Ideological backtracking in ethnic parties: The case of the Swedish People's Party of Finland

Abstract Scholars have examined the effects of mainstreaming on ethnic parties in various geopolitical contexts throughout Europe. These ethnic parties consistently promote socially liberal policies, constrain ‘illiberal’ actors and prevent democratic backsliding. However, the mainstreaming of right‐wing populist (or far‐right) parties in Europe is causing mainstream ethnic parties to change their behaviours in some unexplored ways, too. In this analysis, we argue that right‐wing populists can cause ethnic parties to experience political relapse—that is, to backtrack on non‐ethnic ideological issues, thereby appearing to compromise on socially liberal policies. Political relapse occurs when ethnic and right‐wing populist parties must work together (such as in coalition governments). While political relapse can polarize and fragment ethnic parties, it also yields some strategic upshots—namely, by appealing to more conservative and disaffected voters. Based on the Swedish People's Party of Finland, this analysis explores the aftermath of the political relapse, which occurred as a result of the leadership's decision to form a coalition government with Finland's influential right‐wing party, the Finns Party, in 2023.