New Democracy (Sweden)

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Party symbol

Ny Demokrati, or New Democracy (abbreviated NyD), was a Swedish right-wing political party represented in the Riksdag between 1991 and 1994. Founded during the spring of 1991 by Ian Wachtmeister and Bert Karlsson, the party successfully campaigned for election to the national parliament the same fall on an agenda of economic reform and restricted immigration. Its economic policy, stressing the importance of entrepreneurship and red tape reduction, was generally perceived as right-of-center.

Critics, especially within the mainstream political establishment, accused the party of populism and xenophobia bordering on racism. The party's candidates in return frequently railed against "crocodile politicians" from the mainstream parties, who were said to resemble crocodiles in that they were "all mouth but no ears."

Even though founded only about a half-year prior to the election, New Democracy quickly gained support in political polls. Ian Wachtmeister and Bert Karlsson ran an unusual campaign, becoming known for speaking while standing on beer cases. During the summer of 1991, some opinion polls showed the party getting more than 10 % support. On the election day, it received 6 % of the national vote. During an election-night TV programme, Bengt Westerberg, leader of the Liberal People's Party, left the studio in protest against New Democracy's immigration policy when Ian Wachtmeister joined the programme.

In the Riksdag the party frequently supported the four party liberal-conservative government led by Carl Bildt, which unwillingly accepted its support. In the 1994 election, the party failed to attract sufficient support for parliamentary representation, receiving only a fraction of the vote of the previous election. Thereafter the organization became marked by internal power struggles over the control of party funds and quickly fell into disarray, at least at a national level.

Ahead of the 1998 elections a youth league, Ny Ungdom (New Youth), was founded. It never obtained any importance.

The party ceased to exist when it was declared bankrupt on February 25, 2000.

Although short-lived, Bert Karlsson stated later that he was quite happy with the achievements of the party, especially since the Social Democratic governments since 1994 has implemented most of the immigration policies New Democracy was proposing.