Throughout much of Europe, the far right is on the rise, gaining support with a message against the political establishment, multiculturalism, and immigration that appears to be resonating with many disillusioned Europeans.

In liberal Sweden, the far-right Sweden Democrats, a party with a neo-Nazi history, won 20 seats in the Sept. 19 parliamentary vote, enough support to leave the leading center-right coalition without a governing majority. While the SD, which campaigned that it would cut immigration rates by 90 percent, is widely castigated as “racist” and “Islamaphobic,” it nonetheless struck a deep chord among some in this country known for its political correctness.

Facts

Reinfeldt ruled out forming a government in cooperation with the Sweden Democrats. Both parliamentary blocs pledged not to seek support from the SD saying the party represents "xenophobic views that run counter to Sweden's tradition of tolerance."

The Sweden Democrats (SD) have said they want to cut asylum and immigration by relatives of those already living in Sweden by 90 percent. It also describes Muslim immigration as the "biggest foreign threat to Sweden since Second World War."

An Islamic revolution akin to the one that swept through Iran in 1979 could easily take place in Sweden, claims the second highest ranking member of the far-right Sweden Democrats.

“It can happen really fast,” said Sweden Democrat party secretary Björn Söder to the TT news agency.

Opinion