The Big Bad Swedish Politics & News Thread

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

The Scandinavian polling firm SKOP has released their last Swedish polls for 2012 and shows that the next Swedish general election, which will take place in one and half a year, is probably going to be an intresting one.

The incumbent government is currently trailing. The four parties in the centre-right Alliance for Sweden together captures 43,9% of voters. The Liberal-Conservative Moderate party would decrease slightly from their historic high in the 2010 election with 29,1%, the People's Party remain fairly stable at 6,2%. The Christian Democrats has their strongest support in any SKOP poll since the 2010 election with 4,7% of the vote, gaining support above the 4% thresh-hold for the first time in over a year. The Christian Democrats rise can be attributed to gains among rural voters who're leaving their traditional choice the Centre party in droves after that party made some very controversial (understatment) policy changes early in December, and managed to fall bellow the thresh-hold at 3,9% support.

Things are looking slightly better for the left-wing opposition, who currently stands at 47,1%. After finally getting a competent likable leader this year, after two disasterous, unpopular and scandal-ridden ones, the Social Democrats are once again picking up steam and lands it-self on 31,5% support. An increase from the previous election. The real star of the left however remain the Green party, who're at historic highs with 10,3%. The Left party remain stable at 5,3%.    

The left would not however gain their own majority. Despite a autumn filled by scandal the Sweden Democrats remain at a high level with 7,8% support and would thus retain their status as the parliament's "scale-tippers".  


Everything is not looking bad for the government however. According to SKOP they still have a good approval rating. 13% of voters say they strongly approve of the governments work, while 45% say they mostly approve. Only 8% say they strongly disapprove of the government, while 16% say they mostly disapprove. With such strong numbers a rebound for the Alliance seems quite likly. The most popular minister is still Finace Minister Anders Borg, quite unusual for a finance minister.  


SKOP has also made a poll about public support for the monarchy. The support remain fairly high with 70% of Swedes saying they want a monarchy, while 23% would instead prefer a Republic.
Most intresting though is that 60% of Swedes think the King should retire from public office and leave the throne to his eldest daughter, Princess Victoria.    


      

[they don't love you like i love you]

All time high for Sweden Democrats. Ugh.

[ObserverIE]

rural voters who're leaving their traditional choice the Centre party in droves after that party made some very controversial (understatment) policy changes early in December

More details?

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

rural voters who're leaving their traditional choice the Centre party in droves after that party made some very controversial (understatment) policy changes early in December

More details?

Basicly the new platform that the leadership presented took the party in a very Libretairian direction. The three most controversial new positions being:

1) Free-immigration, no regulations or restrictions on immigration at all.
2) No mandatory school, parents who don't want to send their children to school don't have to.
3) Making the federal income-tax flat.

 

[Filuwaúrdjan]

So appealing to their Stockholm yuppie voters rather than their straw-chewing base? Weird.

[You kip if you want to...]

rural voters who're leaving their traditional choice the Centre party in droves after that party made some very controversial (understatment) policy changes early in December

More details?

Basicly the new platform that the leadership presented took the party in a very Libretairian direction. The three most controversial new positions being:

1) Free-immigration, no regulations or restrictions on immigration at all.
2) No mandatory school, parents who don't want to send their children to school don't have to.
3) Making the federal income-tax flat.

 

Almost sounds like a joke...

[Leftbehind]

lol what on earth. Think they need a name change.

[Franzl]

rural voters who're leaving their traditional choice the Centre party in droves after that party made some very controversial (understatment) policy changes early in December

More details?

Basicly the new platform that the leadership presented took the party in a very Libretairian direction. The three most controversial new positions being:

1) Free-immigration, no regulations or restrictions on immigration at all.
2) No mandatory school, parents who don't want to send their children to school don't have to.
3) Making the federal income-tax flat.

 

Would you still vote for them?

[Kitteh]

If the Christian Dems fall below 4%, does the left get a majority?

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

Almost sounds like a joke...

Almost?
I read a Social Democratic editorial that said this makes the party look like a bunch of drunken villiage idiots, and I'm not even sure I disagree.

So appealing to their Stockholm yuppie voters rather than their straw-chewing base? Weird.

That has been the party's strategy since before the 2010 election. It's not been very succesful so far.  The support the party has gained in Stockholm has not been near matching the support the party has lost in rural areas. But this is even beyond that. With the exception of the flat-tax I don't think this appeals to anyone, not even Stockholm's upper-class. 

Would you still vote for them?

Yes, all things considered they're still my team and the party that sits closest to my views on most political issues.
 

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

If the Christian Dems fall below 4%, does the left get a majority?

Potentionally, but not for certain.

[DC Al Fine]

I've got 2 questions for you Swedish Cheese:

1) What kind of "hard right" are the Sweden Democrats? Are they more like UKIP, Geert Wilders or Neo-Nazis?

2) What separates the Moderate, Centre, People's and Christian Democratic parties? The names don't really lend any distinction.

[freefair]

1) Free-immigration, no regulations or restrictions on immigration at all.
2) No mandatory school, parents who don't want to send their children to school don't have to.
3) Making the federal income-tax flat.

As much as i agree with those as policies, the Centre Party is in a poor position be advocating them, it is inappropriate for their political purpose as a centrist agrarian liberal party. The People's Party should be the right wing libertarians in Swedish politics, though it would have to reverse its EUphillia to make its other positions credible.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

I've got 2 questions for you Swedish Cheese:

1) What kind of "hard right" are the Sweden Democrats? Are they more like UKIP, Geert Wilders or Neo-Nazis?

2) What separates the Moderate, Centre, People's and Christian Democratic parties? The names don't really lend any distinction.

1) They're not Neo-Nazis. By European standards their anti-immigration policies are slightly tamer than your general hard-right, and the party tries to make it's arguments based on opposition to multi-culturalism and nationalism rather than racial supremiacy. They're as anti-EU as they get though.

2) All three parties are quite similar on economic issues these days supporting fiscal responsibility and little government intervention in commerce, and lower taxes. They're set apart by social issues really.

The Christian Democrats oppse abortion and gay rights and support traditional Christian values.

The Centre party is liberal on social issues, and enviormentalist, and want do decentralise the governement and are slightly EU-sceptic. (The only government party not supporting the Euro)

The Moderates are moderate on social issues, they're the strongest supporters for a large military and are more supportive of unions and labour-protection than the rest of the right. 

[Hash]

The Centre Party must certainly be run by the same kind of idiots without any actual political sense who ran the federal Liberals into the ground; because even if those policies are nice from a personal standpoint, they're really really horrible ideas for a party like C. I mean, it doesn't even take a high school diploma for anybody to tell that C's support, even in 2010, was stronger outside Stockholm than in the city itself.

[ObserverIE]

rural voters who're leaving their traditional choice the Centre party in droves after that party made some very controversial (understatment) policy changes early in December

More details?

Basicly the new platform that the leadership presented took the party in a very Libretairian direction. The three most controversial new positions being:

1) Free-immigration, no regulations or restrictions on immigration at all.
2) No mandatory school, parents who don't want to send their children to school don't have to.
3) Making the federal income-tax flat.

There's a reference on TheLocal.se about supporting polygamy as well but no further details.

Is there no adult supervision in the decision-making process of the party?

[ObserverIE]

So appealing to their Stockholm yuppie voters rather than their straw-chewing base? Weird.

It manages to make the Lib Dems or Irish Labour look like political geniuses in comparison. Even the FDP might seem competent.

[DC Al Fine]

I've got 2 questions for you Swedish Cheese:

1) What kind of "hard right" are the Sweden Democrats? Are they more like UKIP, Geert Wilders or Neo-Nazis?

2) What separates the Moderate, Centre, People's and Christian Democratic parties? The names don't really lend any distinction.

1) They're not Neo-Nazis. By European standards their anti-immigration policies are slightly tamer than your general hard-right, and the party tries to make it's arguments based on opposition to multi-culturalism and nationalism rather than racial supremiacy. They're as anti-EU as they get though.

2) All three parties are quite similar on economic issues these days supporting fiscal responsibility and little government intervention in commerce, and lower taxes. They're set apart by social issues really.

The Christian Democrats oppse abortion and gay rights and support traditional Christian values.

The Centre party is liberal on social issues, and enviormentalist, and want do decentralise the governement and are slightly EU-sceptic. (The only government party not supporting the Euro)

The Moderates are moderate on social issues, they're the strongest supporters for a large military and are more supportive of unions and labour-protection than the rest of the right. 

Thanks.

[they don't love you like i love you]

What's causing the Sweden Democrats surge?

[Antonio the Sixth]

So, the Social Democrats being 1 point up from their (post-1920) all-time low is now considered good news? Oh Sweden, you used to be so awesome...

And Sweden Democrats at 7%. Countdown before the traditional right cuts a deal...

[Franzl]

So, the Social Democrats being 1 point up from their (post-1920) all-time low is now considered good news? Oh Sweden, you used to be so awesome...

And Sweden Democrats at 7%. Countdown before the traditional right cuts a deal...

Sweden is an objectively awesome place.

[Antonio the Sixth]

So, the Social Democrats being 1 point up from their (post-1920) all-time low is now considered good news? Oh Sweden, you used to be so awesome...

And Sweden Democrats at 7%. Countdown before the traditional right cuts a deal...

Sweden is an objectively awesome place.

True, but its awesomeness results mostly from the legacy of its past.

[Swedish Rainbow Capitalist Cheese]

What's causing the Sweden Democrats surge?

They aren't surgeing as much as they're steadily climbing really. They gained a little for every month since the 2010 election. 7,8% is actually down slightly from some previous polls in 2012. Granted they should be down more considering they've had nothing but bad publicity since mid-june, but then they're not called the Teflon-party for nothing.

Oh Sweden, you used to be so awesome...

Though I am a firm believer in Swedish awsomeness, I'm not sure our history of one-party rule is one of our more awsome sides.    

[Antonio the Sixth]

Oh Sweden, you used to be so awesome...

Though I am a firm believer in Swedish awsomeness, I'm not sure our history of one-party rule is one of our more awsome sides.    

I'm generally not fond of one-party rule... but if said party happens to be the SAP, I'm willing to make an exception.

[ingemann]

What's causing the Sweden Democrats surge?
[/quote

I think the answer lies in this comment below.

rural voters who're leaving their traditional choice the Centre party in droves after that party made some very controversial (understatment) policy changes early in December

More details?

Basicly the new platform that the leadership presented took the party in a very Libretairian direction. The three most controversial new positions being:

1) Free-immigration, no regulations or restrictions on immigration at all.
2) No mandatory school, parents who don't want to send their children to school don't have to.
3) Making the federal income-tax flat.