Adapting to the radical right rival? examining legislative speeches in response to SD's electoral success

Many studies have examined how the rise of radical right parties influences the general tone of legislative debates, particularly how mainstream parties tend to demonize and disengage from these parties through specific rhetoric and strategies. However, less attention has been given to their growing electoral success and how this affects speeches aimed at them in parliamentary debates. This study argues that hostility toward a radical right party is influenced by its electoral success relative to a mainstream party in their respective district. Using a combination of a dictionary approach and word-embedding techniques, I analyze the emotional tone of speeches directed at Sweden Democrats from 2010 to 2022. Results indicate that center-right legislators' tone becomes less confrontational when SD's vote share increases relative to their own party in the previous election. Additionally, I find that SD's longer presence in parliament improves mainstream right MPs' tone toward them and that their legislative incumbency amplifies the impact of SD's relative gains on negativity. Overall, the study explains why center-right representatives, concerned about vote loss, might strategically avoid criticizing the radical right.