Dec 7, 2014

Swedish governing in historic limbo/part 4

So, the worst case scenario is happening. This week Sverigedemokraterna brought the Swedish government down on it’s knees. We have a government crisis.
In September the Swedish people voted in a way that put governing in a historic limbo, and the outcome was a weak minority government. A very unstable situation.
There are eight parties in the Swedish parliament: Moderaterna (the party most to the right), Folkpartiet, Kristdemokraterna (the Christian Democrats) and Centerpartiet, those are what we call the middle parties. There are also of course Socialdemokraterna (the Social Democrats), Miljöpartiet (the Swedish green party), Vänsterpartiet (the Left party), and Sverigedemokraterna (a nationalistic, social conservative and no doubt about it racist party).
For eight years Moderaterna and the middle parties formed a government under the name The Alliance. In September though, the result of the Swedish vote was the Social Democrats and the Green Party governing together. I was happy, although the minority situation made governing unstable. What was most scary though was Sverigedemokraterna having 13% (a totally unreal and terrifying number) of the vote and therefore becoming the power of balance in the 2014 Swedish government.
The main issue for Sverigedemokraterna is to put a stop to immigration. And their message this fall has been them voting for the budget that would be “the least harmful to Sweden” in that sense.
This week the government did present their budget. And the Alliance presented a different one. Sverigedemokraterna voted nay to the government budget. And yes to the Alliance. Not that the Alliance one was very different on the subject immigration. No, the purpose was to make the government fall.
“As we will vote nay to any budget!”. Was their message. Their assignment is to create political chaos. They can put any government down on any budget every six month.
So, on Wednesday our Prime Minister called for a new election on March 22. There hasn’t been an extra election in Sweden since 1958. And the current Social Democrat/Green Party government will have to govern on the Alliance budget up until the election. How messed up is that?
There are too many angles to this situation being so horrible I have a hard time finding words for them, even in Swedish.
87% of the Swedish people (who voted in September, which was 86% of the inhabitants), want Sweden to be a place of diversity welcoming people from other countries, weather they are Swedes moving back from abroad, professionals sponsored by companies, or refugees leaving their homelands in misery, fear and despair. 13% of the vote is for some reason terrified on this subject and they are now in power! Divide and rule.
“We are looking forward to the March election, it will be the referendum on immigration!”. It was when I heard those words I realized that this had been their agenda. This had been their goal all along. And all the other parties were behind in the dark. I felt sick.
So what are the other parties doing in this extreme situation? The established parties, most of them having been there forever, some (like the Christian Democrats and the Green Party) making their entrance in my life time.
You would expect them to be sensible and simply come together in this terrifying case, finding a solution where a majority could run the country together. Nope.
Stefan Lövén, the leader of the Social Democrats and the Swedish Prime Minister met with the Alliance leaders on Tuesday night asking them for collaboration. The response was no. Not even a maybe. There was not the tiniest crack for negotiations. Instead they chose to let a nationalistic, social conservative and no doubt about it racist party have the victory.
Watching it I feel like they are all in their Terrible Twos. I am right and you are wrong! This is mine! I don’t want to play with you! I feel ashamed for them.
Sverigedemokraterna in the parliament are mostly angry young men who in four years (that’s how long they have been there) have become insidious strategists, a scary troop in expensive suites having a vote about our country. But the established parties should have more sense then acting like aggrieved teenagers. This isn’t just a political quarrel, this is a party starting a war within our own country. How can it not be that seven experienced parties see that and put a stop to it together?
The Swedish people had a vote in September. Are we to blame? Do we get the politicians we deserve? No. 87% voted for levelheaded men and women we had confidence in. We put Sweden in their hands. And they are handing it over to 13% dangerous dark powers. I feel betrayed.

No comments:

Post a Comment