National Democrats (Sweden)
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| Nationaldemokraterna | |
|---|---|
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| Leader | Marc Abramsson |
| Founded | October 2001 |
| Political ideology | White separatism |
| International affiliation | Euronat |
| Colour(s) | Blue, yellow |
| Website | www.nationaldemokraterna.se |
| See also the politics of Sweden series | |
The National Democrats (Nationaldemokraterna) is a minor nationalist political party in Sweden of the far right, which describes itself as being dedicated to building a safe and democratic Sweden [1]. It has been characterized as extreme-right by the Stephen Roth Institute in Israel [2]. It was formed by a faction of Sverigedemokraterna in October 2001 and is regarded by some as racist and neo-fascist[citation needed].
It is supported by some 0.1% of the electorate but has managed to gain representation in two municipalities south of Stockholm in 2002. Anders Steen served as their nominal leader on their inception but real power has tended to rest with Tor Paulsson. As of 2004 the party chairman is Tomas Johansson, replacing Paulsson who was forced to resign his post after being convicted of physically abusing his spouse in 2004.
Campaigning before the election to the European parliament 2004 Nick Griffin of the British National Party visited Sweden and the National Democrats to give that party his endorsement.
ND cooperates with openly nazi and extreme right wing organisations such as the National Socialist Front, the Swedish Resistance Movement and Blood & Honour in the annual Salem march in memory of Daniel Wretström, a teenage skinhead who was stabbed to death and later used as a martyr by many racists and neo-nazi groups. ND has also participated with these organistions is annual marches honoring Charles XII on November 30 and a march in memory of the Bombing of Dresden in World War II.
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[edit] Ideology
The party describes its ideology as nationalist ("national democratic") and ethnopluralist. A broad outline of the party program:
- Defend Sweden by creating an ethnically white people. Non-white immigration should be stopped so that coloreds don't assimilate into the Swedish population. Cultural assimilation is by ND considered highly problematic and one of the main reasons behind high crime rates, poverty and declining moral values.
- The culture should be traditionally Swedish; thus, the National Democrats advocates a ban on mosques and "unhealthy artworks and buildings".
- No foreign institutions or companies should be able to own media.
ND also says that they want to "strengthen democracy" by limiting the right to vote. They say the most important requirement to be able to vote is to have a general knowledge of politics.
A very popular and reoccurring part of ND campaigns target an alleged over-representation of immigrant groups in crime statistics with strong focus on sex crimes.
[edit] Homosexuality
The party holds that parents should maintain "healthy family ideals" and the nuclear family should be preserved. No "perverted" family forms should be allowed, for instance legalised homosexual relations. Homosexuality is generally accepted in Swedish society.
Prominent members of ND and its youth organization NDU were involved in a violent protest against participants of the Stockholm Pride parade in the summer of 2003 which resulted in a severe beating of one man and brief panic among parade participants. A number of NDU members, including the chairman of NDU, Marc Abrahamsson and ND's candidate for the EU parliament elections in 2004, John Andersson, were indicted for battery and rioting and were later convicted of it.
According to ND, the incident was caused by undue provocation by alleged members of violent anarchist networks who had infiltrated the parade and that the actions of the ND and NDU members was mere self-defense. During previous pride parades, ND had staged very minor non-violent counter-demonstrations to show their resistance to the idea of gay rights and gay pride.
Most of ND's criticism of the gay community and gay rights movement is motivated by a view of homosexuality as being unnatural and because the party believes that gay male individuals are heavily overrepresented among child molestors and that gay rights organizations to some extent support pedophilia. Most of the slogans in protests aimed at gay organizations, pressure groups and communities concern pedophilia.
[edit] 2006 Bomb Incident
In April 2006 the British National Party website reported that a bomb had been left on a train in Stockholm, seemingly with the intention of killing members of the BNP and the National Democrats. The device was not detonated. [3]
