In an expected but still stunning election performance on Sunday, the Sweden Democrats, or SD, party won just under 18 percent of the popular vote and increased its ranks in Sweden’s parliament by one-third. The result is that neither the governing Left nor the opposition Alliance coalition can form a government without either including them or crossing party lines to form a grand coalition with one another.

Swedes are. it turns out, receptive to controlling what they perceive as excessive immigration. The key for SD was to sell a responsive message in a more welcoming way. And under the leadership of Jimmie Akesson; a young, charismatic career politician, the party has done just that. The SD has moved from the far-right to the populist right, welcoming ethnic minorities as members and as candidates. Akesson deserves credit for this development. As leader of the party for 13 years, since he was just 26 years old, he has worked relentlessly to purge racist elements from SD ranks.