Third Way decomposition and the rightward shift in Finnish and Swedish politics |
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| Authors: | Mikko Kuisma Magnus Ryner |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Social Sciences , Oxford Brookes University , Gipsy Lane, Oxford , OX3 0BP , UK;2. Department of European and International Studies , King's College, Strand , London, WC2R , 2LS , UK |
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| Abstract: | Recent elections in Sweden and Finland are of note for contemporary politics. They confirm that the rightward shift in Nordic politics is not confined to Norway and Denmark but forms a more general trend. This includes increased appeal of both mainstream conservatives and populist radical right forces. This article contextualises this phenomenon within broader European developments. In accounting for the shift in question, the article stresses the cumulative effects of choices made by erstwhile centre-left hegemonic agents, most notably the consequences of the so-called Third Way. This perspective has the merit of providing a way for holding politicians accountable, and it avoids the fatalism entailed in invoking ‘inevitable’ structural developments. |
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| Keywords: | Finland Sweden Social Democratic parties Conservative parties populist radical right parties the Third Way |
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