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The Swedish Christian Democratic Party
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True or false? The Swedish Christian Democrats is a socialist party.
It’s the early 1960s. Sweden is changing. People have started using the informal ‘you’ when talking to strangers. In school, there is still a subject called Christian studies, where students learn about the Bible. But now parliament wants to change this to religious studies, where students will learn about many different religions.
Some people don’t like this. Lewi Pethrus is one of them. He is a leading figure in the Christian Pentecostal Church. Lewi Pethrus starts a petition, to protest. More than two million Swedes sign it.
This is good, but it’s not enough, think Lewi Pethrus and his comrades. They think that politics is too much about money, industry, and growth: material values! What happened to issues such as the home, the family, and each person’s own responsibility and belonging? More spiritual values. They think Swedish politics needs a Christian dimension, so they form a new political party: Christian Democratic Assembly, KDS.
On some issues, KDS is similar to the center-right parties: They are against the right to abortion, they support the United States in Vietnam War, and they want to introduce private schools. On some other issues though, they are closer to the parties on the left: They want to help the poor and vulnerable in society. They believe Sweden should provide aid to developing countries, and should accept more refugees. And they want Sweden to be neutral in the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, in the Cold War. But, KDS aren’t very successful in elections.
Less than two percent vote for the party, and four percent is required to win any seats in parliament. In 1973, Alf Svensson, from Jönköping, becomes party leader. KDS still can’t manage to get the required four percent of votes, ..until 1985, when KDS and the Centre Party run together, so that they can combine their votes. KDS wins one seat, and Alf Svensson has a seat in Parliament. He takes part in all the debates, and writes lots and lots of motions ..and gets attention.
He becomes popular, even more popular than his own party. The cooperation with the Centre party comes to an end, and KDS won’t be back in parliament until 1991. Alf Svensson is still around, and becomes a minister in a center-right government. Now, KDS is no longer a party in the middle, but firmly on the political right. Now they want schools to communicate more Christian values.
And they want to make it easier for parents to stay at home with their kids, instead of sending them to daycare. Parents who stay at home should get a special child care allowance. In 1994 the center-right government loses power, but KDS remains in parliament. They change their name to The Christian Democrats, or KD, and for a while they are quite a large party. In 2004, Alf Svensson resigns, after 31 years as party leader.
Göran Hägglund takes over. For eight years, the Christian Democrats hold seats in a new center-right government, dubbed Alliance for Sweden. During this period, a law is introduced allowing same sex couples to marry. KD are the only party who opposes the new law. In 2015, KD appoint a new party leader: Ebba Busch.
She moves the party even further right. The party’s previous eagerness to help refugees is replaced by a reluctance towards immigration. This creates an inner conflict in the party. The Christian Democrats do not want the state to decide for people, but for families to make their own decisions. The party also wants traditional Swedish culture and Judeo-Christian values to apply in Sweden.
They want to cut taxes so that people can have more money in their wallets. Then they can consume more and in that way KD believes that more jobs will be created. KD want healthcare and senior care to become much better. They want more police officers and harsher punishments for several crimes. In 2021, party leader Ebba Busch is herself accused of a crime, grave defamation, after a house deal that attracts media attention.
She pleads guilty and is sentenced to a suspended sentence and day-fines. Despite this, Busch’s voters have great confidence in her and she remains party leader today. If the right wing parties win the election in 2022, the KD will form a government with the Moderates.