The Sweden Democrats polled at a record high 20 percent in May, according to an Ispos poll in daily Dagens Nyheter, placing their chances at becoming kingmakers in the September 9 elections within the realm of possibility.
While they have long been shunned by other political parties, analysts and observers worry that they are increasingly setting the parameters of public discourse in the country.
In addition to calling for a referendum on European Union
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...membership, the Sweden Democrats have demanded a freeze on migration and a crackdown on crime.
In its official platform, the party says its anti-migrant policies are driven by "love and confidence in our country".
"If we are the second biggest or biggest party in parliament and the other parties still believe we can be ignored, and pretend we don't exist, then we must flex our muscles," party leader Jimmie Akesson told Rooters in an interview.