Leder politisk inkludering till retorisk moderering? : En kvalitativ studie av hur Dansk Folkepartis och Sverigedemokraternas migrations- och integrationsretorik förändras i samband med deras övergång från opposition till stödpartier

Sammanfattning

This thesis examines whether the political inclusion of radical-right parties leads to a moderation of their rhetoric on immigration and integration. While some scholars have suggested that the inclusion of radical-right parties contributes to a broader normalization of radical-right politics, the inclusion-moderation thesis instead argues that participation within the framework of parliamentary democracy may encourage moderation. Drawing on the latter perspective, this study analyzes two cases of political inclusion of radical right parties: The transition of the Danish People’s Party and the Sweden Democrats from opposition parties to influential support parties. The study is conducted through a qualitative analysis of parliamentary debates from periods before, during and after the parties’ establishment as support parties. The findings provide limited support for the inclusion-moderation thesis. Instead, the results indicate that both parties maintained their populist discourse. Rather than indicating moderation, the results point to a shift in the focus of the rhetoric, while certain elements of the rhetoric were further intensified after the parties gained increased parliamentary influence.