ABSTRACT
In countries such as Belgium, France, Austria, Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands extreme-right parties have thrived on xenophobia. These parties usually express a defensive attitude towards rapid cultural changes in their own national states. Some of these parties have been successful in gaining support, some also in enjoying policy influence, but many of them are characterized by sudden but short-lived success. 1 A puzzling question is why extreme-right parties have not developed in the same way in the three Scandinavian countries – Denmark, Norway and Sweden. These Scandinavian countries are often studied together because it is generally admitted that they share a common political culture, characterized by proportional representation, stable parliamentary democracy and a social democratic welfare state. Yet, whereas in Sweden the extreme right has enjoyed only brief and recent electoral success at national level, in Denmark the Dansk Folkeparti (Danish People’s Party) has become a parliamentary force, supporting the government since 2001, while in Norway the Fremskrittspartiet (Progress Party) with 38 seats has been the second largest party in parliament since 2005 but excluded from influence. This chapter discusses these differences among the Scandinavian countries and explores the reasons why Sweden seems to be different from its Scandinavian neighbours.
