The welfare state crisis and the strengthening of the far-right in Sweden as a result of increasing migration

Abstract

This article attempts to reveal the main causes of the crisis of the welfare state and the rise of the extreme right in Sweden as a result of increased migration. The article clarifies the features of the Swedish model of the welfare state, which essentially became the basis of the Northern European model, which is considered the most complete expression of the essence of the social experiment of the northern countries. Sweden has a reputation for being an extremely open and overly tolerant country towards migrants from different parts of the world. At the height of the migratory crisis, no other country in Europe had received as many asylum seekers in proportion to its population as Sweden. For many left-wing sympathizers, this was confirmation that their state was a true ‘humanitarian superpower’. Unusually generous migration policy has led to a change in the political climate and allowed more radical political forces to emerge. Stereotypes have been disrupted and relatively homogeneous Swedish society is gradually becoming multicultural. There is even a change in the attitude of Swedes themselves towards the entry, integration, permanent residence and naturalization of migrants into Swedish society.