News

Nationalistic politician banned from Nobel banquette

Culture | 2010-10-27 | 11 comments

The chairman of the Sweden democrats (SD) Jimmie Åkesson will not be invited to the traditional Nobel dinner later this year. The decision is controversial.

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The normal procedure during recent years has been to invite all party leaders, whose parties are represented in parliament. Michael Sohlman, chairman of the Nobel Foundation, says hovever to Aftonbladet that SD’s values go against the will of Alfred Nobel.

Even though the Nobel banquette is broadcast on TV and has an aura of official ceremony, it is formally a private party, so the Nobel foundation has the right to choose freely who to invite. Critics fear however that it will increase the ‘underground feeling’ that surrounds SD and that it thereby might be a favour to the party

Jimmie Åkesson says to Aftonbladet:

- I believe it is very controversial to make such a clear political point and then refer to Alfred Nobel. This seems to be a political decision.

Footnote: The Sweden democrats is a nationalistic party that got seats in the Riksdag for the first time after the September election this year. 5.6 percent gave them 20 of the 349 seats

Tommie Ullman

tommie.ullman@stockholmnews.com

Readers' comments

2011-01-06 02:10 Garry Lawson wrote:

Wow , love the way thigs are done, Jimmie Akesson cant come but you give Obama a peace prize for becoming a president. Who would want to go to the banquet with people runnings things in a strange way. Guess Noble doesnt believe in freedom of speech especially if you are a swede.

2010-11-03 23:03 Marcel J wrote:

Don´t allow political correctness to ruin Sweden as it has the usa. Its ok to love your country and your race. Be proud of who you are. Political correctness is actually reverse discrimination brought to you by minorities that feel bad about themselves. They want to bring you to their level. Be proud of your heritage. Letting to many foreigners in will destroy your country.

2010-11-02 01:56 Lars, USA wrote:

Ok, lets stop with the racist name calling. Using the term "redneck" is just as racist and calling blacks "n----r".

2010-10-31 22:30 A Real American wrote:

To American Woman 1 Disagreeing with me doesnt make you a racist. But supporting a political platform that is obviously anti-nonwhite Swede (what SD means by anti-immigration) DOES. 2 Redneck is NOT really the term used for someone who works outdoors or is a laborer anymore(as many non-rednecks do that type of work i.e. immigrants). To Karl, Please give evidence of anyone being banned/killed for opposing immigration (SD was not banned from the, Nobel they just werent invited)

2010-10-31 19:02 Karl wrote:

This decision shows the real hypocrisy in Sweden. Everyone that tell the truth is banned or is kill. Everyone knows that Sweden has a big immigration problem.

2010-10-31 17:31 American Woman wrote:

To A Real American and Rollie Pettersson, So, if one doesn´t agree with you one is a racist? How bigoted. And btw, I would be proud to be a redneck as it is a term used to denote someone who works at a physically demanding outdoor job. Farmer, laborer, oil field worker, and the like -- it´s elitist to uses red neck as an epithet.

2010-10-30 19:58 A Real American wrote:

I doubt it´s an actual redneck. Real rednecks from the US would not care enough about the world outside their own to know, much less comment on an issue going on in Europe. It´s probably just some racist Swede who thinks they are clever. As an actual American living in Sweden, I find all of the secret nationalism/nazi-ism/racism going on quite scary. Sweden is known internationally as a peaceful and open place. That reputation is slowly being shattered for me.

2010-10-29 21:36 Rolle Pettersson wrote:

Lots of rednecks commenting swedish news (or just one, with different ´alteregos´)...

2010-10-28 19:53 Lars, USA wrote:

So if you hate Sweden, and all things Swedish you are welcome? If you love Sweden and feel Nationalistic about one´s country, one is evil? The Nobel committee has become a joke. I would be embarrassed to take an award from these haters.

2010-10-27 22:33 John Freedom wrote:

Long live Jimmie Akesson! Michael Sohlman do you know what is the most popular name chosen for newborn boy in England? Muhammad!!!!! Guess why... And yes. You should be fired, bigot.

2010-10-27 18:55 American Woman wrote:

It´s ironic to me that the Nobel committee touts "Peace" and then promotes discord. But the insult here is not to the SD, it´s to the people of Sweden who voted for the SD. But the Peace Prize is a joke anyway -- case in point: Barack Obama´s award last year.