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A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Sweden Democrats’ Climate Rhetoric
Linnaeus University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Studies.
2026 (English)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
Sustainable development
SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by regulating emissions and promoting developments in renewable energy
Abstract [en]

Across Europe, right‑wing parties have increasingly challenged mainstream climate policy through narratives of scepticism, delay, and national protectionism. Sweden’s shift from a climate leadership toward a more nationally oriented and sceptical climate stance reflects this wider trend, coinciding with the growing influence of the Sweden Democrats (SD), yet little research has examined the discursive mechanisms behind this transformation. This thesis investigates how the SD construct and legitimise their climate positions through discourse, asking which frames and rhetorical devices shape their narrative, how populist logic structures their portrayal of climate policy, and how they challenge dominant interpretations of climate responsibility. Using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) supported by Framing Theory and Populist Theory, the study analyses 19 official SD documents published between 2010 and 2025, including motions, manifestos, speeches, party programs, and budget proposals. The findings indicate that the SD consistently employs frames of national sovereignty, economic realism, stewardship, and global insignificance, reinforced through a people‑versus‑elite narrative that casts climate policy as burdensome and externally imposed. While the rhetorical content remains stable across time, its authority increases as SD gain parliamentary influence, enabling these discursive strategies to shift from oppositional critique to institutionalised policy influence despite the party not holding cabinet positions. The thesis concludes that SD’s discourse plays a central role in reframing Sweden’s climate identity toward “climate realism,” demonstrating how stable rhetorical patterns can reshape national climate governance as political power expands.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2026. , p. 53
Keywords [en]
Sweden Democrats, climate discourse, Critical Discourse Analysis, framing theory, populist theory
National Category
Social Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-144303OAI: oai:DiVA.org:lnu-144303DiVA, id: diva2:2031921
Subject / course
Social Sciences
Educational program
Peace and Development Programme, 180 credits
Supervisors
Examiners
Available from: 2026-02-04 Created: 2026-01-25 Last updated: 2026-02-04Bibliographically approved

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CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf