bloc to victory. The election brought Sweden in line with its other Nordic neighbors: all four now have or had large far-right anti-immigration parties.

Of the four countries, the entrenchment of the far right is best seen in Denmark, where mainstream parties like the Social Democrats tow the Islamophobic line.

The far-right Danish People’s Party came to power in the early 2000 and had steadily worked to turn Denmark into a haven for anti-Muslim rhetoric and hatred.

In light of what happened in Norway and in Finland, what will be the path of the Sweden Democrats to implement their Islamophobic policies?

Step 1 was the election. Step 2 is polluting Swedish politics with more racism. Like in Denmark, “straight” parties like the Moderates or Social Democrats may rob the Sweden Democrats of their support by becoming as Islamophobic as them. It is what happened in Denmark.

September 11 is a bad day for many: 9/11 and the coup in Chile that ousted democratically elected Salvador Allende.

That infamous day will also be remembered when far-right politics came home to roost in the Nordic region.