Swedish Nationalist Set to Take His Party From Pariah to Power

(Bloomberg) -- When Jimmie Akesson joined the Sweden Democrats more than two decades ago, it was a pariah political force with a majority of its founders hailing from racist, fascist or neo-Nazi groups.

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He now leads the nation’s second-largest political force that’s become a kingmaker for the next government. And his ambitions don’t stop there.

The 43-year-old politician, the star of Sunday’s general-election night, has been central in ushering the party into parliament, where it got its first seats in 2010. Akesson has since helped increase its popular support in every parliamentary election.

His backing, either as part of the next ruling coalition or as a partner without seats in the cabinet, is vital for the leader of the Moderate Party, Ulf Kristersson, to replace Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. Based on preliminary results, their two blocs are separated by the narrowest of margins.

The Sweden Democrats’ election-night celebration in Stockholm underscores just how polarizing the party is as a group. On the one hand, the front-entrance for its election night party was decorated as the metro train dubbed by one of its lawmakers as “repatriation express” and used to boost its campaign ahead of the vote. On the other, Akesson’s iconic status inside his party became abundantly clear when he climbed on stage as the crowd shouted a football chant-like “Jimmie Akesson, shalalala,” over and over again.

“In these 12 years, an incredible amount has happened,” Akesson said in his speech. “We have made a journey from a small party that was discounted and laughed at by everyone to becoming a real challenger.”

Halfway through his speech, Akesson led a conga line dance through the hotel and out to the parking lot before heading back on stage, concluding his remarks and noting the Sweden Democrats will play a central role in building a right-wing government, in front of a roaring crowd bathed in pink, blue and yellow hues.

Having become the party leader in 2005, Akesson has sought to weed out extremists to make the Sweden Democrats more palatable to the Swedish political mainstream. He has also abandoned some controversial policies, such as a demand for Sweden to leave the European Union.

The Sweden Democrats have signaled they would go much further to stem the flow of immigrants that’s already dropped from a 2016 peak, and aim to repatriate refugees to war-torn countries such as Syria.

The party, even though a late-comer to back Swedish NATO membership, has mirrored the security policy thinking of its more mainstream partners, including on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. One of its lawmakers who was also its security policy spokesman was kicked out by Sweden Democrats earlier this year after sharing pro-Putin material based on antisemitic conspiracy theories.

In a 2019 interview, Akesson hinted at his ambition of replicating the success of the Social Democratic party that dominated Sweden’s political landscape for most of the post-World War II era. He said at the time he wants his party to shape Sweden over the next 100 years as much as the Social Democrats have done since 1917.

“Jimmie Akesson has made it clear that we should have influence in relation to our size, and that still applies,” Party Secretary Richard Jomshof told public broadcaster SVT on Monday. “Of course we must be able to discuss ministerial posts. We must be able to discuss the premiership, speaker and leadership posts in the Riksdag committees,” he said, referring to the Swedish parliament.

Akesson, who has styled himself as a beer-drinking, pizza-eating everyman, has been open about being a big fan of Swedish rock band Ultima Thule, which provided a soundtrack for Swedish far-right skinheads in the early 1990s, and had connections with the country’s white-power movement. In 2015, the group even played at a home party for Akesson who also plays keyboards in his own band called “Bedarande barn” which translates as “Adorable Children.”

His reasoning and timing in joining the political party in 1995 has come under heavy scrutiny. At that time, Sweden Democrats were led by Anders Klarstrom, who previously was a member in a neo-Nazi group, a background he shared with as many as 45% of the founders, according to a white paper published by the party itself.

The rise of the Sweden Democrats has parallels in its Nordic neighbors. In Denmark, the anti-immigrant Danish People’s Party saw its heyday in the early 2000s and pushed Denmark to adopt one of the harshest stances on immigration in the European Union, including policies such as confiscating excess cash from asylum seekers claiming benefits in the country.

As its support has collapsed spectacularly in recent years, other groups have tried to fill the gap, including the Denmark Democrats, established in June by Inger Stojberg, who was convicted for illegally separating refugee couples when she was immigration minister in 2016.

Similarly, in neighboring Norway and Finland, anti-immigrant parties had already seen large gains in earlier years. Support for Norway’s Progress Party has slid after peaking in 2005 and 2009 parliamentary elections, and the Finns Party had its first big victory already in 2011. Arguably, their popularity has rubbed on the mainstream parties, who have sought to appeal to uncertain voters by sharpening their policies.

Elsewhere in Europe, nationalist Marine Le Pen posted best ever result in France in May and big gains in parliament. Far-right Brothers of Italy are set to take power in Rome after this month’s election, and in Slovakia, pro-Russian parties are on track to take power as soon as an early election is called.

The UK’s governing Conservative Party chose hardliner Liz Truss to succeed Boris Johnson this month after she endorsed his controversial plans to deport undocumented migrants and signaled her willingness to revive tensions with the EU. Truss though will also maintain Johnson’s strong support for Ukraine.

Akesson has a son with his former wife, Sweden Democrat politician Louise Erixon. In 2014, it was revealed he had been betting more than his annual income in online casinos. After the revelations, Akesson went on sick leave for five months, quoting burnout syndrome.

Coupled with the difficulties of integrating the growing number of immigrants, a worsening in gang-related violence in recent years has pushed more voters to the right in a boon for Sweden Democrats. That has meant parties across the political spectrum have adopted similar stances.

“The old arguments for not talking to us no longer exist,” Akesson told Bloomberg in an interview last year. “It’s difficult to call us ugly names and at the same time copy our politics.”

(Updates with details on potential prime minister in fourth paragraph.)

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