Swedish general election, 2010
Encyclopedia
A general election to the Riksdag
, parliament of Sweden
, was held on . The main contenders of the election were the governing
centre-right coalition the Alliance (consisting of the Moderate Party
, the Centre Party
, the Liberal People's Party
and the Christian Democrats
) and the oppositional centre-left Red-Greens
coalition (consisting of the Social Democrats
, the Left Party
and the Green Party
).
The final results showed the Alliance getting 49.27 percent of the votes (an increase by 1.03 pp
from the previous election
) and 173 seats in the parliament (a decrease by 5 seats and 2 short of an overall majority), while the Red-Greens received 43.60 percent (a decrease by 2.48 pp) and 156 seats (a decrease by 15 seats). The election also saw the nationalist Sweden Democrats
entering parliament for the first time, as the sixth largest and only non-aligned of the eight parties elected to the parliament, by receiving 5.70 percent of the votes (an increase by 2.77 pp) and 20 seats.
The results meant the Alliance lost its absolute majority in the parliament but continued to govern as a minority government
. The new parliament held its opening session on 5 October, with Prime Minister
Fredrik Reinfeldt
presenting the annual government policy statement
as well as some changes to his cabinet.
The election was the first time in almost a century that a Swedish centre-right government that had served a full term was re-elected.
.
The Sweden Democrats
(SD) stated that it wished to cut political asylum and family reunification
immigration by 90 percent. The SD leader Jimmie Åkesson
wrote, in an opinion piece for the social-democratic tabloid Aftonbladet
that the growth of the country's Muslim population
"is the greatest foreign threat to Sweden since the Second World War."
Both parliamentary blocs pledged not to seek support from the SD. The two regarded SD as xenophobic and of holding views that are incompatible with commonly held notions about the equality of persons regardless of their national origin or ethnicity or religion.
from the televised political debates. The excluded minor parties include the Sweden Democrats and also the June List
, the Feminist Initiative
, and the Pirate Party).
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.
The Sweden Democrats
were expected to enter the Parliament for the first time, as the party's polling results had exceeded the 4% entry threshold since June 2009. The Green Party
had 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.
.
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 with prams
.
Several politicians in Denmark, initially from the Danish People's Party
, but also followed by the governing Venstre
and the Conservative People's Party
, reacted to the TV4 decision by calling for international election observers to be sent to Sweden. The Danish People's Party leader Pia Kjærsgaard
claimed that the election reminded her of "Eastern Europe
," and that Sweden was the "banana republic
" of the Nordic countries
. Per-Willy Amundsen
of the Norwegian Progress Party
also criticised the decision as a "violation of democratic rules."
On 13 September in Gothenburg
, about 500 counter-demonstrators prevented the Sweden Democrats from making a planned election rally. Police used pepper spray to disperse the counter-demonstration, which lacked a permit, and seven people were detained. 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
.
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".
as counterproductive in that they enabled the SD to portray itself as a victim of censorship.
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 flowers to the left-wing extremists, thanking them for the publicity."
and subsequently won a seat in its municipal council. The result saw the first endorsement of an openly National Socialist party to an elected office in Sweden since World War II
.
A preliminary count of 5,668 voting districts showed the Alliance of Fredrik Reinfeld ahead of the Red-Greens, with 172 seats. 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. Reinfeld declared that he had no intention to cooperate with the Sweden Democrats.
On 23 September, the final results 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, but according to Svante Linusson, a mathematician and former politician for the Stockholm Party
, the actual margin was still over 800 votes.
under banners reading "We are ashamed", "No racists in Parliament", and "Refugees – welcome!". In Gothenburg
, 5,000 people took part in a "sorrow march against racism", and 2,000 people marched in Malmö
. Support for the Sweden Democrats was strongest in the southernmost province Scania
, where the party received about 10% percent of the vote, and in the neighbouring province Blekinge
, where they received 9.8 percent; the foreign media quoted "some people" from further north of the country as calling for Scania to be handed back to Denmark, where the Danish People's Party were seen as an inspiration for the SD.
Liberal evening tabloid 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 hostage. It's a day of sorrow." Liberal conservative morning newspaper 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".
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. Swedish political scientist
Stig-Björn Ljunggren said "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. 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.
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?" The Social Democrats' failure reflected 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 results draws parallels with a larger decline of European left parties. An article in Al Jazeera English asked if west
ern political dynamics are changing following the Sweden and United States
elections. It pointed out that predictions after the election indicated "an entirely new political landscape" and "the beginning of an era of sharper political division in Sweden." It asked if the similar results "reflect rather an underlying continuity in the generation-long evolution of Euro-American politics towards a fully neoliberalised system" and that Sweden seemed to be "moving towards an outdated model." However, it also added, that while social policies were simarly moving to the right, economic policies were poles apart with the emergence of far-right parties in Sweden and Denmark still supporting the welfare
state and the American parties continue to be on the economic right-wing.
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 illness benefits.
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.
, three more than the previous one. The Moderates received 13 posts, an increase of three from their previous count, with the Liberals
(4), Centre
(4) and Christian Democrats
(3) not gaining or losing ministers. Jan Bjorklund
, the leader of the Liberal Party, was promoted to Deputy Prime Minister replacing Maud Olofsson
. Carl Bildt
stayed on as Foreign Minister and Anders Borg
got an extension to his post as Minister for Finance. The new ministers are Stefan Attefall
who takes the new post of Minister for Public Administration and Housing at the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs
, Ulf Kristersson
replacing Cristina Husmark Pehrsson
as Minister for Social Secuirty, Erik Ullenhag
taking the new post of Minister for Integration at the Ministry of Employment
, Hillevi Engström
as new Minister for Employment, Anna-Karin Hatt taking the new post of Minister for Information Technology and Regional Affairs at the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications
, Peter Norman
replacing Mats Odell
as Minister for Financial Markets and Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd
replacing Åsa Torstensson
as Minister for Communications. Tobias Krantz
, former Minister of Higher Education at the Ministry of Education and Research
, is also leaving with no successor having been named.
Reinfeldt issued a 30-page statement of the new government's policies, saying it would "seek a broad-based and responsible solutions (sic)." Which meant it would "be natural...to hold regular discussions with the Green Party, in the first instance and also the Social Democratic Party where appropriate."
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
, parliament of Sweden
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....
, was held on . The main contenders of the election were the governing
Cabinet of Fredrik Reinfeldt
The cabinet of Fredrik Reinfeldt is the current cabinet of Sweden. It is a coalition cabinet consisting of the four parties in the centre-right Alliance for Sweden: the Moderate Party, Centre Party, Liberal People's Party and the Christian Democrats...
centre-right coalition the Alliance (consisting of the Moderate Party
Moderate Party
The Moderate Party is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1904 as the General Electoral League by a group of conservatives in the Swedish parliament...
, the Centre Party
Centre Party (Sweden)
The Centre Party is a centrist political party in Sweden. The party maintains close ties to rural Sweden and describes itself as "a green social liberal party". The ideology is sometimes called agrarian, but in a European context, the Centre Party can perhaps best be characterized as social...
, the Liberal People's Party
Liberal People's Party (Sweden)
The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006...
and the Christian Democrats
Christian Democrats (Sweden)
The Christian Democrats ) is a political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1964 but did not enter parliament until 1985 in an electoral cooperation with the Centre Party and on the Christian Democrats' own accord in 1991. The leader since April 3, 2004 is Göran Hägglund. He succeeded Alf...
) and the oppositional centre-left Red-Greens
Red-Greens (Sweden)
The Red-Greens was the name of a co-operation of red-green political parties in Sweden, publicly launched on 7 December 2008, largely based on the Norwegian ruling Red-Green Coalition. It consisted of the three parties in the Riksdag , sitting in opposition to the Alliance coalition government...
coalition (consisting of the Social Democrats
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...
, 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:**...
).
The final results showed the Alliance getting 49.27 percent of the votes (an increase by 1.03 pp
Percentage point
Percentage points are the unit for the arithmetic difference of two percentages.Consider the following hypothetical example: in 1980, 40 percent of the population smoked, and in 1990 only 30 percent smoked...
from the previous 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...
) and 173 seats in the parliament (a decrease by 5 seats and 2 short of an overall majority), while the Red-Greens received 43.60 percent (a decrease by 2.48 pp) and 156 seats (a decrease by 15 seats). The election also saw the nationalist Sweden Democrats
Sweden Democrats
The Sweden Democrats is a political party in Sweden, founded in 1988. SD describes itself as a nationalist movement although others use the term far-right. Since 2005, its party chairman is Jimmie Åkesson, while Björn Söder is the party secretary and parliamentary group leader. An Anemone...
entering parliament for the first time, as the sixth largest and only non-aligned of the eight parties elected to the parliament, by receiving 5.70 percent of the votes (an increase by 2.77 pp) and 20 seats.
The results meant the Alliance lost its absolute majority in the parliament but continued to govern as a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
. The new parliament held its opening session on 5 October, with Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Sweden
The Prime Minister is the head of government in the Kingdom of Sweden. Before the creation of the office of a Prime Minister in 1876, Sweden did not have a head of government separate from its head of state, namely the King, in whom the executive authority was vested...
Fredrik Reinfeldt
Fredrik Reinfeldt
John Fredrik Reinfeldt is the Prime Minister of Sweden, leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party and former President of the European Council...
presenting the annual government policy statement
Government policy statement
A government policy statement is a declaration of a government's political activities, plans and intentions relating to a concrete cause or, at the assumption of office, an entire legislative session. In certain countries they are announced by the head of government or a minister of the parliament...
as well as some changes to his cabinet.
The election was the first time in almost a century that a Swedish centre-right government that had served a full term was re-elected.
Campaign
One of the main campaign themes was the Economy of SwedenEconomy of Sweden
The economy of Sweden is a developed diverse economy, aided by timber, hydropower and iron ore. These constitute the resource base of an economy oriented toward foreign trade...
.
The Sweden Democrats
Sweden Democrats
The Sweden Democrats is a political party in Sweden, founded in 1988. SD describes itself as a nationalist movement although others use the term far-right. Since 2005, its party chairman is Jimmie Åkesson, while Björn Söder is the party secretary and parliamentary group leader. An Anemone...
(SD) stated that it wished to cut political asylum and family reunification
Family reunification
Family reunification is a recognized reason for immigration in many countries. The presence of one or more family members in a certain country, therefore, enables the rest of the family to immigrate to that country as well....
immigration by 90 percent. The SD leader Jimmie Åkesson
Jimmie Åkesson
Per Jimmie Åkesson is a Swedish politician. He is the current leader of the Sweden Democrats and a member of the Swedish parliament following the 2010 general election. He is under constant protection by the Swedish Security Service.- Biography :...
wrote, in an opinion piece for the social-democratic tabloid Aftonbladet
Aftonbladet
Aftonbladet is a Swedish tabloid founded by Lars Johan Hierta in 1830 during the modernization of Sweden. It is one of the larger daily newspapers in the Nordic countries. Aftonbladet is owned by the Swedish Trade Union Confederation and Norwegian media group Schibsted, and its editorial page...
that the growth of the country's Muslim population
Islam in Sweden
Islam in Sweden is the religion of around 450,000 to 500,000 citizens and residents, as of 2009, around 5% of the total population.-History:Islam begins to have a noticeable presence in Sweden with immigration from the Middle East beginning in the 1970s....
"is the greatest foreign threat to Sweden since the Second World War."
Both parliamentary blocs pledged not to seek support from the SD. The two regarded SD as xenophobic and of holding views that are incompatible with commonly held notions about the equality of persons regardless of their national origin or ethnicity or religion.
Debates
The parties already represented in the Swedish parliament, along with the Swedish television networks, have excluded minor partiesMinor party
Minor party is a political party that play a smaller role than a major party in a country's politics and elections. The difference between minor and major parties can be so big that the membership total, donations, and the candidates that they are able to produce or attract are very distinct...
from the televised political debates. The excluded minor parties include the Sweden Democrats and also the June List
June List
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...
, the Feminist Initiative
Feminist Initiative (Sweden)
Feminist Initiative is a feminist political party in Sweden. The party was formed in 2005 and announced on 9 September 2005 that it would put up candidates for the 2006 parliamentary elections in Sweden...
, and the Pirate Party).
Polling
After the election in September 2006, the government slipped well behind the red-green opposition in the polls. A SifoSifo
SIFO is a Swedish company earlier known as Sifo Research International in the area of opinion and social research. The company was founded in 1954 as Svenska institutet för opinionsundersökningar and known by the public under the abbreviation SIFO which is one of the strongest brands in Sweden...
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
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 a Red-Green co-operation
Red-Greens (Sweden)
The Red-Greens was the name of a co-operation of red-green political parties in Sweden, publicly launched on 7 December 2008, largely based on the Norwegian ruling Red-Green Coalition. It consisted of the three parties in the Riksdag , sitting in opposition to the Alliance coalition government...
in December 2008.
The Sweden Democrats
Sweden Democrats
The Sweden Democrats is a political party in Sweden, founded in 1988. SD describes itself as a nationalist movement although others use the term far-right. Since 2005, its party chairman is Jimmie Åkesson, while Björn Söder is the party secretary and parliamentary group leader. An Anemone...
were expected to enter the Parliament for the first time, as the party's polling results had exceeded the 4% entry threshold since June 2009. The Green Party
Green Party (Sweden)
-External links:**...
had also made a significant transformation from the smallest elected party to the third largest party during the term, overtaking 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...
, the Christian Democrats
Christian Democrats (Sweden)
The Christian Democrats ) is a political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1964 but did not enter parliament until 1985 in an electoral cooperation with the Centre Party and on the Christian Democrats' own accord in 1991. The leader since April 3, 2004 is Göran Hägglund. He succeeded Alf...
, the Liberals
Liberal People's Party (Sweden)
The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006...
and even the Centre Party
Centre Party (Sweden)
The Centre Party is a centrist political party in Sweden. The party maintains close ties to rural Sweden and describes itself as "a green social liberal party". The ideology is sometimes called agrarian, but in a European context, the Centre Party can perhaps best be characterized as social...
in most polls following the 2006 election.
Ostracism of Sweden Democrats
There was controversy between the parties represented in parliament and other parties on the ballot, notably the Sweden Democrats. Both parliamentary blocs pledged not to seek support from the SD. Reinfeldt ruled out forming a government in cooperation with the Sweden DemocratsSweden Democrats
The Sweden Democrats is a political party in Sweden, founded in 1988. SD describes itself as a nationalist movement although others use the term far-right. Since 2005, its party chairman is Jimmie Åkesson, while Björn Söder is the party secretary and parliamentary group leader. An Anemone...
.
A privately owned television network, TV4, refused to air a SD campaign video, which was then uploaded to YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
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
Burka
A burka is a dress made from felt or karakul . Karakul being quite expensive, burkas were usually sewn from felt treated to look like karakul...
-clad women with prams
Baby transport
Baby transport consists of devices for transporting and carrying infants. A "child carrier" or "baby carrier" is a device used to carry an infant or small child on the body of an adult...
.
Several politicians in Denmark, initially from the Danish People's Party
Danish People's Party
The Danish People's Party is a political party in Denmark which is frequently described as right-wing populist by political scientists and commentators. The party is led by Pia Kjærsgaard...
, but also followed by the governing Venstre
Venstre (Denmark)
VenstreThe party name is officially not translated into any other language, but is in English often referred to as the Liberal Party. Similar rules apply for the name of the party's youth wing Venstres Ungdom. , full name Venstre, Danmarks Liberale Parti , is the largest political party in Denmark...
and the Conservative People's Party
Conservative People's Party (Denmark)
The Conservative People's Party , also known as Conservatives is a Danish political party.-History:The party was founded 1915 based mostly on its predecessor, Højre , but also on the Free Conservatives and a moderate faction of Venstre , the liberals.The party has participated in several coalition...
, reacted to the TV4 decision by calling for international election observers to be sent to Sweden. The Danish People's Party leader Pia Kjærsgaard
Pia Kjærsgaard
Pia Merete Kjærsgaard is a Danish politician. She is a co-founder and current leader of the Danish People's Party, a nativist, national conservative political party in Denmark...
claimed that the election reminded her of "Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
," and that Sweden was the "banana republic
Banana republic
In political science, the pejorative term Banana Republic denotes a politically unstable country dependent upon limited primary productions , which is ruled by a plutocracy, a small, self-elected, wealthy group who exploit the country by means of a politico-economic oligarchy...
" of the Nordic countries
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
. Per-Willy Amundsen
Per-Willy Amundsen
Per-Willy Amundsen is a Norwegian politician and Member of Parliament for the Progress Party. He is currently the party's Spokesperson on Energy Issues.-Early and personal life:...
of the Norwegian Progress Party
Progress Party (Norway)
The Progress Party is a political party in Norway which identifies as conservative liberal and libertarian. The media has described it as conservative and right-wing populist...
also criticised the decision as a "violation of democratic rules."
Violence
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. For many years, the party's meetings had been disrupted by demonstrations by left-wing groups such as Anti-Fascist Action and other opposing groups.On 13 September in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, about 500 counter-demonstrators prevented the Sweden Democrats from making a planned election rally. Police used pepper spray to disperse the counter-demonstration, which lacked a permit, and seven people were detained. On 14 September, the Sweden Democrats cancelled planned rallies in three cities, Eskilstuna
Eskilstuna
Eskilstuna is a city and the seat of Eskilstuna Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 60,185 inhabitants in 2005. Eskilstuna has a large Sweden Finn population....
, Karlstad, and Uddevalla
Uddevalla
Uddevalla is a city and the seat of Uddevalla Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 30,513 inhabitants in 2005.It is located at the bay Byfjorden, of the south-eastern part of the sea known as Skagerrak...
, because of security concerns. Similarly, concerns about security led to an election tour being cancelled on 15 September in Norrköping
Norrköping
Norrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest...
.
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".
Consequences
These attempts to limit the SD message were described by Al JazeeraAl Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
as counterproductive in that they enabled the SD to portray itself as a victim of censorship.
Similarly, Hanne Kjöller of Dagens Nyheter
Dagens Nyheter
is a daily newspaper in Sweden. It has the largest circulation of Swedish morning newspapers, followed by Göteborgs-Posten and Svenska Dagbladet, and is the only morning newspaper that is distributed to subscribers across the whole country. In 2009 DN had a circulation of 316,000, reaching 881...
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 flowers to the left-wing extremists, thanking them for the publicity."
Municipal elections and National Socialism
The result of local elections held on the same day angered anti-nationalist and anti-fascist groups as the ethnic nationalist and openly racist Party of the Swedes gained 102 votes (2.8%) in Grästorp MunicipalityGrästorp Municipality
Grästorp Municipality is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the town of Grästorp....
and subsequently won a seat in its municipal council. The result saw the first endorsement of an openly National Socialist party to an elected office in Sweden since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Results
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.A preliminary count of 5,668 voting districts showed the Alliance of Fredrik Reinfeld ahead of the Red-Greens, with 172 seats. 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. Reinfeld declared that he had no intention to cooperate with the Sweden Democrats.
On 23 September, the final results showed the Centre Party gaining an adjustment seat in Dalarna
Dalarna County
Dalarna County is a county or län in middle Sweden. It borders the counties of Jämtland, Gävleborg, Västmanland, Örebro and Värmland. It is also bordered by the Norwegian counties of Hedmark and Sør-Trøndelag in the west...
, 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
Gothenburg Municipality
Gothenburg Municipality is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Gothenburg....
and Värmland
Värmland County
Värmland County is a county or län in west central Sweden. It borders the Swedish counties of Dalarna, Örebro and Västra Götaland, as well as the Norwegian counties of Østfold, Akershus and Hedmark to the west.- Province :...
respectively, but according to Svante Linusson, a mathematician and former politician for the Stockholm Party
Stockholm Party
Stockholmspartiet is a Political Party in Sweden, registered for the Municipal and County Council elections. It was founded in 1979 and was represented in the Stockholm city council from 1979-2002. It failed to reach enough votes to return in the elections of 2006.The Party has a political base of...
, the actual margin was still over 800 votes.
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 StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
under banners reading "We are ashamed", "No racists in Parliament", and "Refugees – welcome!". In Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, 5,000 people took part in a "sorrow march against racism", and 2,000 people marched in Malmö
Malmö
Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
. Support for the Sweden Democrats was strongest in the southernmost province Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
, where the party received about 10% percent of the vote, and in the neighbouring province Blekinge
Blekinge
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , situated in the south of the country. It borders Småland, Scania and the Baltic Sea.The name "Blekinge" comes from the adjective bleke, which corresponds to the nautical term for "dead calm"....
, where they received 9.8 percent; the foreign media quoted "some people" from further north of the country as calling for Scania to be handed back to Denmark, where the Danish People's Party were seen as an inspiration for the SD.
Liberal evening tabloid Expressen
Expressen
Expressen is one of two nationwide evening tabloid newspapers in Sweden, the other being Aftonbladet. Expressen was founded in 1944; its symbol is a wasp and slogans "it stings" or "Expressen to your rescue", always on the reader's side....
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 hostage. It's a day of sorrow." Liberal conservative morning newspaper Svenska Dagbladet
Svenska Dagbladet
Svenska Dagbladet is a daily newspaper in Sweden. The first issue appeared on 18 December 1884. Svenska Dagbladet is published in Stockholm and provides coverage of national and international news as well as local coverage of the Greater Stockholm region...
said "[It is] time for the Swedes to get themselves a new national self-image [as the election] created a new picture of Sweden".
Analysis
"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 UniversityGothenburg UniversityThe University of Gothenburg is a university in Sweden's second largest city, Gothenburg.- Character :The University of Gothenburg is the third-oldest Swedish university, and with 24,900 full-time students it is also among the largest universities in the Nordic countries...
.
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
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
in 1921. Swedish political scientist
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
Stig-Björn Ljunggren said "The Social Democrats no longer symbolise the Swedish model. They've lost their magic." The Dagens Nyheter
Dagens Nyheter
is a daily newspaper in Sweden. It has the largest circulation of Swedish morning newspapers, followed by Göteborgs-Posten and Svenska Dagbladet, and is the only morning newspaper that is distributed to subscribers across the whole country. In 2009 DN had a circulation of 316,000, reaching 881...
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. 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.
The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
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?" The Social Democrats' failure reflected 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 results draws parallels with a larger decline of European left parties. An article in Al Jazeera English asked if west
West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
ern political dynamics are changing following the Sweden and United States
United States elections, 2010
The 2010 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. During this midterm election year, all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 37 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate were contested in this election along with 38 state and territorial...
elections. It pointed out that predictions after the election indicated "an entirely new political landscape" and "the beginning of an era of sharper political division in Sweden." It asked if the similar results "reflect rather an underlying continuity in the generation-long evolution of Euro-American politics towards a fully neoliberalised system" and that Sweden seemed to be "moving towards an outdated model." However, it also added, that while social policies were simarly moving to the right, economic policies were poles apart with the emergence of far-right parties in Sweden and Denmark still supporting the welfare
Welfare
Welfare refers to a broad discourse which may hold certain implications regarding the provision of a minimal level of wellbeing and social support for all citizens without the stigma of charity. This is termed "social solidarity"...
state and the American parties continue to be on the economic right-wing.
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
The Local
The Local is an English-language online news portal localised for Sweden, Germany, France and Switzerland. Each site, while alike in appearance, has separate editorial teams, each focused on its respective market....
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 illness benefits.
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.
Government formation
The Alliance formed the new government with Reinfeldt continuing as prime minister. His cabinet has 24 ministersMinister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
, three more than the previous one. The Moderates received 13 posts, an increase of three from their previous count, with the Liberals
Liberal People's Party (Sweden)
The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006...
(4), Centre
Centre Party (Sweden)
The Centre Party is a centrist political party in Sweden. The party maintains close ties to rural Sweden and describes itself as "a green social liberal party". The ideology is sometimes called agrarian, but in a European context, the Centre Party can perhaps best be characterized as social...
(4) and Christian Democrats
Christian Democrats (Sweden)
The Christian Democrats ) is a political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1964 but did not enter parliament until 1985 in an electoral cooperation with the Centre Party and on the Christian Democrats' own accord in 1991. The leader since April 3, 2004 is Göran Hägglund. He succeeded Alf...
(3) not gaining or losing ministers. Jan Bjorklund
Jan Björklund
Jan Arne Björklund is a Swedish politician. He is the leader of the Liberal People's Party and serves as Minister for Education and Deputy Prime Minister in the Swedish government.- Education and military career :...
, the leader of the Liberal Party, was promoted to Deputy Prime Minister replacing Maud Olofsson
Maud Olofsson
Maud Elisabeth Olofsson is a Swedish politician, the former leader of the Centre Party of Sweden between 2001-2011, and the former Minister for Enterprise and Energy between 2006 and 2011...
. Carl Bildt
Carl Bildt
, Honorary KCMG is a Swedish politician, diplomat and nobleman. Formerly Prime Minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994 and leader of the liberal conservative Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, Bildt has served as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs since 6 October 2006...
stayed on as Foreign Minister and Anders Borg
Anders Borg
Anders Erik Borg is a Swedish economist and politician, currently serving as Minister for Finance in the Swedish government. He is a member of the Moderate Party.- Youth and education :...
got an extension to his post as Minister for Finance. The new ministers are Stefan Attefall
Stefan Attefall
Jan Stefan Attefall, born 1960, is a Swedish Christian democratic politician and Minister for Public Administration and Housing since October 2010. He was member of the Riksdag 1991–1994 and 1998-2010...
who takes the new post of Minister for Public Administration and Housing at the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs
Ministry of Health and Social Affairs (Sweden)
The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs is the ministry in the government of Sweden responsible for policies related to social welfare: financial security, social services, medical and health care, health promotion and the rights of children and disabled people.The Ministry of Health and Social...
, Ulf Kristersson
Ulf Kristersson
Ulf Hjalmar Kristersson is a Swedish Moderate Party politician and one of the vice mayors in Stockholm. He was born in Skåne and grew up there and in Södermanland. After finishing secondary school at S:t Eskils gymnasium in Eskilstuna and completing a degree in economics at Uppsala University, he...
replacing Cristina Husmark Pehrsson
Cristina Husmark Pehrsson
Cristina Maria Husmark Pehrsson is Swedish politician and a member of the Moderate Party. She is a trained Nurse, and is married with three children. She has been a Member of Parliament since 1998. On 6 October 2006 she was selected to become Minister for Social Security in the Cabinet of Fredrik...
as Minister for Social Secuirty, Erik Ullenhag
Erik Ullenhag
Erik Jörgen Carl Ullenhag is a Swedish jurist and politician with the Liberal People's Party. Ullenhag was chairman for the Liberal Youth of Sweden between 1997 and 1999 and a Member of the Riksdag between 2002 and 2006...
taking the new post of Minister for Integration at the Ministry of Employment
Ministry of Employment (Sweden)
The Ministry of Employment is a ministry in the Swedish government responsible for labour market and working life policy.The ministry offices are located at Jakobsgatan 26 in central Stockholm.- History :...
, Hillevi Engström
Hillevi Engström
Hillevi Maria Engström, née Pettersson is a Swedish politician of the Moderate Party. She has been a member of the Riksdag since 2002...
as new Minister for Employment, Anna-Karin Hatt taking the new post of Minister for Information Technology and Regional Affairs at the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications
Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications (Sweden)
The Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications is a ministry within the government of Sweden. Its areas of responsibility include business development and competition, electronic communications, energy, forestry, information technology , postal communications and cashier service, primary...
, Peter Norman
Peter Norman
Peter George Norman was an Australian track athlete best known for winning the silver medal in the 200 metres at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. His time of 20.06 seconds still stands as the Australian 200m record. He was a five-time Australian 200m champion...
replacing Mats Odell
Mats Odell
Mats Christer Johannes Odell is a Swedish politician and former minister of communications . From October 2006 until October 2010, when he was replaced by Peter Norman, he served as Minister for Financial Markets.Odell was chairman of the Young Christian Democrats 1975–1981...
as Minister for Financial Markets and Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd
Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd
Catharina Sabine Maria Laurine Elmsäter-Svärd is a Swedish politician of the Moderate Party. She held the positions as Commissioner of Finance and Chief Commissioner in of Stockholm County Council. She became Minister for Infrastructure on October 5, 2010.She was a member of the Riksdag 1997 to...
replacing Åsa Torstensson
Åsa Torstensson
thumb|Åsa Torstensson.Åsa-Britt Maria Torstensson is Swedish politician and a member of the Centre Party. She has a university degree in social work . She was a member of the Riksdag between 1998 and 2002 representing Västra Götaland County. Torstensson was re-elected to the Riksdag in the 2006...
as Minister for Communications. Tobias Krantz
Tobias Krantz
Tobias Kjell Bertil Krantz is a Swedish politician of the Liberal People's Party. He served as Minister for Higher Education and Research in the Swedish government between 17 June 2009 and 5 October 2010.- Education :...
, former Minister of Higher Education at the Ministry of Education and Research
Ministry of Education and Research (Sweden)
The Ministry of Education and Research is a government ministry in Sweden responsible for matters relating to schools, universities, colleges, and research.Before 1968 the ministry were called the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs....
, is also leaving with no successor having been named.
Reinfeldt issued a 30-page statement of the new government's policies, saying it would "seek a broad-based and responsible solutions (sic)." Which meant it would "be natural...to hold regular discussions with the Green Party, in the first instance and also the Social Democratic Party where appropriate."
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