Populist radical right’s impacton the mainstream right on theimmigration issue : A quantitative statistical study on SD’s impact on Moderaternas’position in the immigration issue

Abstract: This study investigates PRRP’s impact on the mainstream right´s position change on the immigrationissue in their electoral manifestos. Many researchers through comparative studies found that PRRP’simpact on mainstream parties in immigration issue is overestimated and mainstream parties tend toincrease the saliency of immigration issue accordingly. Through regression analysis, this study showsthat the mainstream right chooses to change its position on the immigration issue to be in the sameposition as its PRRP rivals. Analyzing time-series data for Moderaternas´ electoral manifestos in threedifferent elections 2010, 2014, 2018 and SD impact in the Swedish context, this study empiricallyshows that this impact depends on office-seeking incentives, power positions and past electoralperformance for the mainstream right to determine the attractiveness of not only increase the saliencyof immigration issue but also make position change that issue as a response to PRRP impact.