Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna) is a Swedish political party. Founded by Leif Zeilon, the party has its origins in the 1980s movement Bevara Sverige Svenskt ("Keep Sweden Swedish"). Since the mid 1990s the current party leader Mikael Jansson has strived to make the party more respectable, modelling the party after other euronationalist parties, most prominently Front National. This has included ousting more openly extremist members, who instead founded the breakout Nationaldemokraterna.
Though still small, the Sweden Democrats have recently seen its support increase somewhat and the party received 1.4% in the September 2002 general elections. It is currently represented in some 10% of Sweden's municipalities. Nonetheless, the Sweden Democrats are still far from attaining their main goal of representation in Sweden's parliament (the Riksdag); that would require a 4% electoral support.
Considered xenophobic by some, including the political parties currently represented in parliament, the Sweden Democrats are occasionally compared to Front National in France and British National Party in the United Kingdom. A better parallel according to some is the paleoconservative movement in the U.S. During the 1998 general election, Front National gave 500 000 kr to finance the printing of the Sweden Democrats' brochures.
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