Weird Sporting with Double Edged Swords: Understanding ‘Nasty Rhetoric’ in Swedish Climate Politics

Growing powers of far-right populist parties in European countries has led to more divisive politics on climate change. This is the case also in Sweden, a country that has long been seen as a frontrunner in climate policy and a stronghold of liberal democracy. With a far-right populist nativist party currently holding tangible powers, Swedish climate politics have turned into an antidemocratic politics with rising greenhouse gas emissions in less than two years. Using contemporary Swedish climate politics as a case study, this paper qualitatively analyses the divisive nature of right-wing populist climate politics, with particular focus on the systematic use of hate speech and hate crime for political purposes – nasty politics with nasty rhetoric. Based on empirical data from 157 items from newspapers, magazines, radio, television and social media from June 2021 to June 2025, as well as a review of recent cross-disciplinary literature on hate speech and hate crime, this paper explores the use and nature of nasty rhetoric, raising questions for discussion among scholars, policymakers and civil society beyond Sweden. It is found that leading right-wing politicians, including the prime minister, cabinet ministers and leading parliamentarians, portray climate science as “a point of view”, green politicians as “strawmen” that should be “killed”, female climate journalists as “left pack” and “moron hags” that “will be raped”, and the climate justice movement as “saboteurs”, “totalitarian terrorists” and “a threat to Swedish democracy” that should be “sent to prison” and “executed”. The use of nasty rhetoric can be described as a double-edged sword, aiming to silence the opponents to the current paradigm shift in Swedish climate policy, while at the same time mobilising followers through conspiracy theories with fantasies and symbolic threats to expand the weird sport of nasty rhetoric. Reviewing the literature, people persuaded to follow and expand the use of nasty rhetoric seem to be influenced by ideology, but also social processes as well as dark personality traits. The pro-climate opposition is also using insults and accusations, not to silence the Tidö parties, but to reveal right-wing populist climate policy and politicians as a naked emperor.