Sverigedemokraternas vitbok skiktar sanningen
(2026) In Scandia 92(1). p.119-127- Abstract
- The Sweden Democrats’ white paper, announced by party leader Jimmie Åkesson in 2017, has generated significant discussion by revisiting key aspects of the party’s history. Although these issues have been addressed in previous research, their reiteration remains relevant. Authored by historian of ideas Tony Gustafsson, the white paper employs comprehensive source analysis to demonstrate the Sweden Democrats’ documented connections to National Socialism, the persistence of anti-Semitic attitudes, and the prevalence of xenophobic rhetoric.
However, the scope and temporal limitations imposed by the party leadership have resulted in the exclusion of several critical topics. Gustafsson was instructed by party leadership to address only... (More) - The Sweden Democrats’ white paper, announced by party leader Jimmie Åkesson in 2017, has generated significant discussion by revisiting key aspects of the party’s history. Although these issues have been addressed in previous research, their reiteration remains relevant. Authored by historian of ideas Tony Gustafsson, the white paper employs comprehensive source analysis to demonstrate the Sweden Democrats’ documented connections to National Socialism, the persistence of anti-Semitic attitudes, and the prevalence of xenophobic rhetoric.
However, the scope and temporal limitations imposed by the party leadership have resulted in the exclusion of several critical topics. Gustafsson was instructed by party leadership to address only specific areas of criticism. Additionally, the report concludes in 2010, rendering the party’s more recent developments largely unexamined. Notably, the white paper provides minimal attention to the party’s criticism of Islam, which has frequently bordered on Islamophobia and has been a recurring theme since the early 2000s. The analysis also omits discussion of the Sweden Democrats as a populist party. Right-wing populist parties often employ a strategy that emphasizes national values while portraying immigrants as threats introduced by so-called national traitors.
The increasing dissemination of conspiracy theories within party rhetoric, particularly as the welfare state narrative has diminished in influence, is similarly overlooked. As historical narratives such as the retrotopic welfare state have been supplanted by historical distortions, including claims that the Swedish Social Democrats inspired Nazi Germany to the Holocaust, and by conspiracy theories, there is a heightened need for critical examination of the Sweden Democrats’ ideological positions regarding nationalism, populism, and fascism. (Less) - Abstract (Swedish)
- Sverigedemokraternas vitbok, som partiledaren Jimmie Åkesson presenterade 2017, har väckt stor uppmärksamhet genom att återuppta viktiga aspekter av partiets historia. Även om dessa frågor har behandlats i tidigare forskning är det fortfarande aktuellt att återkomma till dem. Vitboken är författad av idéhistorikern Tony Gustafsson och använder sig av en omfattande källanalys för att påvisa Sverigedemokraternas dokumenterade kopplingar till nationalsocialismen, förekomsten av antisemitiska attityder och den utbredda främlingsfientliga retoriken.
De begränsningar i omfattning och tidsram som partiledningen ålagt har dock lett till att flera viktiga ämnen utelämnats. Gustafsson fick i uppdrag av partiledningen att endast ta upp... (More) - Sverigedemokraternas vitbok, som partiledaren Jimmie Åkesson presenterade 2017, har väckt stor uppmärksamhet genom att återuppta viktiga aspekter av partiets historia. Även om dessa frågor har behandlats i tidigare forskning är det fortfarande aktuellt att återkomma till dem. Vitboken är författad av idéhistorikern Tony Gustafsson och använder sig av en omfattande källanalys för att påvisa Sverigedemokraternas dokumenterade kopplingar till nationalsocialismen, förekomsten av antisemitiska attityder och den utbredda främlingsfientliga retoriken.
De begränsningar i omfattning och tidsram som partiledningen ålagt har dock lett till att flera viktiga ämnen utelämnats. Gustafsson fick i uppdrag av partiledningen att endast ta upp specifika områden som varit föremål för kritik. Dessutom slutar rapporten år 2010, vilket innebär att partiets senare utveckling i stort sett inte undersöks. Noterbart är att rapporten ägnar minimalt med uppmärksamhet åt partiets kritik mot islam, som ofta har gränsat till islamofobi och varit ett återkommande tema sedan början av 2000-talet. Analysen utelämnar också en diskussion om Sverigedemokraterna som ett populistiskt parti. Högerpopulistiska partier använder ofta en strategi som betonar nationella värden samtidigt som de framställer invandrare som hot som införts av så kallade landsförrädare.
Den ökande spridningen av konspirationsteorier inom partiernas retorik, särskilt i takt med att välfärdsstatens narrativ har tappat i inflytande, förbises på samma sätt. Eftersom historiska narrativ, såsom den retrotopiska välfärdsstaten, har trängts undan av historiska förvrängningar – däribland påståenden om att de svenska socialdemokraterna inspirerade Nazityskland till Förintelsen – och av konspirationsteorier, finns det ett ökat behov av en kritisk granskning av Sverigedemokraternas ideologiska ståndpunkter när det gäller nationalism, populism och fascism.
(Översatt från engelska med hjälp av DeepL Translate). (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/8658c344-c38d-48e3-a9da-dc895a968072
- author
- Håkansson, Julia LU
- organization
- alternative title
- The Sweden Democrats’ White Paper is far from Being a Reckoning with the Party’s Past
- publishing date
- 2026
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Sverigedemokraterna, Vitbok, Nationalism, Populism, Fascism, Nazism, Antisemitism, Islamofobi, Konspirationism, The Sweden Democrats, White Paper, Nationalism, Populism, Fascism, Nazism, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Conspiracism
- in
- Scandia
- volume
- 92
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 9 pages
- publisher
- Statens Humanistiska Forskningsrad
- ISSN
- 0036-5483
- DOI
- 10.47868/scandia.v92i1.29339
- language
- Swedish
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Section of journal: Scandia debate
- id
- 8658c344-c38d-48e3-a9da-dc895a968072
- alternative location
- https://journals.lub.lu.se/scandia/article/view/29339
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-04 19:16:51
- date last changed
- 2026-06-22 13:05:04
@article{8658c344-c38d-48e3-a9da-dc895a968072,
abstract = {{The Sweden Democrats’ white paper, announced by party leader Jimmie Åkesson in 2017, has generated significant discussion by revisiting key aspects of the party’s history. Although these issues have been addressed in previous research, their reiteration remains relevant. Authored by historian of ideas Tony Gustafsson, the white paper employs comprehensive source analysis to demonstrate the Sweden Democrats’ documented connections to National Socialism, the persistence of anti-Semitic attitudes, and the prevalence of xenophobic rhetoric.<br/><br/>However, the scope and temporal limitations imposed by the party leadership have resulted in the exclusion of several critical topics. Gustafsson was instructed by party leadership to address only specific areas of criticism. Additionally, the report concludes in 2010, rendering the party’s more recent developments largely unexamined. Notably, the white paper provides minimal attention to the party’s criticism of Islam, which has frequently bordered on Islamophobia and has been a recurring theme since the early 2000s. The analysis also omits discussion of the Sweden Democrats as a populist party. Right-wing populist parties often employ a strategy that emphasizes national values while portraying immigrants as threats introduced by so-called national traitors.<br/><br/>The increasing dissemination of conspiracy theories within party rhetoric, particularly as the welfare state narrative has diminished in influence, is similarly overlooked. As historical narratives such as the retrotopic welfare state have been supplanted by historical distortions, including claims that the Swedish Social Democrats inspired Nazi Germany to the Holocaust, and by conspiracy theories, there is a heightened need for critical examination of the Sweden Democrats’ ideological positions regarding nationalism, populism, and fascism.}},
author = {{Håkansson, Julia}},
issn = {{0036-5483}},
keywords = {{Sverigedemokraterna; Vitbok; Nationalism; Populism; Fascism; Nazism; Antisemitism; Islamofobi; Konspirationism; The Sweden Democrats; White Paper; Nationalism; Populism; Fascism; Nazism; Antisemitism; Islamophobia; Conspiracism}},
language = {{swe}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{119--127}},
publisher = {{Statens Humanistiska Forskningsrad}},
series = {{Scandia}},
title = {{Sverigedemokraternas vitbok skiktar sanningen}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.47868/scandia.v92i1.29339}},
doi = {{10.47868/scandia.v92i1.29339}},
volume = {{92}},
year = {{2026}},
}