Although much of the talk in the progressive blogosphere about the Swedish elections today focused on the Feminist Initiative, the real story coming out is the dramatic growth of the right-wing Sweden Democrat Party. The Sweden Democrats increased their share of the vote from 5.7% in 2010 to 12.9% today. That translates to a gain from 20 seats to 49 seats in the 349-seat Swedish Riksdag.
This follows on the heels of huge electoral victories in the European Parliament elections in May for the Front National in France and the United Kingdom Independence Party in Britain. Right-wing parties already have significant influence in former Soviet bloc countries - most noticeably in Hungary with the Fidesz Party's authoritarian pattern and Jobbik's flagrant neo-fascism.
Why shouldn't working people vote for far-right parties? What has the left done for them lately? Tony Blair? Francois Hollande?? Green parties??? Greece and Spain are experiencing 25% unemployment - more unofficially. Throughout Europe wages have stalled or declined. When the best thing that Blairism can offer is to accept a 10% cut in wages vs. the 25% demanded by management, is it any wonder why working people are voting for rightist parties?
Two factors that the left fails to realize is that workers facing economic decline and joblessness are not going to be supportive of immigration or of green initiatives which increase energy costs. Germany's Energiewende has resulted in electricity cost more than doubling for residential consumers. (Industry is protected from increased costs so that it can stay competitive internationally.) This particularly hits hard in former East Germany which has the strongest support for the right-wing National Democratic Party.
If people a broad choice of well-paying jobs - with wages rising and with possibilities for advancement, then they will not vote for parties which seek to ban immigration and deport immigrants. They will also gladly pay double for electricity. But if the order is reversed, they will vote for right-wing parties.
You can bet on it.