Sweden Democrats blame new citizens for election defeat

Sweden Democrat politicians have blamed voters with a migrant background for the right-wing bloc’s election setback, drawing criticism over their description of newly naturalised citizens.

Kent Ekeroth, the party’s leading candidate in Dalarna, described people granted citizenship in recent years as “voting fodder”, Radio Sweden reported. He made the remarks in an interview with P4 Dalarna.

The remarks came during the count. On 17 September, Sveriges Radio reported that the opposition had won and Ulf Kristersson had announced his resignation. The Electoral Authority said the preliminary count was complete; formal verification was continuing.

Party leader Jimmie Åkesson had also said during a televised pre-election debate that migration by Muslims could determine the outcome, Radio Sweden reported.

Stockholm University political scientist Zeth Isaksson told P4 Dalarna that Ekeroth’s language was dehumanising and anti-democratic, describing the voters concerned as citizens like everyone else.

The Electoral Authority sets out the requirements for voting in parliamentary elections: Swedish citizenship, being at least 18 on election day, and current or previous population registration in Sweden.

Under Sweden’s system of equal suffrage, each voter has one vote. Naturalisation does not create a lesser category of parliamentary voter.

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