Demonising nationalist parties has not stemmed their rise in Europe

Imagine if abba, undisputed masters of the kitsch euro-pop musical genre, was sent year after year to represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest, a kitsch euro-pop extravaganza. Bored pundits would soon start betting on which of the other contestants was best placed to come second. Elections in Sweden have a similar flavour, with the Social Democrats in the role of the spandex-clad crooners. On September 11th the centre-left party came top in its 32nd consecutive parliamentary election, securing just under a third of the vote. The last time it was defeated, by a mere 0.1% margin, the first world war was in its opening throes. Not even the most brazen election-riggers in Moscow or Pyongyang have racked up such a winning streak.