STOCKHOLM, Sept 8, 2018 (News Wires) - Swedish prime minister Stefan Lofven denounced an increasingly popular far-right party as racist and a threat to the nation's European values Saturday as political candidates made their final pre-election pitches to voters. The parliamentary election being held Sunday will be Sweden's first since the government in 2015 allowed 163,000 migrants into the country of 10 million. While far less than what Germany took in that year, it was the most per capita of any European nation. An immigration backlash is expected to shape the vote even though the number of migrants arriving in Sweden has been restricted sharply since the height of Europe's mass influx. Polls showed established parties losing some support, including the center-left parties which earlier favored open-door policies. The Sweden Democrats has played a role in breaking down longstanding taboos on what Swedes could say openly about immigration and integration without being shunned as racists.
