Are right-wing populist parties fundamentally diff erent from other types? Th is article exploresone aspect of what we call the exceptionalist thesis. Th e thesis could be applied to a wide rangeof party characteristics, but here we focus on leadership. In this context, our case study is of theSweden Democrats (SD). First, we examine how SD selects its leader. Second, we assess how leadershipworks in practice in SD, especially regarding party management. We also review how thisleadership style has gone down with voters. We mix our own interpretation of these data withother scholars’ assessments. Generally, we fi nd little evidence, at least in this exploratory inquiry,to support the exceptionalist thesis.