It’s been a very intense day with the Sweden Democrats sharing their campaign. The Sweden Democrats are the party that stand for Swedish nationalism. They would like to cut the immigration rates and claim that refugees cause too big and irrational expenditures of the government funds. The Sweden democrats consider that it is better to spend more money to meet the needs of the Swedish citizens rather than invest it in foreign aid. They would like to keep Sweden Swedish and to maintain the image of the country that has always existed. The Sweden Democrats face a lot of opposition and are often accused of being racist. During the speech of the party leader Jimmie Åkesson, loud applause was shifting with anti-nazi shout-outs, such as “we don’t want Nazis in our streets.” Some people were standing with their back turned towards the speaker.
It is hard for me to comment on their views, because on the one hand, anything that provokes racism should be avoided, but on the other hand, the current immigration policy in Sweden hasn’t been very successful. There is a lot of segregation and the foreigners don’t always integrate with the rest of the society. There is a high unemployment rate among foreigners and they often form their own clusters, where they speak their own language. There are different opinions on this matter, but most people in Sweden are ready to face the challenge and accept large numbers refugees, working towards their better integration in society.
The highlight of the day for me was watching a movie, arranged by the Swedish Evangelical Alliance. The title of the movie was “Love Costs Everything” and it showed stories of Christians being persecuted in countries, such as India, Egypt, and Colombia. Many Christians immigrate in other countries where human rights are protected and where they can worship God without danger to their lives. This movie was a good “wake-up” message after the Sweden Democrats speech. Even though refugees cause the government extra expenses, it is definitely worth it, if a choice between life and death has to me made.
