New Democracy

[Dimentio]

New Democracy was a xenophobic right-wing libertarian party which briefly was represented in the Swedish parliament 1991-1994. It was led by the obviously nutty count Ian Wachtmeister and the populist Records Director Bert Karlsson.

One of their members, John Bouvin, was probably the closest equivalent to a Swedish Zhrinovsky, calling two female parliamentarians for "twats", threatening to demolish the Parliament building with an excavator, and stating that we should stop sending aid to Africa, because the lions could not then eat any African children...

I wonder how the hell they got in.

Anyway, here's their signature melody, Häng me Häng me (Come on Come on).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuFDy4gJTuM

[Panda Tse Tung]

I thought their theme-song was saying 'Hang me, hang me'. So i figured, how friendly of them to encourage that in advance. But then i got disappointed when reading the translation.

[Sentinel]

I remember them. Fucking fascists, is what they were -- anti-immigration populists.

Luckily they have disappeared.

[Dimentio]

Well, their brief existence was at least a vaccination against vulgar xenophobia and right-wing populism until this day.

[Sentinel]

This belongs in History, moved.

[Dimentio]

Their campaign theme deserves a place in Chit-Chat

[Tatarin]

Luckily they have disappeared.

Not quite. They've been replaced by the Sweden-democrats.

[Sentinel]

Not quite. They've been replaced by the Sweden-democrats.While alarming, they are much more openly racist, and most importantly known to be. For example I can't imagine someone bragging with voting for them and still thinking they'd make a career at work in any 'respectable' company.

'New Democracy' on the other hand was an attempt to legitimize anti-immigration sentiments amongst the general population, to make them 'mainstream' -- that almost succeeded, they got over 10% of the vote, which is just a wet dream for the 'Sweden-democrats'. Thus NyD were much more dangerous imo.

[Tatarin]

While alarming, they are much more openly racist, and most importantly known to be.

They are primarily Islamophobics, at least today. They play on this issue, while taking a greater distance from their nazi-roots. They have taken the image of a conservative party, culture-centrics or something like that, but they aren't as openly racist as they were before.


For example I can't imagine someone bragging with voting for them and still thinking they'd make a career at work in any 'respectable' company.

You said it. The persons who vote for them are mostly working class, and anyone in a "higher" position just keep their mouths shut.


'New Democracy' on the other hand was an attempt to legitimize anti-immigration sentiments amongst the general population, to make them 'mainstream' -- that almost succeeded, they got over 10% of the vote, which is just a wet dream for the 'Sweden-democrats'.

Sure, but New Democracy also fell quickly after that. The Sweden-democrats has been gaining a stable base for some time, latest reports even places them in the parliment (around 4.0%). While NewDem was a quick shock-stick to the political sphere, it must also be noted that the social democrats ruled unchallenged for 12 years after them, with no come-back from either NewDem or any party like it.

The difference with the SweDem is that they are gaining. While slow and few gains, they are still on a stable rise, which in the long run is difficult to shake. Populism can come and go within minutes, but conscious support is a much harder issue to deal with.