Från periferin till maktens centrum

Sammanfattning: Recently, we have witnessed an upsurge of right-wing populist parties in Europe. It is now clear how the rhetoric and politics of right-wing populist parties are normalized and thus move from the outer edge towards the center of politics. As early as 1991, New Democracy tried to establish itself in Swedish politics with a goal of reducing immigration and strengthening the country's security. The party did not succeed in remaining in the center of politics and was declared bankrupt as early as 2002. In Sweden, however, another party, with similar tactics and policy, has managed to get from the periphery to the center of politics - the Sweden Democrats - which is now one of the very largest and most successful parties in Sweden. But how can their success be explained in relation to the failure of New Democracy? In this essay, I intend to investigate whether one can explain the Sweden Democrats' successful, and New Democracy's failed way to establish themselves in the Swedish political landscape.