June List
Encyclopedia
The June List is a Swedish
, eurosceptic
political party
. Founded in 2004, it received 14% in the European Parliament election
of the same year - gaining three seats. In the elections of 2009, however, it saw an 11% slump in support and lost all of its seats. It currently holds no seats in parliament and does not play any active role in Swedish politics.
The party also ran in the Swedish 2006 parliamentary election
, but it only received 0.47% of the votes, far below the 4% needed to get into parliament.
referendum held in September 2003, in which the adoption of the euro was rejected.
The party's co-founder is Nils Lundgren
, a former member of the Swedish Social Democratic Party
and chief economist of the bank Nordea
, who is sceptical of the euro
. Lundgren hoped to receive support from eurosceptical voters dissatisfied with their usual parties' positive attitudes towards the euro and further European integration. Among the Swedish parties represented in parliament, only the Left Party
and the Green Party
are eurosceptic, while the Social Democratic Party, the major left-wing party, and all right-wing parties are positive towards European integration. Aiming at receiving support from this broad political spectrum, the board of the party contained people that had been previously active in both left- and right-wing parties.
The party takes its name from the June Movement
in Denmark
, which is a eurosceptic party named after the timing of the Danish referendum
that rejected the Treaty of Maastricht. The June Movement was also a major source of inspiration for the June List.
, thereby gaining three of the 19 Swedish seats. The three MEP
s were Nils Lundgren, former social democrat Hélène Goudin
and former Christian democrat Lars Wohlin
.
In 2006 Wohlin, left the June List for the Christian Democrats, leaving the party with only two seats. Wohlin stated that he wanted to be able to "work for the Christian Democrats and the Alliance for Sweden
in the 2006 parliamentary election" as reason for leaving the June List.
The June List was one of the founding members of the Independence and Democracy
group in the European Parliament.
At one point it seemed possible that the party might be able to break the 4% threshold necessary to enter parliament, with the party reaching 4.5% in the polls in September 2005, but after that peak the party's support plummeted well below the 4% barrier and in the months before the election it became clear that the party would not be taking seats in parliament that year. In the end, the party received only 26,072 votes (0.47%).
Swedish businessman Sven Hagströmer
, one of the two men who gave his name to the Hagströmer & Qviberg
group of companies, served on the board of the party.
and lost all of its seats in the European parliament.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, eurosceptic
EuroSceptic
EuroSceptic is the second album of British singer Jack Lucien. It was released in October 2009.Due to being an album influenced by Europop, it features songs with parts in different languages...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. Founded in 2004, it received 14% in the European Parliament election
European Parliament election, 2004
Elections to the European Parliament were held from 10 June 2004 to 13 June 2004 in the 25 member states of the European Union, using varying election days according to local custom...
of the same year - gaining three seats. In the elections of 2009, however, it saw an 11% slump in support and lost all of its seats. It currently holds no seats in parliament and does not play any active role in Swedish politics.
The party also ran in the Swedish 2006 parliamentary election
Swedish general election, 2006
A general election was held in Sweden on 17 September 2006, to elect members to the Swedish parliament. All 349 seats were up for election: 310 "fixed seats" in 29 constituencies and 39 members at a national level for what are called "adjustment seats", used to ensure that parties have...
, but it only received 0.47% of the votes, far below the 4% needed to get into parliament.
Foundation
The party was formed in 2004, in the wake of the Swedish euroEuro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
referendum held in September 2003, in which the adoption of the euro was rejected.
The party's co-founder is Nils Lundgren
Nils Lundgren
Nils Gustav Herman Lundgren is a Swedish politician, economist, eurosceptic and former Member of the European Parliament. He was the leader of the eurosceptical June List, which he also co-founded....
, a former member of the Swedish Social Democratic Party
Swedish Social Democratic Party
The Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party, , contesting elections as 'the Workers' Party – the Social Democrats' , or sometimes referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' and most commonly as Sossarna ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1889...
and chief economist of the bank Nordea
Nordea
Nordea Bank AB is a Stockholm-based financial services group operating in Northern Europe. The bank is the result of the successive mergers and acquisitions of the Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Norwegian banks of Nordbanken, Merita Bank, Unibank and Kreditkassen that took place between 1997 and 2000...
, who is sceptical of the euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
. Lundgren hoped to receive support from eurosceptical voters dissatisfied with their usual parties' positive attitudes towards the euro and further European integration. Among the Swedish parties represented in parliament, only the Left Party
Left Party (Sweden)
The Left Party is a socialist and feminist political party in Sweden, from 1967 to 1990 known as the Left Party – The Communists .On welfare issues, the party opposes privatizations...
and the Green Party
Green Party (Sweden)
-External links:**...
are eurosceptic, while the Social Democratic Party, the major left-wing party, and all right-wing parties are positive towards European integration. Aiming at receiving support from this broad political spectrum, the board of the party contained people that had been previously active in both left- and right-wing parties.
The party takes its name from the June Movement
June Movement
The June Movement was a Danish eurosceptic political organisation founded 23 August 1992. It took its name from the referendum on the Maastricht Treaty that took place in Denmark in June of that year...
in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, which is a eurosceptic party named after the timing of the Danish referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
that rejected the Treaty of Maastricht. The June Movement was also a major source of inspiration for the June List.
2004 European Parliament election
The party succeeded in capturing 14% of the votes in the 2004 European Parliament electionEuropean Parliament election, 2004 (Sweden)
The European Parliament election of 2004 in Sweden was the election of MEP representing Sweden constituency for the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 2004 European election. The vote took place on June 13...
, thereby gaining three of the 19 Swedish seats. The three MEP
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
s were Nils Lundgren, former social democrat Hélène Goudin
Hélène Goudin
Hélène Goudin is a Swedish politician and Member of the European Parliament for the June List; part of the Independence and Democracy group. Goudin is a Vice Chair of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and Co-President and Treasurer of the EUDemocrats - Alliance for a Europe of Democracies.-...
and former Christian democrat Lars Wohlin
Lars Wohlin
Lars Magnus Wohlin is a Swedish politician and Member of the European Parliament. He was elected into the European Parliament as a member of the June List, but later joined Kristdemokraterna....
.
In 2006 Wohlin, left the June List for the Christian Democrats, leaving the party with only two seats. Wohlin stated that he wanted to be able to "work for the Christian Democrats and the Alliance for Sweden
Alliance for Sweden
The Alliance , formerly Alliance for Sweden , is a political alliance in Sweden. It consists of the four centre-right parties in the Riksdag...
in the 2006 parliamentary election" as reason for leaving the June List.
The June List was one of the founding members of the Independence and Democracy
Independence and Democracy
The Independence/Democracy Group in the European Parliament was a group of eurosceptic and eurorealist political parties in the 2004-2009 term of the European Parliament. It collapsed following the 2009 European elections after losing many of its MEPs....
group in the European Parliament.
2006 elections
The June List was on the ballot for the 2006 parliamentary elections in Sweden. The party's platform during the election focused on a few main issues: to increase the number of people working in the private sector, hence increasing the state's tax income, a referendum on the European Union constitution and nuclear power, and increased municipal autonomy and more local referendums. All issues that were not in the party's relatively short party program were left to the approximately 100 candidates to decide on. The voters were encouraged to chose to vote for a particular June List candidate that they preferred rather than to cast a general ballot for the party itself.At one point it seemed possible that the party might be able to break the 4% threshold necessary to enter parliament, with the party reaching 4.5% in the polls in September 2005, but after that peak the party's support plummeted well below the 4% barrier and in the months before the election it became clear that the party would not be taking seats in parliament that year. In the end, the party received only 26,072 votes (0.47%).
Swedish businessman Sven Hagströmer
Sven Hagströmer
Sven Johan Gösta Barthen Hagströmer is a Swedish financier and businessman. Together with his business partner Mats Qviberg, he controls a group of companies including HQ Bank, Avanza Bank and Investment AB Öresund....
, one of the two men who gave his name to the Hagströmer & Qviberg
Hagströmer & Qviberg
HQ AB is a Swedish finance and banking corporation founded by Sven Hagströmer and Mats Qviberg, and which is currently being liquidated after having had its banking licence revoked on August 28, 2010.-History:...
group of companies, served on the board of the party.
2009 European Parliament election
The June List suffered a significant decline in its support at the 2009 electionEuropean Parliament election, 2009 (Sweden)
The European Parliament election of 2009 in Sweden was held on 7 June 2009 and determined the makeup of the Swedish delegation to the European Parliament. The election was held using a modified form of the Sainte-Laguë method of party-list proportional representation using the entire country as a...
and lost all of its seats in the European parliament.