SVERIGEDEMOKRATERNA – ETT HOT MOT DE MÄNSKLIGA RÄTTIGHETERNA? En undersökning av i vilka avseenden Sverigedemokraternas politik strider mot Europakonventionens skydd av minoriteters rättigheter

Abstract

Right-wing populism has through the past decades flourished in several countries in Europe. Research has shown that right-wing populism is, with its political starting point in “the people”, focusing on the majority and is sometimes excluding the minorities from the politics. Since human rights regulations are mainly a protection of minority rights, the aim is to examine if the politics of the Sweden Democrats, as a case of a growing right-wing populist party, is a threat to human rights and in that case, in what respects. The thesis is supposed to answer the question in what respects the politics of the Sweden Democrats contravene with the European Convention’s protection of minority rights. The theoretical framework is based on Cas Mudde’s theory about features of radical right-wing populism. By using a directed qualitative content analysis on the party program, election manifesto, four motions from the Sweden Democrats and the European Convention on Human Rights, the result shows that the politics of the Sweden Democrats contravene with minority rights concerning religious minorities and migrants. Article 8 (private and family life), article 9 (freedom of thought, consideration and religion) and article 14 (protection from discrimination) in the European Convention are particularly affected.