# Sweden rejected the far right. Will Europe listen? > Sweden's voters punished the far-right Sweden Democrats, but mainstream parties have already adopted their hardline policies on immigration and crime. - Title: Sweden rejected the far right. Will Europe listen? | Shortify - Summary: Sweden's voters punished the far-right Sweden Democrats, but mainstream parties have already adopted their hardline policies on immigration and crime. Voting… - Keywords: sweden, sweden democrats, far right, election 2026, social democrats, magdalena andersson, immigration policy, political normalization, europe, afd, germany, far-right surge - Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/16/sweden-voted-against-far-right-centrists-afd - Published: 2026-09-16T15:45:49+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: sweden, sweden democrats, far right, election 2026, social democrats, magdalena andersson, immigration policy, political normalization, europe, afd, germany, far-right surge ## Sweden votes against far-right power The Sweden Democrats lost support for the first time in 16 years, slipping from second to third place. The centre-left Social Democrats are poised to return to power with a wafer-thin majority. ## A setback, not a breakthrough The Sweden Democrats' decline is modest and may reflect local scandals rather than a broader rejection of far-right ideology. Experts warn against reading too much into one country's election results. > Elections in one country are a poor guide to what will happen in another. ## Mainstream parties adopted far-right ideas Sweden's political establishment has fully normalised the Sweden Democrats' nativism. Even the Social Democrats have co-opted their hardline policies on immigration and crime, despite these ideas contradicting the country's actual needs. > Its nativism is now shared by all the major parties, albeit in lighter form, from the Moderates on the right to the Social Democrats on the left. ## Sweden's transformation after 2022 In 2022, rightwing parties signed a deal with the Sweden Democrats, giving the far-right party direct influence over policy. A new Sweden emerged with xenophobic and ethno-nationalist ideas embedded in the mainstream. > A new Sweden has emerged, cruel and cold for migrants ## Social Democrats copied hardline Denmark Andersson's Social Democrats modelled themselves on Denmark's hardline approach, adopting the far right's framings on crime and immigration. This represented their worst performance in over 100 years. ## Will they actually change course? Experts are sceptical the Social Democrats will pursue more liberal policies. Linking crime and immigration has become the new normal across Swedish politics, regardless of which party is in power. > The Social Democrats will not pursue policies that are more liberal. ## Young voters prefer outspoken left parties The Left and Green parties performed significantly better among young voters in Sweden's election. This reflects a broader European trend where young people favour explicitly leftwing parties over centrist alternatives. ## Germany's far right surges despite Sweden While Sweden's far right stumbled, Germany's AfD doubled its vote share to 44 percent in Saxony-Anhalt on what experts called a programme of stunning malevolence. Two more regional elections this Sunday will be closely watched. ## East Germany's grievance runs deep The AfD's appeal in eastern Germany taps into decades of resentment about reunification's economic impact. Voters in hollowed-out villages respond to a party that says they matter, even if the AfD won't actually improve their lives. > You matter. Everyone else may have left you behind, but I, we, the AfD, care. ## Centrists must offer real alternatives Europe's mainstream parties are running out of time. Waiting for the far right to fail is not a strategy. The political centre must articulate a credible democratic alternative or risk further far-right gains. > Waiting for the AfD to fail is not a strategy. ## The real fight is for democracy As France, Italy, Spain and Poland head to the polls, Europe faces a continent-wide far-right surge. The key struggle is no longer about party politics or power, but about defending democracy itself. > Today's key fight is for democracy, rather than for party or power. ## Key takeaway Voting out the far right means little if centrist parties have already absorbed its ideology. Europe's real challenge is offering a credible democratic alternative.