Swedish Parliamentary Election 2022
Jul 6, 2022 11:48:52 GMT
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Post by nelson on Jul 6, 2022 11:48:52 GMT
Sweden will be electing a new Riksdag on Sunday the 11th of September. There is a 4% national threshold and the Greens are currently below it in most polls.
As has been the case in recent Swedish elections government negotiations are going to be tricky, Social Democratic PM Magdalena Andersson needs to unite the liberal (economically Thatcherite) Centre Party and the hard left Left Party behind her, her challenger Ulf Kristersson from the Moderates also have to unite parties that won't govern together, but his task is somewhat easier.
Parties with a chance of entering the Riksdag:
Sweden Democrats (SD): Right wing populists with a fairly moderate platform, but some unsavory roots on the far right and has been tainted by a continuous string of scandals involving party members. Led by the very capable Jimmie Åkesson, one of the best communicators in Swedish politics.
Christian Democrats (KD): The most right wing of the Nordic Christian Democrats with roots in free church circles outside of the established Lutheran church (Pentecostals etc.), has over the years been joined by people who don't consider the Moderates to be true blue Conservatives. Still has "soft" positions on development aid, family reunification, healthcare and elderly care, but generally to the right of the Moderates on most issues.
Moderates (M): The Swedish Conservatives, the country's main centre-right party that unites a fairly broad coalition of traditional Conservatives and "business liberals", has moved closer to SD on immigration in recent years. Led by Ulf Kristersson, who is the centre-right's PM candidate. He was originally a business liberal, but has reinvented himself as a more hardline Conservative.
Liberals (L): Mainly the party of professionals in the big cities, looked destined to finish below the threshold due to factional infighting and lack of a clear profile. But a combination of the other Liberal party (Centre) gearing up for governing with the Social Democrats and the Ukraine war lifting issues they have been the strongest advocates for (NATO membership, defence, nuclear power and energy independence) to the top of the political agenda seems to have saved them. Currently controlled by their right wing (known as the "Requirement Liberals") but also has a Social Liberal left wing. They have a leadership election coming up in December, but their interim leader is currently doing a good job.
Centre (C): Traditionally a centrist party representing rural interests and with a green image on non-farming/forestry related issues, but has for a long time included economically thatcherite/libertarian and socially progressive/"woke" urban middle class voters, their party leader Annie Lööf is both a farmers' daughter and an economic thatcherite and one of the most controversial figures in Swedish politics. Their diehard opposition to the Sweden Democrats has led the party to prefer a SocDem led government to a centre-right dependent on SD. The main centre-right party in big parts of Northern Sweden where it tends to be a more traditional centre-right party.
Social Democratic Labour Party (S or SAP): Historically one of the world's strongest and most dominant Social Democratic parties they led the government 1932-1976 (apart from a few months in 1936) during which time they transformed Sweden from a quite harsh class society to an egalitarian welfare state, known as the Folkhem (home of the people), but their core voters are dying off and the party has less appeal to younger voters, they currently form a one-party government after the Greens left it.
The Left Party (V): The former Communist Party, which now has a broader ecologist, anti-racist and feminist appeal but is still more ideologically driven than most ex-Communist parties. Led by 37-year old ethnically Kurdish Nooshi Dadgostar, who has shown willingness to challenge the SocDems in a more robust manner than previous party leaders.
The Greens (Mp): Progressive and environmentalist party, was originally co-founded by Liberals and includes more centrist types locally, but is now firmly on the left nationally. A party in crisis which has been unable to benefit from the climate crisis, is seen as a perpetual junior partner to the SAP and has had problems with entryism from Islamists.
The parties' preferred government among the realistic options (an S, V, Mp majority is considered unrealistic):
Sweden Democrats: M, SD, KD (distrust L), won't promise to support a government they aren't part of
Moderates: M, KD, L with confidence-and-supply from SD
Christian Democrats: M/KD with confidence-and-supply from SD and L
Liberals: M, KD, L with as little influence to SD as possible
Centre: Unofficially S/C, oppose any formalized agreement with V
Social Democrats: S/C with Mp added if need be
Greens: Majority government of S, V, Mp and C with conflicts solved internally
Left Party: Majority government of S, V, Mp and C with conflicts solved internally
As has been the case in recent Swedish elections government negotiations are going to be tricky, Social Democratic PM Magdalena Andersson needs to unite the liberal (economically Thatcherite) Centre Party and the hard left Left Party behind her, her challenger Ulf Kristersson from the Moderates also have to unite parties that won't govern together, but his task is somewhat easier.
Parties with a chance of entering the Riksdag:
Sweden Democrats (SD): Right wing populists with a fairly moderate platform, but some unsavory roots on the far right and has been tainted by a continuous string of scandals involving party members. Led by the very capable Jimmie Åkesson, one of the best communicators in Swedish politics.
Christian Democrats (KD): The most right wing of the Nordic Christian Democrats with roots in free church circles outside of the established Lutheran church (Pentecostals etc.), has over the years been joined by people who don't consider the Moderates to be true blue Conservatives. Still has "soft" positions on development aid, family reunification, healthcare and elderly care, but generally to the right of the Moderates on most issues.
Moderates (M): The Swedish Conservatives, the country's main centre-right party that unites a fairly broad coalition of traditional Conservatives and "business liberals", has moved closer to SD on immigration in recent years. Led by Ulf Kristersson, who is the centre-right's PM candidate. He was originally a business liberal, but has reinvented himself as a more hardline Conservative.
Liberals (L): Mainly the party of professionals in the big cities, looked destined to finish below the threshold due to factional infighting and lack of a clear profile. But a combination of the other Liberal party (Centre) gearing up for governing with the Social Democrats and the Ukraine war lifting issues they have been the strongest advocates for (NATO membership, defence, nuclear power and energy independence) to the top of the political agenda seems to have saved them. Currently controlled by their right wing (known as the "Requirement Liberals") but also has a Social Liberal left wing. They have a leadership election coming up in December, but their interim leader is currently doing a good job.
Centre (C): Traditionally a centrist party representing rural interests and with a green image on non-farming/forestry related issues, but has for a long time included economically thatcherite/libertarian and socially progressive/"woke" urban middle class voters, their party leader Annie Lööf is both a farmers' daughter and an economic thatcherite and one of the most controversial figures in Swedish politics. Their diehard opposition to the Sweden Democrats has led the party to prefer a SocDem led government to a centre-right dependent on SD. The main centre-right party in big parts of Northern Sweden where it tends to be a more traditional centre-right party.
Social Democratic Labour Party (S or SAP): Historically one of the world's strongest and most dominant Social Democratic parties they led the government 1932-1976 (apart from a few months in 1936) during which time they transformed Sweden from a quite harsh class society to an egalitarian welfare state, known as the Folkhem (home of the people), but their core voters are dying off and the party has less appeal to younger voters, they currently form a one-party government after the Greens left it.
The Left Party (V): The former Communist Party, which now has a broader ecologist, anti-racist and feminist appeal but is still more ideologically driven than most ex-Communist parties. Led by 37-year old ethnically Kurdish Nooshi Dadgostar, who has shown willingness to challenge the SocDems in a more robust manner than previous party leaders.
The Greens (Mp): Progressive and environmentalist party, was originally co-founded by Liberals and includes more centrist types locally, but is now firmly on the left nationally. A party in crisis which has been unable to benefit from the climate crisis, is seen as a perpetual junior partner to the SAP and has had problems with entryism from Islamists.
The parties' preferred government among the realistic options (an S, V, Mp majority is considered unrealistic):
Sweden Democrats: M, SD, KD (distrust L), won't promise to support a government they aren't part of
Moderates: M, KD, L with confidence-and-supply from SD
Christian Democrats: M/KD with confidence-and-supply from SD and L
Liberals: M, KD, L with as little influence to SD as possible
Centre: Unofficially S/C, oppose any formalized agreement with V
Social Democrats: S/C with Mp added if need be
Greens: Majority government of S, V, Mp and C with conflicts solved internally
Left Party: Majority government of S, V, Mp and C with conflicts solved internally
