Election thread

[Eldritch]

Post English news and commentary about the upcoming (Sept. 19) elections in Sweden in this thread, please.

[Eldritch]

Tabloids Campaigning against SD

http://sverigesradio.se/Diverse/AppData/isidor/images/News_images/2054/1270044_190_129.jpg

In last minute attempts to keep the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats out of parliament, the tabloids Aftonbladet and Expressen on Sunday both published campaigns against xenophobia and against "voting hatred into parliament".

Aftonbladet's editor-in-chief Jan Helin calls out to the voters on election day with a plea "Don't make Sweden colder". Using the symbol of the stopping white hand from the 80-ies, when the French network S.O.S Rasisme spread its slogan "Don't touch my pal" over Europe, Aftonbladet has replaced it by the phrase "We like different".

"Today, a party which says everybody have to be the same to be included in the Swedish nation, may get into parliament. It is a dangerous dream, appealing to our fears. We don't like xenophobia. We like different," Helin writes.

Expressen's first page is covered by a big "no" next to the picture of a crumpled ballot paper from the Sweden Democrats. "Today we are voting for Sweden, and against xenophobia" the headline says.

Link. (http://sverigesradio.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?ProgramID=2054&Format=1&artikel=4025725)

[The Lawspeaker]

It has become ever more clear that "democracy in Europe" is a lie. And a blatant one at it.

[Eldritch]

So basically in Sweden we are in a situation where two independent evening tabloids both campaign against a political party, which threatens the political status quo. It'll take some time for that to fully sink in, I have to say.

[Eldritch]

Live coverage (in Swedish, naturally):

www.nyhetskanalen.se

[Eldritch]

SD now at 8.2%, significantly more than the 3.9% needed to get in parliament.

[hereward]

What is the minimum requirement?

[Eldritch]

What is the minimum requirement?

Sweden has an über-demokratik system called election threshold (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Election_threshold) in place. :rolleyes:

The whole thing is basically designed to keep the same parties in power perpetually, with nothing threatening consensus politics.

[Motörhead Remember Me]

"We don't like xenophobia. We like different," Helin writes.
Yes, indeed... Helin could travel to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Afghanistan and preach to an intrested crowd about differencies such as women at work, gender equality, sexual rights and how Burkas, honour murders, circumsation, religious extremism and international terrorism are fine examples on differencies tolerated in Sweden.


"Today we are voting for Sweden, and against xenophobia" the headline says.
Sweden really needs more badly controlled immigration and more segregation.

[The Ripper]

Haha, I'm not a big fan of the Sweden Democrats but I cannot but love the hysterical reactions in response to them being elected. :D

[The Ripper]

JpdW70zSaWs

Al Jazeera > Swedish media.

Although the national democrats can hardly be described as "new" players in Södertälje. They've had communal representation for a while now, and they managed to retain it.

[hereward]

Sweden was today coming to terms with the emergence of a far right party into mainstream politics.
The anti-immigration Democrats now hold the balance of power in Sweden after the centre-right government failed to win an outright majority.
Unemployment and the flood of foreigners into the south of the country have been blamed for the rise of the group, which began life as a faction of skinheads.Now the party will enter Parliament for the first time, with 20 seats
Despite denials they are racist, both main blocs have ruled out working with them.
A preliminary count showed Fredrik Reinfeldt's coalition winning 172 seats in the 349-member parliament. The Social Democrat-led centre-left opposition was set to secure 157.
The Democrats' leader, Jimmie Akesson, won 4.6 per cent of the vote and told chanting supporters: 'Today we have written political history together, I think that's fantastic.'
Analysts had said before Sunday's election that a hung parliament, with Reinfeldt's centre-right Alliance coalition having no overall majority, would unsettle investors and the currency duly weakened in trading this morning.
'An uncertain parliamentary situation is always negative for a currency, but the market pretty quickly goes back to focusing on other things,' Handelsbanken analyst Claes Mahlen said.
'I don't think the view of Sweden will change dramatically'
'If this outcome stands we will have a scenario that most Swedish voters wanted to avoid - that is that we have a xenophobic party holding the balance of power,' said Ulf Bjereld, a political scientist at Gothenburg University.
Swedish newspapers said the election marked a dramatic shift for a nation known for its tolerance and liberal policies.:yawnee20:
'It is Monday morning and time for Swedes to find a new self-image,' wrote daily Svenska Dagbladet.
'A centre-right government without a majority, a wrecked Social Democracy and a party with roots in far-right extremism holding the balance of power.'
Daily Dagens Nyheter zeroed in on the political difficulties generated by the government falling short of a majority. 'Tough situation awaits,' ran a banner headline.
Reinfeldt, who campaigned on a promise of more tax cuts and reforms to trim the welfare state, has said he was prepared to lead a minority government but repeated on Sunday he would first approach the opposition Green Party for support.
'We have said that the biggest bloc should rule and that is the Alliance,' he told supporters at an election night party, rejecting any cooperation with the far-right Sweden Democrats.
But the reception from the Green Party was cool.
'In the current situation we have continued red-green cooperation," said joint Green Party leader Maria Wetterstrand, referring to the alliance with the opposition Social Democrats.
Reinfeldt benefited from one of Europe's strongest economic recoveries to become the first sitting centre-right prime minister to win re-election in a country that was ruled for much of the last century by the Social Democrats.
In the election, voters were choosing between Reinfeldt's model of a leaner welfare state with more income tax cuts and privatisations, and an opposition platform that wanted the rich to pay more to fund schools, hospitals and care for the elderly.
The Social Democrats had their worst election in almost 100 years, with voters apparently backing the welfare reforms and tax cuts pushed through by the Alliance of Reinfeldt's Moderate Party, the Liberals, Centre and Christian Democrats.
The rise of the right, meanwhile, was put down to a significant increase in the unemployed, whose numbers have risen during the global economic crisis.
The Democrats have a strong base in the south of Sweden, where many residents feel overrun.
Umea University expert Svante Ersson said Sweden Democrat voters were often young men who felt ignored by society.
'They don't necessarily have to be xenophobic - it could be a way to make a statement against the establishment,' said Ersson.
The Sweden Democrats have been inspired by the success of the People's Party in neighbouring Denmark that provides vital parliamentary support for the government there.
The party wants to curtail immigration and criticises Muslims and Islam as un-Swedish.Immigrants account for 14 per cent of Sweden's population, just above the 12.4 per cent average for northern Europe, according to United Nations figures.Jan Haggstrom, chief economist at Handelsbanken, said that even a minority Reinfeldt government could manage well and he saw little chance that the centre-left opposition would link up with the Sweden Democrats on key parliamentary issues.
'We have such strong public finances. It would take something really spectacular for people to start worrying ... and start selling Swedish government paper,' he said.
Sweden has been among the most welcoming of European Union countries to immigrants seeking asylum or refugee status, taking in people after the Balkan wars of the 1990s and becoming a favourite destination for Iraqis after the U.S. invasio


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1313639/Anti-immigration-party-formed-skinhead-movement-seizes-balance-power-Sweden.html

:thumb001::wohoo::clap:clapping

[Gamera]

14% of Sweden are inmigrants? Jesus. I'm glad the political scenario is changing up there.

[Eldritch]

14% of Sweden are inmigrants? Jesus. I'm glad the political scenario is changing up there.

Actually the more often cited number is 20%, if we include Swedish citizens "of immigrant background".

[hereward]

Actually the more often cited number is 20%, if we include Swedish citizens "of immigrant background".

Unfortunately, this is true for many European Countries; numbers are hidden in figures which are hidden in numbers.

Still, this is good news, good enough to keep me up till gone 5 in the morning, good enough for me to consume a bottle of Woodmans, good enough for me to miss work.

[Eldritch]

Finland's anti-immigrant True Finns party sees the rise of a far-right party in neighbouring Sweden as a sign it will also score gains in the next elections, a top party official told AFP Monday.

"It appears that it will go just as badly for left-wing parties here," deputy party chairman and member of parliament Pentti Oinonen said.

He said his party expects to double or triple the number of parliamentary seats in elections next April, aiming for at least 15 of the 200 seats.

Like the far-right, anti-immigrant Swedish Democrats, Finland's True Finns are also campaigning for much tighter immigration policies, although the party rejects what they describe as overtly racist rhetoric in the Swedish party's campaign.

Only 2.7 percent of Finland's 5.4 million inhabitants are foreign nationals and the country counts few naturalised foreigners compared to other Nordic countries.

Nonetheless, Oinonen said he believed immigration would rise to become a top election topic.

"We take in unreasonable numbers of immigrants, their benefits need to be cut, the family reunification policy is flawed, it's all gotten out of control," he said.

Socio-economically, The True Finns Party is fairly centre-left, but some of its members have drawn fire for adopting xenophobic, anti-EU and anti-gay rhetoric, despite chairman Timo Soini's efforts to downplay his party's former extremist image.

The True Finns' popular support has surged over the past few years, and with opinion polls in August handing it 10.7-percent voter support, it is running in fourth place.

Link. (http://swedishwire.com/nordic/6282-finlands-far-right-sees-hope-in-swedish-vote)

Right. :coffee:

First of all in a sane world, the True Finns would be described as a moderate nationalist party with left-leaning economic policies. Although of course in Sweden's present day political climate, any party that doesn't want unlimited Third World immigration are extreme-right xenophobes.

Second, the True Finns are officially critical of the EU, not just some of the members. As for the "anti-gay rhetoric", it'd be interesting to know where the reported pulled that from, if not his ass.

[The Ripper]

Actually the more often cited number is 20%, if we include Swedish citizens "of immigrant background".

Yes, but also keep in mind that a large part of that 20% is made up of Nordic immigrants, which surely are preferrable (some Swedes might disagree in the case of Finns, though :D)

[Smaland]

http://rulehibernia.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Jimmie-%C3%85kesson-Likes-Sweden-Apparently.jpg
Jimmie Åkesson, leader of the Sweden Democrats party. Image posted at rulehibernia.com

This article is from the November 2010 issue of American Renaissance, and I hope that Mr. Widmark is right.


With just 20 out of 349 seats and in the face of extreme hostility from the other parties, it will not be able to change immigration policy immediately. However, although the other parties now swear they will never let the SD influence their policies, the experience in other European countries shows that this is exactly what will happen — later and very quietly.

At the same time, the crucial fact of parliamentary representation means not only an important psychological boost but eligibility for extensive public funding. The SD will be able to get its message out much more broadly and effectively in future elections. Also, now that members are in the Riksdag their speeches will automatically be included in parliamentary sessions, which are broadcast on television, and the election has removed the last excuse for excluding them from public debates.

Thus, while the number of immigrants will continue to increase for a while, and though the SD continues to face an exhausting battle against an establishment that has proven itself willing to use all legal and many illegal means to fight it, this election represents a key breakthrough in the struggle to preserve the Swedish nation, and to take away power from the ruling class that is committed to destroying it.

Full article (http://www.amren.com/ar/2010/11/index.html)