A few weeks after the autumn 2022 election, the Tidö Agreement was signed, enabling the Moderates, Christian Democrats, and Liberals to form a government with the support of the Sweden Democrats. Since then, reforms have been implemented at a rapid pace, especially in the area of immigration. While some view these developments as a sobering correction compared to previous governments, others argue that democracy has been damaged by the agreement.

The Tidö Agreement gave the Sweden Democrats significant influence over politics—in line with how the Swedish people voted, as the party became the second largest and the largest on the right.

In a new book titled Tidöpakten – så förändras Sverige (“The Tidö Pact – How Sweden Is Changing”) by a trio of well-known SD opponents—the journalist Heidi Avellan and the Social Democrat-affiliated political scientist Ulf Bjereld, along with Jonas Hinnfors, also a political scientist—they claim that Swedish democracy is regressing under the Tidö government’s rule.

“The deterioration happens in small steps. You could say the trajectory has shifted, and this is mainly due to the Sweden Democrats,” says Jonas Hinnfors, professor emeritus at the University of Gothenburg, to DN.

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According to Hinnfors, the Tidö Agreement has led to the “Hungarianization” of Sweden, with increased political control of the judiciary, media, and academia. Examples include reduced state support for civil society, weakened financial conditions for public service, and decreased funding for culture.

Hinnfors cites laws applied retroactively as another example, specifically pointing to the removal of permanent residence permits. He suspects that the Moderates do not actually want to see this development but accept it in order to hold on to government power.

Warning: Want Sweden to Remain Swedish

Facing a potential second term for the Tidö coalition, the Sweden Democrats are expected to receive ministerial posts—something Hinnfors dreads.

“They will try to influence the government’s position on universities, the judiciary, and the media in the direction the Sweden Democrats want. But of course, it will be a negotiation.”

According to Hinnfors, the Sweden Democrats are fundamentally the same party they were at their founding; their core aim is to preserve Sweden as Swedish, albeit with an added notion of open Swedishness.

Advice on Stopping the Sweden Democrats

To put a stop to what is labeled as “populist, radical right-wing forces,” the following advice is offered, subtly suggesting that the Sweden Democrats are not a democratic party:

Build broad alliances with democratic forces, even across the left–right divide

Keep radical right-wing forces out of political power

Set the agenda and do not let the political debate be shaped by the worldview and problem framing of authoritarian right-wing parties

Make no compromises on democratic norms and protect those institutions that uphold these norms

The notion that democracy is under threat is an argument often used by the left when people vote the “wrong” way. The same has been said in Europe about leaders like Viktor Orbán, and in the USA about Donald Trump.

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