The Sweden Democrats or Swedish Democrats (Swedish: Sverigedemokraterna, SD) are a political party in Sweden, founded in 1988. SD describes itself as a nationalist movement although others use the term far-right. Since 2005, its party chairman is Jimmie Åkesson, while Björn Söder is the party secretary and parliamentary group leader. An Anemone hepatica flower (blåsippa) is the official SD logo since 2006. In 2011 the party moderated its profile by also identifying as a social conservative party.
The Sweden Democrats had 5,846 members in early 2011. SD is divided in eighteen district party associations throughout Sweden, as well as in various local or municipal associations. Young members are organised in the Sweden Democratic Youth (SDU), founded in 1998. The party also distributes a newspaper to its members, SD-Kuriren.
In the 2010 general election, the Sweden Democrats for the first time crossed the four percent threshold necessary for parliamentary representation. This increase in popularity has been compared by international media to other similar anti-immigration movements in Europe. The party polled 5.7% and won 20 parliamentary seats.
Read more about Sweden Democrats: Ideology and Political Positions, Controversies, Party Leaders
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“In all history no class has been enfranchised without some selfish motive underlying. If to-day we could prove to Republicans or Democrats that every woman would vote for their party, we should be enfranchised.”
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