Sweden faces a general election with polls showing a narrow lead for the centre-left opposition over the right-leaning coalition supported by the far-right Sweden Democrats. The outcome carries significance for both Sweden and broader European politics, as it may indicate whether far-right parties are inevitably gaining influence across the continent.
During the tenure of centre-right Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, the Sweden Democrats have leveraged their coalition support to influence policies on migration and crime, with observers noting they have linked these issues and directed blame toward migrants, Muslims, and other minorities. Community advocates report that Sweden’s national political conversation has shifted rightward as a result, with even opposition parties adopting positions previously associated with the far right. The Ask-a-Muslim campaign, launched by imam Kashif Virk in 2017, has attempted to counter anti-Islam rhetoric through public engagement at markets and city centers across the country.
Members of immigrant and Muslim communities describe experiencing a changed atmosphere in Sweden. A Lebanese-born nurse in Malmö expressed concern about dehumanizing rhetoric directed at her religion and hijab, while a Kenyan resident reported considering establishing backup residency in his home country due to fears about Sweden’s future. A Kenyan woman noted that the political environment has made residents less inclined to invest in or commit to building lives in Sweden. These sentiments reflect broader concerns that the far right’s influence has fundamentally altered the country’s relationship with diversity.
References to specific policy changes illustrate the rightward shift in governance. Refugee quotas have been reduced from 5,000 to 900 annually, and residency permits may now be revoked under undefined criteria of “bad behaviour.” Organizations like Refugees Welcome Stockholm, which mobilized public support for asylum seekers in the mid-2010s, report diminished funding and reduced public influence. Observers have characterized the changes as opening “a kind of Pandora’s box,” suggesting concerns about whether Sweden’s political landscape can return to earlier policy approaches.
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