2010 Swedish general election: Difference between revisions
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→Analysis: Correction of ideological filtering, identification of critical ideas explaining electoral outcomes which even if disputed are part of the history of the election. |
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''[[The Irish Times]]'' saw the rise of the SD as sending "ripples of shock not only through the country but through European politics," and asked "Is this finally it for the 'Swedish model'" that has been represented as a "meld of liberal values, high taxes, outstanding childcare and welfare that made the country the poster boy for European social democracy?"<ref name="irishtimes"/> |
''[[The Irish Times]]'' saw the rise of the SD as sending "ripples of shock not only through the country but through European politics," and asked "Is this finally it for the 'Swedish model'" that has been represented as a "meld of liberal values, high taxes, outstanding childcare and welfare that made the country the poster boy for European social democracy?"<ref name="irishtimes"/> |
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Critics of the left coalition’s performance pointed to some of the reasons for the failure of the non-Green Left and largely debunks the argument that electoral failure was based on external factors. These critiques are themselves significant as an example of what various intellectuals were thinking in the immediate aftermath of the election, i.e. hence a party of the history of the election’s politics. An attempt to blame external factors for the Left's electoral failure was seen as part of an attempt by some party leaders to avoid responsibility for electoral defeat. This is based on a general pattern of nationalist politics in which different political blocs have used foreign developments to influence domestic political outcomes in Sweden. <ref> For more on the limits to the Swedish stimulus based on published OECD statistics and reports in South Korean newspapers, see: Jonathan Michael Feldman, “The Green New Deal…and Sweden’s Economy, Environmental, and Energy Crisis,” Utsikt Världen, No. 3, 2009. </ref> |
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Firstly, the Social Democratic party failed to sufficiently differentiate itself from the Right (see below). The Right and Left blocs both supported tax cuts, although the Left also wanted to raise some taxes, and neither supported a significant Keynesian stimulus. <ref> "'Swedish model' party in crisis". Swedishwire.com. http://www.swedishwire.com/component/content/article/2:politics/6316:swedish-model-party-in-crisis. Retrieved 2010-09-26.</ref> |
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Second, when the Social Democratic government held power their integration programs were weak, followed by weaker efforts from the right wing incumbents, allowing the Sweden Democrats to point to the integration problems that followed. The Left constantly defended "welfare" and the "welfare state," whereas the Right pointed more effectively to lower taxes, jobs, innovation, entrepreneurship and business development. The Right offered low taxes and a smaller state backed by growth. The Left gave the impression of offering more taxes and welfare, saying little about core issues regarding economic growth. <ref>"Jonathan M. Feldman: Why the Swedish Left Lost". Counterpunch.org. http://www.counterpunch.org/feldman09222010.html. Retrieved 2010-09-26.; see also the broadcast of the final major TV debate with English translation as reproduced on the Swedish Television website for evidence about the differences in electoral discourse, http://svtplay.se/v/2152616/valet_2010/in_english__the_final_debate and see http://www.thelocal.se/29156/20100921/</ref> |
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Third, the Greens made gains, in part because they offered innovative green growth policies, but the Left bloc as a whole failed to counter the Rights' appeals to the middle class. The Social Democrats failed to win over the middle class and had completely lost touch with their original vision which had made them a dominant political party. <ref>See Feldman, op. cit.; http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/world/europe/21iht-sweden.html for support that the Moderate Party gained middle class support, a position supported by editorial comments in Dagens Nyheter after the election. </ref>Some critics concluded that the Left would continue to lose support unless the Left promoted examples of a workable alternative economy through examples at the local level. <ref>See Feldman, op. cit. </ref> |
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The case of Annika Holmqvist, a seriously ill 55-year old woman who had her sickness benefits withdrawn and was requested to seek work, allegedly due to the Alliance's reforms of Sweden's social security system, gave the opposition a late boost in its campaign. ''[[The Local]]'' thinks it might have deprived the Alliance of an overall majority. Holmqvist's daughter wrote about her case in a [[web log]] post that gained publicity and became a hot topic in the debates. In spite of promises of a solution, after the election it was decided Holmqvist will lose her benefits.<ref>[http://www.thelocal.se/29108/20100919/ Reinfeldt rocked by 'chlamydia letter'], The Local, 19 September 2010</ref><ref>[http://www.thelocal.se/29150/20100921/ 'Chlamydia letter' blogger deprived of benefits], The Local, 21 September 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.americablog.com/2010/09/how-blog-post-is-changing-swedish.html How a young woman's blog post is changing the Swedish elections], [[John Aravosis]]</ref> |
The case of Annika Holmqvist, a seriously ill 55-year old woman who had her sickness benefits withdrawn and was requested to seek work, allegedly due to the Alliance's reforms of Sweden's social security system, gave the opposition a late boost in its campaign. ''[[The Local]]'' thinks it might have deprived the Alliance of an overall majority. Holmqvist's daughter wrote about her case in a [[web log]] post that gained publicity and became a hot topic in the debates. In spite of promises of a solution, after the election it was decided Holmqvist will lose her benefits.<ref>[http://www.thelocal.se/29108/20100919/ Reinfeldt rocked by 'chlamydia letter'], The Local, 19 September 2010</ref><ref>[http://www.thelocal.se/29150/20100921/ 'Chlamydia letter' blogger deprived of benefits], The Local, 21 September 2010.</ref><ref>[http://www.americablog.com/2010/09/how-blog-post-is-changing-swedish.html How a young woman's blog post is changing the Swedish elections], [[John Aravosis]]</ref> |
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The 2010 general election to the Riksdag or Swedish parliament was held on 19 September 2010. The governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, led by Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt (leader of the liberal-conservative Moderate Party), faced an election battle against the opposing Red-Greens coalition, led by Mona Sahlin (leader of the Social Democrats), with the outgoing government narrowly leading in pre-election polling.
Final results showed the Alliance winning 173 seats, 2 short of an overall majority, with the Red-Green coalition dropping to 156 seats. The Sweden Democrats broke the 4% national vote threshold and won 20 seats, entering the parliament for the first time.[2][3] Negotiations for the new government are ongoing, and it seems likely that the centre-right coalition will form a minority government with Reinfeldt renewing his office.[4]
Campaign
One of the main campaign themes was the Economy of Sweden.
Reinfeldt ruled out forming a government in cooperation with the Sweden Democrats.[5] Both parliamentary blocs pledged not to seek support from the SD saying the party represents "xenophobic views that run counter to Sweden's tradition of tolerance."[6]
The Sweden Democrats (SD) have said they want to cut asylum and immigration by relatives of those already living in Sweden by 90 percent. It also describes Muslim immigration as the "biggest foreign threat to Sweden since Second World War."[6]
Polling
After the election in September 2006, the government slipped well behind the red-green opposition in the polls. A Sifo poll conducted in February 2008 showed the three opposition parties leading over the government with 19.4 percentage points. However, this lead steadily eroded during the second half of the government's term, even despite the opposition joining its forces against the ruling Alliance in a Red-Green co-operation in December 2008.
▄ Red-Green coalition █ Social Democratic Party ▄ The Alliance █ Moderate Party
Sweden Democrats were expected to enter the Parliament for the first time, as party's polling results exceeded the 4% entry threshold since June 2009. Green Party also made a significant transformation from the smallest elected party to the third largest party during the term, overtaking the Left Party, the Christian Democrats, the Liberals and even the Centre Party in most polls following the 2006 election.
█ Green Party █ Liberal People's Party ▄ Centre Party █ Left Party ▄ Christian Democrats █ Sweden Democrats █ Other
Controversy
There was controversy between the parties represented in parliament and other parties on the ballot. One unrepresented party, the Sweden Democrats (SD) faced especially sharp opposition from the established parties and from critics.
Debates
The parties already represented in the Swedish parliament, along with the Swedish television networks, have excluded minor parties, most notably SD[7] (but also the June List, the Feminist Initiative, and the Pirate Party), from the televised political debates.[citation needed]
Sweden Democrats
The Sweden Democrats have had their rallies disrupted by political activists associated with left-wing and anti-racist movements. Some SD party members were threatened.[8] For many years, the party's meetings have been disturbed by demonstrations by left-wing groups such as Anti-Fascist Action and other opposing groups.[9]
On 13 September in Gothenburg, about 500 counter-demonstrators prevented the Sweden Democrats from making a planned election rally.[10] Police used pepper spray to disperse the counter-demonstration, which lacked a permit, and seven people were detained.[10]
On 14 September, the Sweden Democrats cancelled planned rallies in three cities, Eskilstuna, Karlstad, and Uddevalla, because of security concerns. Similarly, concerns about security led to an election tour being cancelled on 15 September in Norrköping.[11][12]
After these cancelled election rallies, the National Police Commissioner Bengt Svenson severely criticized the county police for failing to safeguard the Sweden Democrats: "It is not possible to implement them [in those locales], so the police have failed in its planning and execution of its mission. [ . . . ] It is a serious problem when such meetings cannot be held, because it is our absolute duty to ensure that the constitutionally guaranteed rights be maintained and that all meetings can be held".[13]
A privately owned television network, TV4, refused to air a SD campaign video, which was then uploaded to Youtube and viewed more than 600,000 times. The SD video portrayed a track-meet, in which the race is for pension funds. In the video, a Swedish pensioner is out-run by burka-clad women.[7] Several politicians in Denmark, where the Danish People's Party is part of the governing coalition, reacted to the TV4 decision by calling for international election observers to be sent to Sweden.[14] These attempts to limit the SD message were described by Al Jazeera as counterproductive in that they enabled the SD to portray itself as a victim of censorship.[7]
Similarly, Hanne Kjöller of Dagens Nyheter hypothesised that the attacks strengthened the Sweden Democrats rather than hurting the party's support base. "Jimmie Åkesson becomes a poor underdog and the picture of a party that is holding some dangerous but important truth is enhanced." The Sweden Democrats should send the left-wing extremists flowers, thanking them for the publicity.[15]
One reported attack against a Sweden Democrat politician may have been fabricated. Examining one SD politician who reported being attacked, a forensic medical doctor reported that the evidence suggested that his wounds could have been self inflicted. The SD politician has been questioned by the police for possibly falsely reporting a crime.[8]
Results
Equal
The Alliance
As exit polls conducted by the national broadcaster Swedish Television predicted, the Sweden Democrats reached the 4% threshold to enter parliament for the first time.[6]
A preliminary count of 5,668 voting districts showed the Alliance of Fredrik Reinfeld ahead of the Red-Greens, with 172 seats.[16] This, however, fell short of the 175 seats needed for an absolute majority and the Sweden Democrats would apparently be holding the balance of power in the new parliament.[17][18] Reinfeld declared that he had no intention to cooperate with the Sweden Democrats.[19]
On September 23 the final results[1] showed the Centre Party gaining an adjustment seat in Dalarna, giving the Alliance a total seat count of 173, still two seats short of an absolute majority. The Alliance's Liberal People's Party ended up only 7 and 19 votes short from gaining additional seats in Gothenburg and Värmland respectively,[20] but according to Svante Linusson, Professor of Mathematics at the Royal Institute of Technology, the actual margin was still over 800 votes.[21][22]
Template:Swedish general election, 2010
Reactions
On the day after the election, anti-Sweden Democrat rallies took place in a number of Swedish cities. Reports indicated that 10,000 people were estimated to have marched in Stockholm under banners reading "We are ashamed", "No racists in Parliament",[23] and "Refugees -- welcome!". In Gothenburg, 5,000 people took part in a "sorrow march against racism", and 2,000 people marched in Malmö. As support for the SD was strongest in the southern most province Scania, where the party received about 10% percent of the vote, and in the neighbouring province Blekinge, where they received 9.9 percent; the foreign media quoted "some people" from further north of the country as calling for Scania to be handed back to Denmark (conquered by the Swedes 1658),[citation needed] where the Danish People's Party were seen as an inspiration for the SD.
The Expressen wrote in an editorial "The banner of tolerance has been hauled down and the forces of darkness have finally also taken the Swedish democracy as a hostage. It's a day of sorrow." Svenska Dagbladet said "[It is] time for the Swedes to get themselves a new national self-image [as the election] created a new picture of Sweden".[24]
Analysis
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"While it’s hard to say that Sweden has woken up to a new self-image, one can say that this is more like a normal European situation and is similar to other western European countries with a proportional election system, where a populist right-wing party has seats in parliament. It’s the party that is the least liked among other voters, so it is not surprising that people have reacted with dismay". Carl Dahlstroem, professor of politics at Gothenburg University.
The election was a landmark for its impact on the Social Democrats, which had been in government for 65 of the last 78 years and who have never lost two consecutive elections. This was their worst result since universal suffrage in 1921. Its decline was seen in the international media as a reflection of the party's inability to adapt, an increasingly technocratic profile, a failure to address immigration concerns, as well as Reinfeldt's success in managing the economy. The Social Democratic failure drew parallels with a larger decline of European left parties.[25] Swedish political scientist Stig-Björn Ljunggren said the "The Social Democrats no longer symbolise the Swedish model. They've lost their magic." The Dagens Nyheter postulated that electoral failure was based on internal factors, such that the Social Democrats failed to win over the middle class and had completely lost touch with their original vision which had made them a dominant political party.[26] An attempt to blame external factors for their electoral failure was seen as part of an attempt by party leaders to avoid responsibility for electoral defeat. This is based on a general pattern of nationalist politics in which different political blocs have used foreign developments to influence domestic political outcomes in Sweden.[citation needed]
The Irish Times saw the rise of the SD as sending "ripples of shock not only through the country but through European politics," and asked "Is this finally it for the 'Swedish model'" that has been represented as a "meld of liberal values, high taxes, outstanding childcare and welfare that made the country the poster boy for European social democracy?"[25]
Critics of the left coalition’s performance pointed to some of the reasons for the failure of the non-Green Left and largely debunks the argument that electoral failure was based on external factors. These critiques are themselves significant as an example of what various intellectuals were thinking in the immediate aftermath of the election, i.e. hence a party of the history of the election’s politics. An attempt to blame external factors for the Left's electoral failure was seen as part of an attempt by some party leaders to avoid responsibility for electoral defeat. This is based on a general pattern of nationalist politics in which different political blocs have used foreign developments to influence domestic political outcomes in Sweden. [27] Firstly, the Social Democratic party failed to sufficiently differentiate itself from the Right (see below). The Right and Left blocs both supported tax cuts, although the Left also wanted to raise some taxes, and neither supported a significant Keynesian stimulus. [28]
Second, when the Social Democratic government held power their integration programs were weak, followed by weaker efforts from the right wing incumbents, allowing the Sweden Democrats to point to the integration problems that followed. The Left constantly defended "welfare" and the "welfare state," whereas the Right pointed more effectively to lower taxes, jobs, innovation, entrepreneurship and business development. The Right offered low taxes and a smaller state backed by growth. The Left gave the impression of offering more taxes and welfare, saying little about core issues regarding economic growth. [29]
Third, the Greens made gains, in part because they offered innovative green growth policies, but the Left bloc as a whole failed to counter the Rights' appeals to the middle class. The Social Democrats failed to win over the middle class and had completely lost touch with their original vision which had made them a dominant political party. [30]Some critics concluded that the Left would continue to lose support unless the Left promoted examples of a workable alternative economy through examples at the local level. [31]
The case of Annika Holmqvist, a seriously ill 55-year old woman who had her sickness benefits withdrawn and was requested to seek work, allegedly due to the Alliance's reforms of Sweden's social security system, gave the opposition a late boost in its campaign. The Local thinks it might have deprived the Alliance of an overall majority. Holmqvist's daughter wrote about her case in a web log post that gained publicity and became a hot topic in the debates. In spite of promises of a solution, after the election it was decided Holmqvist will lose her benefits.[32][33][34]
There was still a likelihood of Reinfeldt's coalition partners staying in office in a minority government. However, this would be only be possible with backing from one or more opposition parties in the Red-Green Alliance. If a government is not formed a new election would have to be called. The Moderate Party was still seen as one of the big winners of the election because of its "well-executed campaign" that emphasised Sweden’s "remarkable political and economic stability in a turbulent world" after Sweden weathered the recession, despite mass unemployment the economic growth in 2010 was the highest in Western Europe.[5] Reinfeldt said the Green Party were his most likely new coalition partner saying "There is no need to use words like chaos. My intention is to use the upcoming period to work through the challenges for Sweden. A clear presentation of the government needs to be made available by the beginning of October."[35]
References
- ^ a b "Val 2010 - Röster - All 6063 electoral districts counted" (in Swedish). The Election Authority (Valmyndigheten). 23 September 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
- ^ "Alliansens dröm gick i kras" (in Template:Sv icon). DN.se. 20 September 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "Live Blog: election night in Sweden". The Local. 20 September 2010.
- ^ "Reinfeldt phones Sahlin to talk cooperation". The Local. 28 September 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
- ^ a b "Economy trumps welfare worries in tight Swedish election - The Local". Thelocal.se. 22 September 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
- ^ a b c Wikstrom, Cajsa (20 September 2010). "Swedish ruling bloc retains power". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
- ^ a b c Wikstrom, Cajsa (19 September 2010). "Far-right tests Swedish tolerance". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
- ^ a b "Läkare: Hakkors ristades in själv" (in Swedish). Sveriges Television. Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå. 18 September 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
- ^ "I Sveriges namn". Dagens Nyheter Retrieved 2006-05-25. (Swedish)
- ^ a b "Demonstrators stopped the SD meeting". Profile. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
- ^ Brandel, Tobias (15 september 2010). "SD kan inte hålla möten". Svenska Dagbladet. Retrieved 16 september 2010.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|date=(help) - ^ Engstrom, Henry (15 September 2010). .folkbladet.se/news/artikel.aspx?articleid=5353123 "threatened SD meeting was canceled". Folkbladet. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
{{cite news}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ "National Police Commissioner criticizes police Värmland". Sveriges Television. 16 September 2010. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
- ^ Danish Politicians Call for Election Observers in Sweden Der Spiegel 2010-09-01
- ^ "Sverigedemokraterna: Blommogram till extremvänstern" Dagens Nyheter 18 September 2010
- ^ Template:Sv "Val till riksdagen - Valnatt". val.se. 2010-09.20. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ McGuinness, Damien (20 September 2010). "Sweden narrowly re-elects centre-right alliance". BBC Online. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
- ^ Lannin, Patrick (20 September 2010). "Swedish centre-right wins ballot but loses majority". Reuters. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
- ^ Stiernstedt, Jenny (20 September 2010). "Alliansen segrar – SD blir vågmästare". Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 20 September 2010.
- ^ "Alliansens majoritetsdröm upp i rök" (in Swedish). DN.se. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
- ^ "Rösterna är färdigräknade" (in Swedish). SvD.se. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2010.
- ^ Superrysare, Aftonbladet
- ^ "Mass demonstration: We are ashamed", Sveriges Radio.
- ^ Magnusson, Niklas (21 September 2010). "Swedes Protest on Streets as Anti-Immigrants Enter Parliament". Bloomberg. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
- ^ a b "Sweden's right - The Irish Times - Wed, Sep 22, 2010". The Irish Times. 22 September 2010. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
- ^ "'Swedish model' party in crisis". Swedishwire.com. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
- ^ For more on the limits to the Swedish stimulus based on published OECD statistics and reports in South Korean newspapers, see: Jonathan Michael Feldman, “The Green New Deal…and Sweden’s Economy, Environmental, and Energy Crisis,” Utsikt Världen, No. 3, 2009.
- ^ "'Swedish model' party in crisis". Swedishwire.com. http://www.swedishwire.com/component/content/article/2:politics/6316:swedish-model-party-in-crisis. Retrieved 2010-09-26.
- ^ "Jonathan M. Feldman: Why the Swedish Left Lost". Counterpunch.org. http://www.counterpunch.org/feldman09222010.html. Retrieved 2010-09-26.; see also the broadcast of the final major TV debate with English translation as reproduced on the Swedish Television website for evidence about the differences in electoral discourse, http://svtplay.se/v/2152616/valet_2010/in_english__the_final_debate and see http://www.thelocal.se/29156/20100921/
- ^ See Feldman, op. cit.; http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/world/europe/21iht-sweden.html for support that the Moderate Party gained middle class support, a position supported by editorial comments in Dagens Nyheter after the election.
- ^ See Feldman, op. cit.
- ^ Reinfeldt rocked by 'chlamydia letter', The Local, 19 September 2010
- ^ 'Chlamydia letter' blogger deprived of benefits, The Local, 21 September 2010.
- ^ How a young woman's blog post is changing the Swedish elections, John Aravosis
- ^ "Protests over Swedish far-right party election gains | IceNews - Daily News". Icenews.is. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
External links
- Val 2010 from the main website, english version
- NSD: European Election Database - Sweden publishes regional level election data; allows for comparisons of election results, 1992–2010
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