Nordic Political Culture: Democracy, Emancipative Values and the Rise of Populism

The Nordic countries have long been considered beacons of liberal democracy, marked by strong social support structures, high institutional trust, and deeply ingrained emancipative values. However, the rise of populist parties with authoritarian tendencies disputes the conventional view of Nordic exceptionalism. This chapter explores the paradox of the Nordic political landscape, where high levels of support for liberal democratic principles coexist with a growing inclination toward populist and nationalist parties. The findings suggest that the Nordics are truly exceptional in their cultural orientation towards emancipation and liberal democracy. Apart from Finland, this exceptionality is also reflected in political profiles of their populist parties. Nordic populism focuses less on the reestablishment of traditional family models, is less discriminatory towards queer people and features weaker anti-elitism than their central European counterparts. Despite these differences the growing power of Nordic populism and its strong anti-immigration stance are a worrisome development which contradicts the liberal mindset of the Nordic cultures and needs to be monitored closely.