Party change as a necessity – the case of the Sweden Democrats

Abstract

Despite indications of potential demand, no populist right party has yet broken through in Sweden. This article examines the biggest Swedish populist right party, Sverigedemokraterna [Sweden Democrats], which in 2006 came close to parliamentary representation. Originating from an extremist subculture, the party has been forced through a process of change to broaden its appeal. The article traces the party's background and history, and looks at the changes that have taken place to remove the extremist stigma.