V-Dem Institute

vdeminstitute.bsky.social

24 September 2026 11:34

Looking at some concrete examples from the media, in recent years, hate speech from political parties may have included targeting minorities, using degrading language for political opponents, or calling protesters “beasts”.

V-Dem Institute

vdeminstitute.bsky.social

24 September 2026 11:34

There have also been accounts of political parties disseminating false information, such as in 2023, when the far-right Sweden Democrats, whose parliamentary support the government relies on, were exposed for using troll accounts to mass-produce misleading information and attack other politicians.

V-Dem Institute

vdeminstitute.bsky.social

24 September 2026 11:34

While the decline in the three indicators is still relatively modest, research shows that, if sustained, these developments mutually reinforce each other and can contribute to gradual democratic backsliding by eroding trust in core democratic institutions.

V-Dem Institute

vdeminstitute.bsky.social

24 September 2026 11:34

A score of 3 still means hate speech and disinformation occur rarely. A score of 2 for polarization means differences in opinion are noticeable on about half of key issues, causing some clashes.

V-Dem Institute

vdeminstitute.bsky.social

24 September 2026 11:34

The graph shows a gradual increase in political parties’ hate speech, disinformation, and societal polarization over the last 15 years. Lower scores indicate more frequent hate speech and disinformation, and more severe polarization.