The Sweden Democrats have published party leader Jimmie Åkesson’s traditional Christmas address. In the speech, the SD leader offers a deeper perspective on the course of life, where times change and close relatives both join and leave families. No moment is like the other — for better or worse, in light and darkness — which serves as an introduction to a broader story about the existence and development of Sweden.

– Change is a part of our existence. In recent years, we have purposefully moved in a direction toward a safer, freer, and more Swedish Sweden. It can be about small things in everyday life, like the feeling of filling up the car without being ruined or just having a bit more in your wallet when payday comes.

Åkesson then moves on to highlight one of the party’s priorities — introducing tougher sentences in Sweden.

– It can also be major, life-altering matters, such as that criminal who overturned a person’s life receiving a punishment and not an insult to the victims.

The Old Parties Erased What Was Swedish

Åkesson further clarified to the Swedish people that he and the Sweden Democrats intend to continue working to make Sweden a better country to live in. Above all, he emphasized that Swedes should feel pride and not accept what he describes as the other parliamentary parties’ left-liberal and destructive self-hatred, which he claims has put us in Sweden’s current situation.

– To keep changing, but never losing ourselves. Never abandoning the culture, the heritage, the traditions that fundamentally make us who we are. And this was exactly what was about to happen. The old parties’ efforts to convince Swedes that there is nothing special about being Swedish, that anyone can be Swedish.

– And that it was nothing we should be happy or proud about. In the pursuit of this destructive self-hatred, we were not only on the verge of losing ourselves but also erasing the meaning of what generations upon generations before us have suffered and toiled for. That pursuit is over. We should not be ashamed. We should be proud. Proud of who we are, where we come from, and finally proud of where we are heading.

“Now This Destructive Theater Is Over”

Åkesson ends the Christmas speech by presenting what the party has accomplished during the term and concludes that the country is a little safer than last Christmas, which he says is a sign that we are on the right path. He also emphasizes that much more is underway and included in the plans.

– What shines is hope, flames of hope. Lit by you and me. By millions of Swedes together. Millions of Swedes who have stood up and spoken out. Enough is enough. Now this destructive theater is over. Now we take back our country and work together in the right direction, for our country and for our people — instead of the opposite.

See the entire Christmas speech here: