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.
Liv Svenningsen (Thu,) studied this question.