The polls have opened in Sweden’s general election – where an anti-immigration party is vying to make large gains.
The nationalist Sweden Democrats (SD), which polls suggest have 20% support, are tipped for second place.
Neither the governing Social Democrats nor the main centre-right party is likely to win a majority.
Prime Minister Stefan Löfven has accused the SD of extremism and said that a vote for it was “dangerous”.
Immigration has been a central issue of the campaign. The SD doubled its seats in the 2014 election and it is predicted to double them again in this election.
“Dark forces are mobilising in Sweden,” Mr Löfven said in his final rally on Saturday. “The hateful forces are mobilising now in Sweden and agitating people against each other.”
SD leader Jimmie Åkesson countered that Sweden had been “an extreme country in many ways, not least when it comes to immigration” and that his plan to take in fewer migrants would be regarded as “normal politics in the rest of Europe”.
Who are the Sweden Democrats?
The SD was linked for years to neo-Nazis and other far-right groups, only entering parliament in 2010.
It has been working to rebrand itself, changing its logo from a flaming torch (similar to the one used by the UK far-right National Front) to a blue-and-yellow daisy, the colours of the Swedish flag.
Traditionally appealing to working-class men, it wants to attract more women and higher-income voters.
Mr Åkesson, who became leader in 2005, says there is zero tolerance towards racism in the party and several members have been expelled.
However, the party has still been embroiled in various racism scandals.
One municipal candidate shared a song on Facebook with the lyrics “Swedes are white and the country is ours”, according to a report in tabloid Aftonbladet.
Last year, some of its ex-members went on to found the far-right Alternative for Sweden (AfS).
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Source: BBC
The post Swedish election: Vote begins amid anti-immigration surge appeared first on Citi Newsroom.
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