Stram Kurs

[[File:Rasmus Paludan, på besøg i Frederiksværk.jpg|thumb|165px|Rasmus Paludan in immigrant hat]]{{nordicrightnav}}
'''Stram Kurs''' (Hard Line) is a [[Denmark|Danish]] and [[Sweden|Swedish]] far-right party. It was formed in Denmark in 2017 by [[Rasmus Paludan]], with the stated purpose of removing [[Islam]] and its practitioners from the country.<ref>[https://stramkurs.dk/ Stram Kurs website,] accessed May 11<small>th</small>, 2019</ref><ref name="Boffey">Boffey, Daniel. [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/05/danish-far-right-party-stram-kurs-calling-for-muslim-deportation-to-stand-in-election "Danish far-right party calling for Muslim deportation to stand in election,"] ''The Guardian'', May 5<small>th</small>, 2019. Accessed May 15<small>th</small>, 2019.</ref> It was also registered in Sweden in 2022 for the upcoming election,<ref name=runswed2022>[https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/paludan-staller-upp-i-svenska-valet/ "Paludan ställer upp i svenska valet"], ''www.expressen.se'', 2022-04-20</ref> thereafter fading into obscurity.

==Background==

As large number of refugees worked their way from Asia and Africa in the {{wpl|European migrant crisis}} in 2015, Denmark placed border guards at German and Swedish crossing points, in the anticipation that Denmark might become overrun with asylum seekers wanting immigrate. That turned out not to be the case, and the waste of police resources was criticized.<ref>Rychia, Lucie. [http://cphpost.dk/news/danish-temporary-border-controls-using-up-enormous-police-resources.html "Danish temporary border controls using up enormous police resources,"] ''The Copenhagen Post'', October 4<small>th</small>, 2016. Accessed May 16<small>th</small>, 2019.</ref>

Nevertheless, this period marked a sea change in Scandinavians' previously welcoming attitude towards asylum-seekers.<ref>Jensen, Carsten. ''Kældermennesker''. Copenhagen: Politikens Forlag, 2018.</ref> Some Danes became pessimistic that their nation might face integration problems akin to those which media claimed existed across the Ørefrsund in Malmö, [[Sweden]].<ref>Nissen, Maya. [https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/udland/portraet-malmoe-rystes-af-drab-og-daarlig-integration »PORTRÆT: Malmø rystes af drab og dårlig integration« ("PORTRAIT: Malmö shaken by murders and poor integration"),] Danmarks Radio (Danish Broadcasting Corporation), January 13<small>th</small>, 2017. Accessed May 15<small>th</small>, 2019.</ref> Less charitably and more bluntly, this could be called [[Islamophobia]]. (In [[Norway]], such anxiety is often couched as fear of ''svenske tilstander'', "Swedish conditions.")<ref>Skartveit, Hanne. [https://www.vg.no/nyheter/meninger/i/m61An4/svenske-tilstander-og-norske «Svenske tilstander - og norske» ("Swedish conditions - and Norwegian ones"),] ''Verdens Gang'', January 27<small>th</small>, 2018. Accessed May 16<small>th</small>, 2019.</ref> Many of the perceived difficulties of integration in Sweden, however, were greatly exaggerated by local media figures, and especially by fringe figures such as [[Ingrid Carlqvist]].

While the reasons were questionable, the right-leaning Danish coalition government of the time became staunchly opposed to immigration, and alongside the use of police at the border, implemented a plan to convert an uninhabited island into a 
[[concentration camp]]
 housing camp for disqualified asylum seekers that would, in essence, demoralize them to the point where they would want to leave the country of their own accord.<ref>Olsen, Jan M. [https://globalnews.ca/news/4728230/denmark-immigration-lindholm-island/ "Denmark plans to send rejected asylum seekers to remote island."] ''Global News'', December 4<small>th</small>, 2018. Accessed May 16<small>th</small>, 2019.</ref> The government, who depended on the [[Danish People's Party]] for the balance of power, also committed itself to legislating a ban on wearing [[burka]]s in public in 2017.<ref>Kristiansen, Cecilie Lund, and Skærbæk, Morton. [https://web.archive.org/web/20190630211350/https://politiken.dk/indland/politik/art6147189/Venstre-har-bestemt-sig-Sikrer-flertal-for-et-burkaforbud »Venstre har bestemt sig: Sikrer flertal for et burkaforbud« ("Venstre has made up their mind: Ensure a majority for a burka ban"),] ''Politiken'', October 6<sub>th</sub>, 2017. Accessed June 30<sub>th</sub>, 2019.</ref>

While some less extremist governments have made such as case from the perspective of secularism, such as [[France]], and some [[feminist]] thinkers have been outspoken against burqas, this was largely seen as an unwarranted attack on a religious minority.

Stram Kurs thus capitalized on a general rightward swing and marginal but growing [[Populism|populism]] and [[Nationalism|nationalism]] in Europe generally and in Denmark in particular, fed by scare stories from [[media]] outlets. Paludan used increased anti-Muslim rhetoric in the wake of the 2015 [[Charlie Hebdo]] attacks and subsequent {{wpl|2015 Copenhagen shootings}}, and waxing [[Xenophobia|xenophobia]] in its allied countries (e.g. [[Donald Trump|Trump]], [[Farage]]). Paludan was a fringe figure who came to prominence through [[YouTube]] videos where he coarsely insults Islam, Muslims, and the [[Qur'an]], and was previously a lawyer whose career largely involved defending people on drug charges. While he pitched his position as a clash of ideals between Islam and nominally [[Lutheran]] but largely secular<ref>Sriram, Sharanya. [https://web.archive.org/web/20190710050502/https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/religion-in-denmark "Religion in Denmark" (blog post),] Berkley Center, Georgetown University, December 11<sub>th</sub>, 2015. Accessed July 10<sub>th</sub>, 2019.</ref> ethnic Danes, [[Breivik]], to the north, made similar claims about Norway.

==From shitposting to political party==

Stram Kurs, which is even more reactionary than the [[Danish People's Party]], received the necessary minimum number of signatures to be certified as a party (20,109),<ref>[https://valg.oim.dk/partier-og-kandidater/hvordan-danner-jeg-et-nyt-parti/  »Hvordan danner jeg et nyt parti?« ("How do I form a new party?"),] Økonomi og Indenrigsministeriet (Ministry of Economic and Internal Affairs), Accessed May 16<small>th</small>, 2019.</ref> and ran candidates in the June 2019 elections to the Folketing (Parliament).<ref name="Boffey/> One of the signatories said in an interview that he didn't agree with Hard Line's agenda so much as he was impressed by Paludan "having a backbone."<ref>Harder, Thomas. [https://ekstrabladet.dk/nationen/stram-kurs-brager-frem-604-vaelgererklaeringer-paa-et-doegn/7598459 »Stram Kurs brager frem: 604 vælgererklæringer på et døgn« ("Hard Line surges forward: 604 signatories in a 24-hour period"),] ''Ekstra Bladet'', April 7<small>th</small>, 2019. Accessed May 16<small>th</small>, 2019.</ref>

While Hard Line is generally viewed as a single-issue protest party, the multi-party system in Denmark means coalition governments are inevitable, and parties jockey constantly to poach from each other's voting base, often by stealing key platform issues. Shortly before the June 2019 election, the leader of the largest left-leaning party, the [[Social democracy|Social Democrats']] {{wpl||Mette Frederiksen,}} stood to inherit the mantle of prime minister from {{wpl|Lars Løkke Rasmussen}} after she rather abruptly combined anti-immigration measures with the party's usual center-left economic program and social liberalism.<ref>Orange, Richard. [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/11/denmark-election-matte-frederiksen-leftwing-immigration "Mette Frederiksen: the anti-immigration left leader set to win power in Denmark,"] ''The Guardian'', May 11<small>th</small>, 2019. Accessed May 15<small>th</small>, 2019.</ref> This both led to an exodus of People's Party supporters, and could have been viewed as a victory for Hard Line's agenda.

==A somewhat damp squib==
Contrary to the hopes/fears based on early opinion polls, Stram Kurs failed to cross the 2% electoral threshold in the Danish general election on June 5th, 2019, garnering only 1.8% of the ballots cast.<ref>[https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/resultater/folketingsvalg ''Resultater'' (''Results'' - of the Danish general election),] the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, June 6<small>th</small>, 2019</ref> By contrast, the other party challenging the Danish People's Party for the mantle of “most right wing party in the Danish parliament”, New Right, did slightly better at 2.4% of the vote, while the DPP itself collapsed from its 21.1% high watermark in 2015 to no more than 8.7%. However, despite not passing the electoral threshold, Stram Kurs can still look forward to an annual sum of about 2 million DKK (around $300,000 USD or €270,000) in grants from the state, due to the Danish system of public financing of political parties based on their performance in the most recent general election.<ref>[https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/folketingsvalg/stram-kurs-faar-ingen-plads-i-folketinget-men-millioner-i ''Stram Kurs får ingen plads i Folketinget - men millioner i partistøtte'' (''Stram Kurs gets no seats in the Parliament - but millions in party funding'',)] Lars Lindevall, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, June 6<small>th</small>, 2019</ref>

==A second try in a second country==
In 2022, after his Danish ambitions had waxed and waned, at least for the time being, Paludan decided to enter the upcoming 2022 Swedish election with Stram Kurs Sweden.<ref name=runswed2022>[https://www.expressen.se/nyheter/paludan-staller-upp-i-svenska-valet/ "Paludan ställer upp i svenska valet"], ''www.expressen.se'', 2022-04-20</ref> Perhaps no longer getting the attention he wished for in Denmark, Paludan quickly became known to Swedes after sparking {{wpl|2022_Sweden_riots|riots in a series of Swedish cities|,}} by provoking Muslim immigrants with the announcement of [[Qur'an]] burnings. In Sweden, Paludan and his party were new names in politics, and also faced the obstacle of a 4% of the vote barrier for getting into parliament, twice that of Denmark's 2% – and faded into obscurity as soon as media coverage no longer focused on the riots and their immediate aftermath, the party silently flopping.

==See also==

*[[Alternative_für_Deutschland|Alternative für Deutschland]]
*[[Fremskrittspartiet]]
*[[Selvstendighetspartiet]]
*[[Sweden Democrats]]

==External links==
*Danmarks Radio (Danish Broadcasting Corporation), [https://www.dr.dk/tv/se/fv19-moed-partierne/fv19-moed-partierne-2/fv19-moed-partierne-stram-kurs#! »FV19: Mød partierne - Stram Kurs« ("Parliamentary vote 2019: Meet the parties - Hard Line"),] May 15th, 2019. Accessed May 15<small>th</small>, 2019.

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Far-right_political_parties]]
[[Category:Fascism]]
[[Category:Islamophobia]]
[[Category:European political parties]]

Categories: Far-right_political_parties, Fascism, Islamophobia, European political parties