| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 290.1 | The Winner is .... Donald Duck! | STKSMA::AHLGREN | Paul | Thu Sep 29 1988 11:46 | 40 |
|
Well, the result of the Swedish election is now final. There wasn't
any changes to the large parties but I will here give you the result
of the small parties participating in the election.
Socialistiska Partiet - (The Socialist Party) A left wing (Trotskij)
party that is the biggest 'small' party. It got about 0.25% of the
votes (or about 13.000).
Arbetarpartiet Kommunisterna - This is a fraction of the VPK. They
thought that VPK was not enough oriented against Russia and decided
to from their own party. (VPK is a Euro-communistic party if any
one is intrested). They got about 0.16% of the votes (9568).
Sk}nepartiet - A right wing party that is only active in the south
of Sweden. They got about 0.13% (7000) of the votes. Believe me,
this party makes the Republicans look Red in comparision.
Other Right wing parties that got votes are -
Sverigedemokraterna (1120), Centrumdemokraterna (912) and
Sverigepartiet (404).
But the two biggest "winners" in the Swedish election are :
The Blank Votes - This is the normal way of saying : I don't like
any of the ordinary parties. This election they got about 1.23%
of the votes (69857).
But the biggest winner in this election is "The Donald Duck-Party".
This election they collected 669 votes compared with 300 in the
election of '85. This is the blank votes for the people that want
to protest but don't want to make a blank vote. So... They write
"Kalle Anka - Partiet" on when they take the poll...
The total number of votes given in this election was 86.3% which
is the lowest for about 25 years in Sweden.
That's all for three years on this Subject...
Paul
|
| 290.2 | ELECTION YEAR | ISWS::OLSEN | | Tue Oct 04 1988 11:42 | 5 |
| The total number of voters in Sweden this year was over 86% and
it was the lowest in 25 years,that is incredible.We need to advertice
that in this country more,where maybe 30% vote.It says something
about a country that worships elvis presley[ Iam not sure just what
but it is not good] So get out there and get your vote counted.
|
| 290.3 | Sweden's outburst of Green | TLE::SAVAGE | Neil, @Spit Brook | Thu Oct 06 1988 14:52 | 41 |
| The following editorial was printed in an issue of the Christian
Science Monitor a few days after announcement of election results.
Maybe we should chalk it up to some sort of global warming trend.
But Sweden, far up in the northern latitudes, has just experienced
a late-summer burgeoning of Green foliage.
The Greens Environment Party won enough support in Sunday's elections
to cross the 4 percent threshold and enter parliament, the first
new party to do so in some 70 years. But no less remarkable in this
round of elections, probably the most interesting since the war,
was that the Social Democrats did as well as they did.
They have ruled Sweden for most of the past century. The tide in
Europe, however, has been running in favor of more conservative
politics. Moreover, the government of Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson
has been troubled by an arms sale scandal, the resignation of three
justice ministers, and the controversy over the still-unresolved
assassination of former Prime Minister Olof Palme. in 1986.
But the Social Democrats lost only a tiny share of the vote, and
in alliance with the communists, will have an overall majority --
179 out of 349 seats.
The three center-right groups, meanwhile, has their worst showing
in 40 years. Interestingly, the Greens picked up many of the votes
the center-right lost.
Many Swedes will be hoping that the biggest winner will be the
environment, however. Sweden has been prosperous enough not to feel
it must choose between protecting the environment and protecting
the economy. But the pollution-related deaths of 7,000 seals in
the Baltic and North Seas, reports of global warming, and other
such discussions have energized the public to demand even stronger
environmental controls.
The Social Democrats' record is not bad, but they are more closely
allied to big business that leftist parties usually are. The turnout
for the Greens was an implicit demand that the government control
pollution caused by pulp mills, for instance, and move away from
the nuclear power on which Sweden so heavily depends.
|
| 290.4 | Parliamentary election, 15 Sep 1991 | TLE::SAVAGE | | Tue Apr 16 1991 16:09 | 27 |
| From: [email protected] (Dr Erik Tiden)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Elections in Sweden
Date: 15 Apr 91 12:36:53 GMT
Organization: Siemens AG in Munich, W-Germany
The next elections for the Swedish parliament will be held in less than
six months time (on September 15th). I have a once-weekly (Sundays)
subscription to DN which has brought some interesting and disturbing
news on this: there is a new populist party (Ny demokrati) which scores
above the 4% lower limit for getting representation in the polls, the
Christian Democrats (KDS) which has been an also-ran for the past 15(?)
years gets 10% in the polls (frankly, to me this is disgusting) and the
social democrats are at a historic low. Could someone with better
access to Swedish media comment on this. What trends in public opinion
have caused these quite sensational developments?
A message to Swedes living abroad on registering to vote:
Foer den som till aeventyrs inte kaenner till det: Den som bor
utomlands och inte aer kyrkobokfoerd i Sverige maaste ansoeka om att
bli upptagen i saerskild roestlaengd foer att faa roesta. Ansoekan
maaste vara inne foere juni (exakt datum har jag gloemt). Blanketter
finns att faa paa konsulat och beskickningar, eller direkt fraan
riksskatteverket i Solna.
Erik Tiden
|
| 290.5 | Political initiative hit rock bottom? | TLE::SAVAGE | | Wed Apr 17 1991 14:37 | 72 |
| From: [email protected] (Lennart Brjeson @ KTH, Stockholm)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Elections in Sweden
Date: 16 Apr 91 09:16:29 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (News Administrator)
Organization: KTH, Royal Institute of Technology, School of Electrical
Engineering
Political interest in general in Sweden has hit an all-time low. There
has been lot of articles in the papers, trying to stir up debate on
various subjects like "why have the social democrats failed to engage
the younger generation", "why was parliament empty when the
EEC-application was debated" or "Swedish neutrality - it neither isn't
nor has ever been!". Neither question has caused the turmoil that I
think would have resulted 15 years ago.
A lot of political dogmas of all parties have been scrapped. When the
social democrats and the liberals joined forces and and reformed the
tax system, the eternal tax-debate in swedish just about died. Now,
there are a lot of petty complaints from *everyone*, but no party
(except the communists) really challenges the reform itself.
Swedens famous (?) doctrine of neutrality has came under fire, too. DN
has had a series of articles concerning the "Catalina" incident in the
50:s, claiming that the aeroplane was on a reconnaisance mission over
Soviet territory in close cooperation with American military, "Ny
Teknik" has had a series concering Swedens tacit adoption of Cocom
rules, a couple of territory in close cooperation with American
military, "Ny Teknik" has had a series concering Swedens tacit adoption
of Cocom rules, a couple of new books on the German transit through
Sweden during WW2, the shameful extradition of Baltic refugees right
after WW2, etc, etc. 15 years ago such talk would have brought out an
indignant outburst of official statements. Now, there is only silence,
an indifferent shrug. "Well, I guess we've never been neutral. Next
question?" (Not an actual quote, just a summing-up of the
athmosphere...)
In this political climate, when traditional parties are more
indistinguishable than ever, there is no wonder that many people who
still feel the need to express some political initiative turn to
movements which seem to have some kind of new ideas.
"Ny demokrati" (New democracy) is a new party, advertises themselves as
a "common sense" party --- "People are not stupid, they can rule
ourselves without either social democrat 'party bosses' or conservative
'yuppie snobs' ". (Again, not an actual quote.) They propose to make
very substantial cuts in the administration. Have been heavily targeted
by media for their lack of detailed budget proposals. Defends
themselves by being too new for that. Attackers say "who has big
ambitions must comply to big standards". They have gotten between 4%
and 11% in gallups.
KDS (Christian Democrats) are an old party (15 years?) and rely on so
called Christian values. Generally described as a conservative party.
They had some agreement with the center party before which gave them
one seat in the current parliament. Have gotten between 5% and 9% in
gallups.
Milj�partiet (The green party) has been split and re-split on so many
issues that no one, either inside or outside the party, really knows
what they want, except beeing green. Has scored between 2% and 4% in
gallups, which means they would lose all their seats they have in
parliament today.
!++
! Lennart Boerjeson, System Manager
! School of Electrical Engineering
! Royal Institute of Technology
! S-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
! tel: int+46-8-7907814
! Internet: [email protected]
!--
|
| 290.6 | More color on 1991 election | TLE::SAVAGE | | Tue Apr 23 1991 10:31 | 73 |
| From: [email protected] (Mats Winberg)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Elections in Sweden
Date: 22 Apr 91 10:46:07 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: Ericsson
Ny Demokrati is headed by Bert Karlsson, a record company and amusement
park owner, and Ian Wachtmeister a former CEO of different swedish
companies. Bert Karlsson got involved in politics when he started a
debate about the high food prices in Sweden. He exposed the lack of
competition in that sector and also claimed that different counties
("kommuner") are preventing low-price stores to be established. He got
lot of popular support on the issue. Ian Wachtmeister and Bert Karlsson
met shortly afterwards quite accidentally at an airport, both were
waiting for planes, and they sat in the airport bar and decided to
start a new party (I don't know if they were drunk at the time :-) ).
Their program are very close to the moderates (m) with demand for lower
taxes, more local police instead of parking guards, break up the
monopolies and oligopolies in different markets, and so on. The
interesting thing is that they don't seem to draw votes from the
moderates as much as from the social democrats. My theory is that they
attract voters from different parties with beliefs like the moderates,
who don't want to vote for the moderates.
They are of course under heavy attack from the established parties.
Bert Karlsson, a self made man and outspoken private entrepeneur was
invited to an interview in TV by Olle Stenholm (a journalist at Swedish
TV) on foreign policy. He didn't do well in that interview. The Swedish
TV was delighted of the result of the interview and reprised
immediately the night after. Shortly afterwards Karlson announced that
he resigned as party leader. The reason according to Karlsson was that
he had got threats and hints from the authorities that his private
business was in for a hard time if he continued. After a while though
he resumed the post as party leader 'because so many had begged him to
stay'. Later he told a journalist that 'Stenholm and the other
journalists at TV thought they won over me when they showed that I
hadn't done my homework on foreign policy, but what they don't
understand is that the ordinary man identifies with me and gets mad at
those Stockholm intellectuals who ridicules a common man. All publicity
are good publicity'.
As for the other parties:
Yesterday the moderates (m) (ca 28% in the polls) and the liberals (fp)
(ca 12% in the polls) presented a common 20-page paper at a
pressconference presenting their alternative. They propose lower taxes:
V.A.T should be brought down to 18% from 25%, no communal taxes over
30%, no tax on working capital, all this to stop the
deindustrialization of Sweden. The income tax should also be reduced
during the '90s if they got in power.
The Center party (c) are not behind the (m)-(fp) coalition, they are
now surpassed by the Christian Democratic Party (kds) in the polls.
The Social democrats are worrying over bad poll results (ca 30%) and
what impact the book 'Alla dessa dagar.." by former secr. of Treausury
Kjell-Olof Feldt may have in the elections. The memoirs of Feldt is a
bestseller in Sweden. In his memoirs Feldt tells of his fruitless
struggle to reshape (s) against 'conservative' left-wingers in both the
party and the unions. He also tells how (s) misled the voters (some
will call it lied to) about the state of the economy in 1988 years
election.
*************
Mats Winberg
[email protected]
************
P.S The quotes in the article are no direct quotes but drawn from
memory.
|
| 290.7 | Are Swedish MP's career politicians? | TLE::SAVAGE | | Thu Apr 25 1991 16:54 | 29 |
| From: [email protected] (Mats Winberg)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Elections in Sweden
Date: 23 Apr 91 10:36:22 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: Ericsson
One of the problems with the swedish parliament is the fact that there
are very few people from the private sector, most MP's have made
careers in unions and different political orgnisations or in the state
bureaucracy. I don't think that Mr. Karlsson is the man to set things
straight though :-).
Did you watch Karlsson & Wacthmeister in the TV-show "Svar Direkt" from
Gothenburg ? There the TV had invited representatives from all the
establsihed parties. And what they said was in effect "How dare you
come and disturb us when we're planning for the perfect society!" I say
that the established parties have taken us (the voters) for granted
long enough. And I won't tell you what I think of the Center Party and
their support of the "enforced saving" (tvaangsparandet). There you
have the opposite of populism: outright contempt for the citizen and
his property!
*************
Mats Winberg
[email protected]
************
|
| 290.8 | More political commentary from soc.culture.nordic | TLE::SAVAGE | | Mon Apr 29 1991 11:25 | 154 |
| From: [email protected] (Lars Petrus)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Sweden and socialism
Date: 28 Apr 91 11:55:05 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (News Administrator)
Organization: Stacken Computer Club, Stockholm, Sweden
The next swedish prime minister will be Carl Bildt, leader of the
Moderate Party (used to be the conservative party, now mostly liberal.
Young radical libertarian activists can be found here). They stand at
23.0% in an opinion poll presented today.
He is *not* the charismatic leader you long for. He is boring, cold and
has a thick upper class accent. Still, the competition is very poor.
The government of today is an unbelievably dull collection of people.
The moderates have formed an alliance with the liberal party (social
liberals, that is) (at 11.3%). Their platform in short is taxes down to
50% of GNP in 3 years, breaking of state monopolies, selling the
telephone company and other companies. And they promise to actually
finace it by reducing housing subsidies and other government
expenses!!!
The other major parties are:
The center party (farmers) (8.6%). Very incoherent and confused. I hate
them. They want to join the new government, but on their own terms.
The Christian Democrats are now at 7.7% in the polls, after having
been at 1%-3% for 25 years. They will probably join the new government
with little fuss, if they are allowed to.
The brand new populist party "New Democracy" are at a sensational 9.1%.
Their program is in 90% identical with the moderates, but I think they
attract those who just can not vote for an "upper class" party. The
Communists are in deep identity crisis after you-know-what. They have
removed the word "communist" from the party name. This defines what
they are not. What they *are* is very unclear. Since they are the only
alternative for people who really want socialism, they have gone up to
7.0%. The Greens have gone out of fashion. They stand at 3.7%. The
ruling Social Democrats find themselves today at a new all time low at
28.7%.
It may not be obvoius for the average usenet reader, but these figures
are really sensational. Sweden has had the same 5 major parties for 50
years, staying within 5% of their traditional results. When the Greens
entered parliament in the -88 elections it was considered "historical".
Now there will probably be two new parties, and a 15% loss for the
social democrats!
Recent developments include:
# A complete rewrite of the tax system. Since january 1st income tax
is at 31% under $30.000/year, 51% above. Other taxes were of course
increased.
# One year ago swedish memdership in the EEC was unthinkable for all
politicians. The application will be sent in during this summer!! And
this is one of the major factors in all this. Everyone realizes that
you just *can't* enter the common market with our current taxes.
# Before march 1st the compulsory health insurance gave everyone 100%
compensation for reporting sick, no questions asked. Now you only get
75% the first few days. Sick leave is down by 20%!!
# From july 1st, Sweden will permit free trading of clothes. I know of
no other country in the world doing this!
# Also starting july 1st, farming will be deregulated, meaning that
all subsidies and price controls will be abolished, except for tariffs
on imported food (waiting for GATT to settle this one) and the
outrageously expensive five year cusheoning (sp?) of the blow to the
farmers.
# Starting this autumn 6 year old children will be allowed to start
school, and in a few years all will start at 6. The government talks a
lot about how this will benefit education, but the real reason is
probably that a kid in day care costs $12.000 a year, more than twice
what it costs in school!
# In the last six months unemplyment has risen from (I'm not exactly
sure of these numbers) 1.5% to 2.5%, and some people talk about 4% or
6% in one year. The governments reaction is "That's too bad! Don't
expect us to do much about it!".
I have tried to be objective, but as you know this is impossible.
"Madness is the first sign of dandruff" | Email: [email protected]
- Dr Winston O'Boogie | Reality: Lars Petrus, Solna, Sweden
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] (Lars-Henrik Eriksson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Sweden and socialism
Date: 29 Apr 91 06:57:51 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (Lars-Henrik Eriksson)
Organization: SICS, Kista (Stockholm), Sweden
In article <[email protected]>, petrus@alex
(Lars Petrus) writes:
># A complete rewrite of the tax system. Since january 1st income tax is at
>31% under $30.000/year, 51% above. Other taxes were of course increased.
Not true. The tax on income from capital investments (including bank
accounts, shares etc.) was reduced to 30% flat, from being put on top
of your salary. This makes a factor two reduction for people with
middle to high incomes.
># Before march 1st the compulsory health insurance gave everyone 100%
>compensation for reporting sick, no questions asked. Now you only get 75%
>the first few days. Sick leave is down by 20%!!
Not quite. Before the change, the compulsory health insurance gave
everyone 90% compensation for reporting sick (however never more than
90% based on an annual income of about $40,000). After a week,
questions were asked. Now it will give you 65% for the first few days,
then 80% and after a few weeks (I think) 90%.
Many employees (primarily government employees and private white-collar
workers) were being compensated by the employer for the missing 10%,
thus being given full compensation when they were ill. The same groups
can now expect to get 75%/90%/100% pay when they are ill.
Most blue-collar workers did not and do not get this additional
compensation.
The question about if Sweden really has (had) an outrageuosly high sick
leave can be debated for ever. My personal feeling is that the answer
is no. The companies that has had real trouble with high sick leave are
those will underpaid staff doing boring work in poor conditions.
One thing that should be understood when you are discussing the high
percentage of employed people not working in Sweden is that there may
be many reasons for absence other than being ill, for instance:
- Swedens unsually good parental insurance (one year off work for 90% pay).
Since Swedish companies are obliged by law to give leave of absence for
parents taking care of babies, this will show up in the statistics.
- People who have severe illnesses or some kind of injury and are unable to
work for a long time are usually included in the statistics. This gives a
completely wrong impression, as a person that is ill for half a year will
be counted the same as 90 people that are ill for two days.
> I have tried to be objective, but as you know this is impossible.
Not a bad job.
--
Lars-Henrik Eriksson Internet: [email protected]
Swedish Institute of Computer Science Phone (intn'l): +46 8 752 15 09
Box 1263 Telefon (nat'l): 08 - 752 15 09
S-164 28 KISTA, SWEDEN
|
| 290.9 | Great slogan! - "Sweden Should Be Fun" | TLE::SAVAGE | | Fri Sep 13 1991 17:19 | 87 |
| From: [email protected] (JULIAN M. ISHERWOOD)
Newsgroups: clari.news.gov.international,clari.news.europe,clari.news.election,clari.news.politics.people,clari.news.top.world
Subject: Swedish opinion polls predict system change
Date: 13 Sep 91 15:59:37 GMT
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (UPI) -- Two days before the general election,
opinion polls indicated Friday that the ruling Social Democratic Party
will be forced to relinquish power in the country it has governed for
most of the past 60 years.
With little statistical difference, the polls said non-socialist
parties would poll a majority of votes in the 349-seat Riksdag, leaving
Prime Minister Ingvar Carlsson's Social Democrats and their socialist
support group the Left Party without a parliamentary base upon which to
form a government.
The TEMO poll published in national daily Dagens Nyheter said the
four main non-socialist parties have 50 percent of public support. A
fifth non-socialist party -- New Democracy -- had 6.6 percent popular
backing.
The socialist side of Parliament, made up of Social Democrats and the
renamed communists of the Left Party, had 39.5 percent. The TEMO poll
said the Green Party was expected would poll only 3.3 percent, falling
below the 4 percent electoral barrier and losing representation in
Parliament.
A SIFO poll, published in the Conservative daily Svenska Dagbladet
narrowed the gap between the two sides of the Swedish political
spectrum, giving the main non-socialists 48 percent and the socialists
42.6 percent.
New Democracy, a new party headed by an aristocrat and an amusement
park owner and campaigning under the slogan "Sweden Should Be Fun,"
would receive 5.3 percent and become the deciding factor in forming a
new government, the poll said.
Although closing the distance to the 4 percent parliamentary
threshold, SIFO said the Green Party would poll only 3.6 percent and be
removed from Parliament.
Another party expected to enter the political arena was the Christian
Democrat Party, which was not represented in Parliament in the 1988
election but which the polls said enjoyed about 8 percent public
approval. The Christian Democrat Party is acceptable to the
Conservative, Liberal and Center Parties as a government partner and is
included in block power percentages.
If the polls reflect the actual vote, the Social Democratic Party was
due Sunday to return its worst election result since 1932 when it polled
41.7 percent of the vote, and it would be the first time since 1928 that
the party has won less than 40 percent of the popular mandate.
In that case, the most likely outcome would be a coalition government
led by Conservatives and including Liberals, Centrists and Christian
Democrats. Such a government would rely on the added support of New
Democracy.
"The idea that the Social Democrats should poll under 40 percent is
almost unheard of," said election specialist Jan Pettersson. "It's
almost unconstitutional."
Although in percentage terms the drop in Social Democratic fortunes
may seem slight, in power terms it is a major swing away from the party
that has dominated the Swedish political scene since the 1920s.
Friday's polls suggested that between 6 percent and 9 percent of the
electorate would turn their backs on the Social Democratic Party since
September 1988 election figures of 43.2 percent.
Victors of the election appeared, according to the polls, to be the
Conservative Party, chaired by Carl Bildt who appeared to be the most
likely candidate for prime minister if the non-socialists do win the
election.
The polls say that the Conservatives would increase their share of
the vote by between 2 percent and 3 percent from a 1988 figure of 18.3
percent, to strengthen the party's position as the second-largest in
Parliament.
The election campaign has been devoid of issues and excitement, with
little of the placard electioneering and political promises previously
associated with Swedish elections.
Sweden is in a serious economic recession, with little way out of its
economic problems other than making major savings -- and inroads -- in its
cradle-to-grave welfare state.
Rising unemployment in a country used to full employment, runaway
taxation, zero growth, falling investment and a surging budget deficit
expected to reach almost $10 billion in 1992 have withdrawn the safety
net under the Swedish Model of an extensive welfare state of which the
Social Democratic Party has been the architect.
The party's fortunes also have waned as two main international policy
pillars have collapsed: neutrality and non-membership of the European
Community.
The economic downturn and fears that the EC Single Market of 1992
will keep Swedish industry on the sidelines of international development
caused Carlsson's government to do an about-face and apply for
membership of the EC.
The end of the Cold War and improved superpower relations also have
removed Sweden's importance as a neutral buffer between East and West,
prompting the government to realign its foreign policy.
|
| 290.10 | | BHAJEE::JAERVINEN | Inheritance rules | Mon Sep 16 1991 04:08 | 3 |
| Well, the social democrats lost... herd on the radio on the way to work
that they got 38.x % of the vote (or was it 36.x?).
|
| 290.11 | Early returns | TLE::SAVAGE | | Mon Sep 16 1991 11:37 | 56 |
| From: [email protected]
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Swedish Election Results???
Date: 16 Sep 91 00:22:15 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: Swedish Institute of Microelectronics (IM), Kista, Sweden
This is not final, but based on the latest prognosis (at 01:48 local
time).
% seats
Moderaterna 22.0 +3.7 81 +15 (conservative [1])
Centern 8.4 -2.9 31 -11 (center, agrarian)
Folkpartiet 9.1 -3.1 33 -11 (liberal [2])
KDS 7.1 +4.2 26 +26 (christian, conservative [3])
Social Dems 37.7 -5.5 138 -18
Left 4.5 -1.3 16 -5 (formerly communists [4])
Environmentalists 3.3 -2.2 0 -20 ("green party")
Ny Demokrati 6.6 +6.6 24 +24 (populist right wing)
[1] Not very conservative by Europan standards, and very much not
conservative by American standards.
[2] Liberal in the European sense, quite different from what liberal
means in the US.
[3] About as conservative as Moderaterna.
[4] Changed their name and removed "communist". Same people.
Ingvar Carlsson, prime minister and leader of the social democrats, has
declared that he will hand in his resignation tomorrow after receiving
a historically low share of the votes. The new parliamentary situation
is complicated, with two new parties getting seats, and one old
dropping out. Four percent is a minimum requirement to get any seats
at all.
Neither of the two blocs, the socialist bloc (soc dems & the left) nor
the non-socialist bloc (cons + lib + center + kds) will have a majority
in Riksdagen, the Swedish parliament. The non-socialist bloc together
with the decidedly non-socialists in Ny Demokrati ("new democracy") has
a comfortable majority, but several of the other parties are not
willing to rely on the help from ND.
Carl Bildt, party leader for Moderaterna, is the likely new PM. But
from which parties the members of his cabinet will come is unclear.
Two possibilities are, either a one-party conservative cabinet, or a
two-party coalition between the conservative and liberal parties. The
four party coalition of cons + lib + center + kds that prior to the
elections hoped to form a cabinet based on majority in the parliament
seems unlikely now.
This does not bode too well for Sweden, the need for a cabinet with
strong parliamentary support is great, but such support is nowhere in
sight. Burning questions in the near future are negotiations with EEC
about Swedish membership, the quickly rising un-employment, the budget
deficit which has skyrocketed in the last several months.
Svante
|
| 290.12 | UPI newswire on 1991 election | TLE::SAVAGE | | Mon Sep 16 1991 11:39 | 58 |
| From: [email protected] (JULIAN M. ISHERWOOD)
Newsgroups: clari.news.election,clari.news.europe,
clari.news.gov.international,clari.news.economy
Subject: Social Democrats resign, hung parliament
Date: 16 Sep 91 12:39:23 GMT
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (UPI) -- Social Democratic Prime Minister Ingvar
Carlsson resigned his minority government Monday after an electoral
defeat, paving the way for negotiations to form a non-socialist minority
government.
Carlsson submitted his resignation to Speaker of Parliament Thage E.
Pettersson, who then must begin the traditional process of consultations
with party leaders from all seven groups elected to the Riksdag, the
nation's legislative body.
"With such a marked loss for the Social Democratic Party I can do
nothing but resign. We would not have the possibility of governing
because of a non-socialist majority in Parliament," Carlsson said of
his electoral defeat.
Final results after Sunday's elections shaved five percent and 18
seats from the Social Democrats who suffered their worst election in
almost 60 years, winning 38.2 percent of the electoral vote and 138
posts in Parliament.
Party leader consultations were expected to result in the appointment
of Conservative Party leader Carl Bildt, 42, to lead government
negotiations for the formation of a non-socialist minority government.
Bildt said Sunday night a new government would not be ready before early
October.
Bildt's conservatives were the only party of the old Riksdag to win
favor with the electorate, adding 3.8 percent and 14 seats to its
parliamentary representation for totals of 22.1 percent and 80 seats.
But possible government formations were complicated by the election
result, which swept two new non-socialist parties into Parliament.
Although traditional non-socialist parties planned a four-party
coalition with one of them -- the Christian Democrat Party -- no party was
willing to cooperate with the other, New Democracy.
Following Sunday's result, the Liberal and Christian Democrat parties
suggested they would not enter a coalition government that did not have
its own majority and which was forced to rely on the right-wing,
populist New Democracy.
With 170 seats for the traditional non-socialists and 154 for the
socialist bloc in Parliament, New Democracy's 26 seats gave it the
balance of power in the new Parliament.
"The situation is not a good one, but the country must have a
government, and it must be a non-socialist one," said Bildt.
"I am extremely worried about the present situation and I said prior
to the election that I would not join a government which relied on New
Democracy," said Liberal leader Bengt Westerberg, whose party dropped
from 44 seats to 33.
Center Party leader Olof Johansson, whose party also went from 44
seats to 33, was skeptical but said his party could join a government.
"If I look at the result in a party perspective I would say we
cannot join the government. But in the national interest one could be
forced to," Johansson said.
Johansson's predecessor, Thorbjorn Faelldin, was prime minister in
three non-socialist governments between 1976 and 1982. That period of
non-socialist government broke decades of uninterrupted socialist rule
in Sweden.
|
| 290.13 | 1991 election commentary from soc.culture.nordic | TLE::SAVAGE | | Tue Sep 17 1991 10:36 | 173 |
| From: [email protected] (Bertil Jonell)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Swedish Election Results???
Date: 16 Sep 91 10:55:41 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
In article <[email protected]> [email protected]
writes:
>This is not final, but based on the latest prognosis (at 01:48 local
>time).
% seats
>Left 4.5 -1.3 16 -5 (formerly communists [4])
>[4] Changed their name and removed "communist". Same people.
Some of them with some moral integrity defected to the social democrats
because they felt the change was merely cosmetical. The called for the
'Left' to renounce it's support to the various and sundry dictators in
the second and third world they have fraternized with. If I felt nasty
I could say that while the 'left' don't call themselves communist,
they are apparently too communist for some communists :)
>Ingvar Carlsson, prime minister and leader of the social democrats,
>has declared that he will hand in his resignation tomorrow after
>receiving a historically low share of the votes.
Second lowest since the start of democracy here. The lowest was 1 or 2%
lower.
>The non-socialist bloc
>together with the decidedly non-socialists in Ny Demokrati ("new
>democracy") has a comfortable majority, but several of the other
>parties are not willing to rely on the help from ND.
Since the ND is purely populistic they will probably support the social
democrats in issues that is unpopular but nessesary to get the economy
rolling again.
I predict that their constituency, which is generally very
anti-socialistic, will abandon them when they find out that ND became
'comrade rightwing' to the social democrats.
>This does not bode too well for Sweden, the need for a cabinet with
>strong parliamentary support is great, but such support is nowhere in
>sight. Burning questions in the near future are negotiations with
>EEC about Swedish membership, the quickly rising un-employment, the
>budget deficit which has skyrocketed in the last several months.
Don't forget the Movement (short for Workers Movement, a
superorganization incorporating the unions and the social-democrats and
a lot of other organizations and companies). I suspect that the unions
will do their best to make life hell for a new government, the same
unions that bent over backwards to the demands of the social-democrats,
even when those demands went totally against the interest of the union
members. The last time we had a non-socialistic government some of the
unions begun to talk about a general strike to force it to resign. They
justified this by stating that a non-socialistic government is per
definition bad for the workers so toppling it would be in the interest
of their members....
With a weak government, hostile unions and populists in the parliament,
the economy will get just worse, and when the next election comes up
the social-democrats, having spent the entire time in opposition
trying to sabotage the economy, will rise up and say "We told you those
non-socialists couldn't handle the economy!".
At least we got rid of the green-shirts...
-bertil-
--
"Det a"r en Svensk grej. Du skulle inte fo"rsta^..."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] (Lars-Henrik Eriksson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Swedish Election Results???
Date: 16 Sep 91 13:42:20 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (Lars-Henrik Eriksson)
Organization: SICS, Kista (Stockholm), Sweden
In article <[email protected]>, d9bertil@dtek (Bertil Jonell) writes:
>Some of them with some moral integrity defected to the social democrats
>because they felt the change was merely cosmetical. The called for the 'Left'
>to renounce it's support to the various and sundry dictators in the second and
>third world they have fraternized with.
This doesn't make sense. If they had what you call "moral integrity",
why didn't they "defect" years ago?
> Don't forget the Movement (short for Workers Movement, a superorganization
>incorporating the unions and the social-democrats and a lot of other
>organizations and companies).
"The Movement" is not an organisation, rather, it is an informal
"community" of organizations close to the social democratic party and
the unions.
> I suspect that the unions will do their best to
>make life hell for a new government, the same unions that bent over backwards
>to the demands of the social-democrats, even when those demands went totally
>against the interest of the union members. The last time we had a non-
>socialistic government some of the unions begun to talk about a general
>strike to force it to resign. They justified this by stating that a non-
>socialistic government is per definition bad for the workers so toppling it
>would be in the interest of their members....
I agree that the unions are likely to make things tough for a
non-socialistic government. However, they did not "bend over backwards"
to the social democrats. It is more the other way around. The social
democrats have had lots of trouble with the central blue collar union
(LO). Lots of times attempts by the social democratic cabinet to follow
a consistent economic policy has been sabotaged by LO. The book by
former minister of finance, Kjell-Olof Felt, has lots to say about
that.
The recent tax reform is a good example. The one of the primary aims of
the tax reform was to reduce the impossibly high marginal tax rates in
the middle to high income levels. LO claimed that this would mean less
money for they low-paid members and forced the social democrats to
introduced a special "tax discount" for people with low income. This
actually increased the marginal taxes in the lower to middle income
levels.
The only counterexample I can think of is the plan administred by the
Rehnberg group to keep inflation down by making the unions accept very
low wage increases this and next year. LO has grudgingly accepted this,
but many of its member unions have been making a lot of fuss.
> At least we got rid of the green-shirts...
Unfortunately.
--
Lars-Henrik Eriksson Internet: [email protected]
Swedish Institute of Computer Science Phone (intn'l): +46 8 752 15 09
Box 1263 Telefon (nat'l): 08 - 752 15 09
S-164 28 KISTA, SWEDEN
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] (Lars-Henrik Eriksson)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Norwegian unisex names (was "Kettil")
Date: 17 Sep 91 06:43:19 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (Lars-Henrik Eriksson)
Organization: SICS, Kista (Stockholm), Sweden
In article <[email protected]>, 37247_1113@uwovax
(Truls Ostbye) writes:
>Btw, what does the constitution say: can an elected candidate of, say,
>"Ny Demokrati" proclaim himself being independent and/or apply for
>membership in another party without loosing his seat?
Yes. Even though the seats in parliament is divided according to party
votes, the MPs are personally elected.
It happens from time to time that a candidate is expelled from his
party for blatantly opposing the part line, leaves the party, or that
there is a party split. The candidates in question are then known as
"political savages", but they keep their seats until the next election.
This does not happen often in the parliament - I believe last time was
some 10 years ago when the stalinist group of the communist party broke
away. It does happen pretty often in local and county parliaments,
where the rules are the same.
--
Lars-Henrik Eriksson
Internet: [email protected] Swedish Institute of Computer Science
Phone (intn'l): +46 8 752 15 09 Box 1263
Telefon (nat'l): 08 - 752 15 09 S-164 28 KISTA, SWEDEN
|
| 290.14 | Election dirty tricks, Swedish style | TLE::SAVAGE | | Fri Sep 20 1991 12:45 | 35 |
| From: [email protected] (Bertil Jonell)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Swedish Election Results???
Date: 19 Sep 91 09:39:07 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (Lars-Henrik
Eriksson) writes:
>Of course, since the parties supply ballots with pre-printed lists
>that most people use, it is very difficult to actually change the
>election outcome by using a non-standard list. It does happen that a
>party makes up different lists to give the voters a real choise. It is
>also not too uncommon that a party youth organisation, women's
>organisation or dissident group make ballots with their own lists.
There is also the possibility of small extremistic fringe parties
sneaking in a list with their own candidates on it but with the name of
another party on the top among the 'real' ballots of that party.
It seems that the so-called 'Sjo"bo partiet', which was created when
the cental 'Center' party evicted the local 'Center' party of Sjo"bo
because of their anti-immigrant views, may have gotten their chairman,
Sven-Olle Olsson, into the parliament by making ballots looking like
ballots from the 'Moderate' party, but with his name on it, and mixing
them among the real 'Moderate' ballots. :(
I also heard something about that one of the borderline racist parties
had gotten a representative elected in a local election to the
kommun-styrelsen (county board?) in one kommun. :( :(
-bertil-
--
'Det a"r oo"versa"ttbart...'
|
| 290.15 | Can Carl Bildt dismantle the 'welfare state'? | TLE::SAVAGE | | Fri Apr 03 1992 14:38 | 60 |
| From: [email protected] (Anders Sundin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Swedish Prime minister says Sweden gaining democratic freedom
Date: 2 Apr 92 14:36:29 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (LTH network news server)
Organization: Organic Chemistry 2, Lund University, Sweden
Foxvog Douglas writes:
>The following is excerpted without permission from the National Press
>Club (NPC) _Record_ of 27 February 1992 reporting on a speech given to the US
>press by Sweden's new Conservative Prime Minister. Keep this
>attribution for any comments including the article from the NPC _Record_.
>
>==========================================================
>FEWER OLYMPIC MEDALS may be the price countries like *Sweden and East
>Germany* will have to pay for turning their backs on *Socialism and
>Communism in exchange for democratic freedom*, but that is a bill
>Sweden's new 42-year-old conservative prime minister Carl Bildt is
>willing to foot. That is how the premier expressed it at the NPC
>luncheon Feb. 21. Neutral Sweden's "third way," *mid-distant between a
>Communist East and a free West* is now over, Bildt said. ...
>
>=============================================================
>
>How does the Prime Minister's phraseology strike Swedes? Do you feel
>comfortable with him claiming that Sweden is just now gaining democratic
>freedom and that it has previously been only half free?
Carl Bildt wants to demolish the Swedish welfare state to make Sweden
more like the United States (or England). This is not popular among the
majority of the Swedish people. Therefore Carl Bildt has to "paint the
devil on the wall" to try to discredit our current system. The journal
Svenska Dagbladet (who are pro Carl Bildt) recently asked themselves
how long the parties in the current government can stay together before
"the way divides". I am certain that Centern and Folkpartiet will never
allow a dismantling of the Swedish welfare state.
The real question is; What has really changed since Carl Bildt became
prime minister? The answer is "Not much". If we really had a third way
in politics before then we still have it.
In my opinion we never had a third way of politics, but the "third way"
is popular both at the right and at left of Swedish politics (but for
different reasons :-). Sweden has a slightly more developed welfare
state than (or on level with) Germany, Holland, Denmark, Norway,
Finland etc. Of course these countries are all well known for being
*mid-distant between a Communist East and a free West*. ;-)
Finally I would like to say that I am sure that East Germany will never
receive another Olympic medal, but I sure hope there are still a few
future ones in store for Sweden. :-)
--
Anders Sundin e-mail: [email protected]
Organic Chemistry 2 [email protected]
University of Lund [email protected]
P.O. Box 124 [email protected]
S-22100 Lund phone: +46 46 108214
Sweden fax: +46 46 108209
|
| 290.16 | Mend, not break, the social welfare system | TLE::SAVAGE | | Tue Apr 07 1992 09:31 | 62 |
| From: [email protected] (Anders Sundin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Swedish Prime minister says Sweden gaining democratic freedom
Date: 3 Apr 92 17:48:08 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (LTH network news server)
Organization: Organic Chemistry 2, Lund University, Sweden
Bertil Jonell writes:
> >(Anders Sundin) writes:
> >Carl Bildt wants to demolish the Swedish welfare state to make Sweden
> >more like the United States (or England).
>...claims the Social Democrats and some others.
and
> Naturally, when it is suggested that the quality is more important than
>cost, and that if the efficiency is increased not only will the quality
>decrease but it might be cheeper too, some people start yelling that this
>is "demolishing the welfare state" and "creating a 2/3 society"(1).
Half a year ago I started a subscription to Svenska Dagbladet which is
the main conservative journal in Sweden. I agree with a lot of their
stated policies such as the need for fighting bureaucracy, state paid
private alternatives to the governments' services, less (unnecessary)
interference with private business, etc.
However, I do not agree with the conservatives clearly stated policy to
introduce major changes in the Swedish society. Read Svenska Dagbladet
and you will see that the conservative party differs from all other
parties in this respect. The conservatives want a major "change of
system" (systemskifte).
The conservatives should not break it, they should mend it. I think
that Moderaterna could really do a lot of good (together with
Folkpartiet) if they changed their row model to Germany instead of USA
or England.
The conservative party (Moderaterna) currently have about 23 percent of
the votes. The three dwarves in the government, the liberals
(Folkpartiet), the farmers (Centern), and the Christians (KDS or have
they changed name?) each has about eight percent of the votes. This
means that we have a minority government, where they not only have to
agree with each other but they also have to make deals with either the
populist party (Ny Demokrati) or with the left (Social Democrats).
I find it ironic that Folkpartiet together with the Social Democrats
are responsible for the largest changes in recent Swedish politics;
they introduced a substantial lowering of the taxes. I just did my
first income declaration according to the new system so I noticed that.
:-)
Finally I would like to say that it is sad that Carl Bildt has such a
low opinion of Sweden, and that he spreads misconceptions about Sweden.
--
Anders Sundin e-mail: [email protected]
Organic Chemistry 2 [email protected]
University of Lund [email protected]
P.O. Box 124 [email protected]
S-22100 Lund phone: +46 46 108214
Sweden fax: +46 46 108209
|
| 290.17 | On relationship between taxes and freedom | TLE::SAVAGE | | Tue Apr 07 1992 09:35 | 116 |
| From: [email protected] ([email protected] (mats dahlgren))
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Swedish Prime minister says Sweden gaining democratic freedom
Date: 4 Apr 92 14:01:41 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (Usenet)
Organization: Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] (Anders
Sundin) writes:
>
>I find it ironic that Folkpartiet together with the Social Democrats are
>responsible for the largest changes in recent Swedish politics;
>they introduced a substantial lowering of the taxes.
>I just did my first income declaration according to the new system so I
>noticed that. :-)
>
Yes and no. The *income* tax was lowered, but one of the main ideas in
the taxation reform was that in *total* there should not be any
lowering of the taxes. Instead, we now pay "moms" (VAT) on just about
everything. Before the reform, there was no "moms" on domestic
travels, gasoline, telephone calls, electricity for households, which
there now is (just to mention some of the things which got "moms").
Also, in the reform there was an increase of "moms" on hotels and
resturants as well as building materials. (For some things the "moms"
has been lowered since Jan. 1st, but that's certainly not due to the
tax reform.) In addition, the restrictions on loan-interest deduction
were tightened, leading to more tax money for the state, and the
deduction from income-interest was taken away ("sparavdraget"), leading
again to more money for the state.
>--
> Anders Sundin e-mail: [email protected]
> Organic Chemistry 2 [email protected]
> University of Lund [email protected]
> P.O. Box 124 [email protected]
> S-22100 Lund phone: +46 46 108214
> Sweden fax: +46 46 108209
/mats
********************************************************************************
mats dahlgren
Dept. of Physical Chemistry Mail: [email protected]
The Royal Institute of Technology Phone: +46 8 790 8595
S-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden Fax: +46 8 790 8207
All opinions expressed above are private opinions.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] (Fredrik.Ostman)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Swedish Prime minister says Sweden gaining democratic freedom
Date: 6 Apr 92 07:26:42 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: Ellemtel Telecom Systems Labs, Stockholm, Sweden
Bertil Jonell writes:
>a civil servant at "Taxeringsmyndigheten" in Halland [...]
>claimed, with a straight face, that to compute how much 'real' tax we
>pay, we have to subtract the benefits from what we pay. You get it? He
>ment that if we get something back from the government for the taxes we
>pay, this means that we don't really pay any taxes at all!
This is very enlightening! "Tax" is a measurement of the inefficiency
of the welfare state! Only money that is wasted, ruined, destructed is
"tax". All the money spent on things the original owners never wanted
to buy are "benefits". I do believe, however, that this still leaves
Sweden in top of both the international taxation level list and the
international benefits level list.
ObDemocraticFreedom: In a country where I have no control over 53% of
my income and 20% of my consumption, there is *alot* of room for
increased democratic freedom.
--
______ _~
(_/_ _ _ _/) _ . /) / ) , _/) _
__/ _/(_(/_(/__/(_/_/Z_ (_/_/)_/__/))_(I_/)_
From: [email protected] (Fredrik.Ostman)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Swedish Prime minister says Sweden gaining democratic freedom
Date: 6 Apr 92 07:36:34 GMT
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: Ellemtel Telecom Systems Labs, Stockholm, Sweden
mats dahlgren writes:
>we now pay "moms" (VAT) on just about everything. Before the
>reform, there was no "moms" on domestic travels, gasoline, telephone calls,
>electricity for households, which there now is (just to mention some of the
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Not to mention that there is now moms on the *electricity TAX*. Yes
that's right, you have to pay tax for the tax you pay! Welcome to
Sweden!
Another thing: If you rent a garage place for your car, you have to pay
moms on the rent if the garage is in another house than you live in. If
you rent a garage and an apartment in the same building, you don't have
to pay moms. This means of course that the landlord takes the 25% rise
into his own pocket. Who said socialism wasn't good for capitalists?
--
______ _~
(_/_ _ _ _/) _ . /) / ) , _/) _
__/ _/(_(/_(/__/(_/_/Z_ (_/_/)_/__/))_(I_/)_
|
| 290.18 | Carlsson expects victory; Bildt may go | TLE::SAVAGE | | Tue Apr 26 1994 11:18 | 56 |
| From: [email protected] (Reuter/Simon Haydon)
Newsgroups: clari.world.europe.northern,clari.biz.top,
clari.biz.economy.world,clari.world.europe.western
Subject: Recovery may be too late for Swedish government
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 94 7:40:09 PDT
STOCKHOLM, April 25 (Reuter) - Sweden's tottering
conservative government painted an optimistic picture of
economic recovery on Monday but it may be too late to save Prime
Minister Carl Bildt from defeat in elections in September.
The centre-right coalition has lost its working majority in
parliament and has been defeated three times in the past week,
although Bildt has said he will not call for a vote of
confidence in the government.
Opinion polls point to the Social Democrats, ousted in 1991
by Bildt's Conservative-led alliance, winning the September 18
general election comfortably. The latest opinion poll gave them
over 50 percent of the national vote, indicating former Prime
Minister Ingvar Carlsson could form a government without seeking
coalition partners.
Finance Minister Anna Wibble, presenting a mini budget for
1994/95, declared all economic indicators were looking stronger
than previously forecast.
Inflation was set to drop to 1.9 percent, compared to a
previous forecast of 2.5 percent, and gross domestic product in
1995 should grow by 3.0 percent, slightly higher than forecast.
Economists agree Sweden is on the road to recovery after
three years of deep recession, but they point out that domestic
consumer confidence is still at rock-bottom.
The government has promised major measures to build on the
recovery if re-elected while the Social Democrats have stated
bluntly that they will increase taxes to bring more revenue into
state coffers.
The pledge to raise taxes has not affected the Social
Democrats' standing in opinion polls in Sweden, where the party
is identified with traditional values of egalitarianism and an
all-embracing welfare system.
Under Bildt's coalition, unemployment has rocketed to more
than 8 percent from 3.5 percent although the government blames
what it says were the irresponsible economic policies of former
social democratic governments.
Carlsson, reported to be so confident of victory that he
already has his cabinet in place, is an unexciting technocrat
chosen to lead the Social Democrats after the assassination of
former Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986.
The loss of Palme's charismatic presence, combined with a
worldwide slump in leftwing politics in the 1980s, saw the
Social Democrats ousted in 1991 elections.
Carlsson faces one major problem that analysts say could
dent his election hopes. He has to recommend to party supporters
which way to vote in a referendum on joining the European Union
due to be held in November.
Carlsson was one of the architects of plans to bring Sweden
into the EU but opinion polls suggest Social Democrat voters are
split over membership. The party is due to settle its policy on
Europe in June.
|
| 290.19 | Pre-election opinions | TLE::SAVAGE | | Wed Jun 01 1994 11:51 | 76 |
| From: [email protected] (Anders Sundin)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Swedish views on important political issues
Date: 1 Jun 1994 10:18:09 GMT
Organization: Organic Chemistry 2, Lund University, Sweden
Here are the results of SIFO opinion polls in Sweden.
What are the most important political issues before the election?
1982: 1. Employment policy 58%
2. Prises, wages, economics 41%
3. Schools 38%
4. Health care 35%
5. Environment 32%
1985: 1. Employment policy 44%
2. Environment 41%
3. Health care 38%
4. Schools 33%
5. Prises, wages, economics 32%
1988: 1. Environment 55%
2. Law and order 36%
3. Health care 36%
4. Taxes 34%
5. Housing 26%
1991: 1. Environment 47%
2. Taxes 37%
3. Law and order 31%
4. Housing 29%
5. Health care 27%
What are the most important political issues now?
October 1. Employment policy 51%
1993 2. Economy of the nation 23%
3. Elderly care 17%
4. Immigration 16%
5. Environment 14%
6. Social welfare, pensions 14%
April 1. Employment policy 60%
1994 2. European Union 28%
3. Economy of the nation 18%
4. Environment 15%
5. Health care 14%
6. Social welfare, pensions 14%
Here is the result of a local opinion poll in Lund:
The economy of Lund is under pressure. Which of the following do you
think one should do?
Men Women Total
Keep the taxes at their
present level despite 40 20 30
cuts in important areas.
Maintain the municipal
services at their present 54 69 62
levels although it means
higher taxes.
Don't know 6 11 8
-Anders
--
Anders Sundin e-mail: [email protected]
Organic Chemistry 2 [email protected]
Lund University, P.O. Box 124 voice: +46 46 104130
S-22100 Lund, Sweden fax: +46 46 108209
|
| 290.20 | Social Democrats' strategy | TLE::SAVAGE | | Mon Jul 25 1994 15:28 | 57 |
| VISBY, Sweden, July 20 (Reuter) - Sweden's Social Democrats
unveiled a four-point strategy on Wednesday to resurrect the
economy, plagued by high unemployment and one of the
industrialised world's biggest budget deficits.
``The situation in the economy is so serious that single
actions are not sufficient, spending cuts alone are not enough'',
party leader Ingvar Carlsson told a news conference ahead of a
traditional annual speech on the Baltic island of Gotland.
The Social Democrats were swept from office three years ago
but are tipped to be back in power after general elections on
September 18.
Opinion polls consistently indicate Carlsson's party has
around 50 percent of national support, although a clear majority
in parliament would be a rarity in Swedish politics.
With good odds of ending up heading a minority government,
Carlsson said he wanted close cooperation with centrist parties
to achieve broad and lasting solutions.
The four ingredients in the brew to inject new life into
Sweden's economy would be political stability, investment
subsidies, spending cuts and an attempt to divide burdens
equally amongst Swedes, Carlsson said.
Financial markets, which have never had much affection for
the Social Democrats and which are very nervous at the prospect
of a Carlsson victory, said the last ingredient was a clear
indication that high earners would be hit with heavier taxes.
The most likely candidates for a post-election parliamentary
coalition are the Liberal Party and the Centre Party. Both now
form part of the four-party ruling government headed by
conservative Carl Bildt and have said their main goal is a
renewed mandate for the sitting coalition.
Carlsson expects to be able to eradicate the bulk of the
state deficit, currently projected to reach 160 billion crowns
($20 billion) for the fiscal year 1994/1995 by fighting
unemployment, thus slashing generous labour benefits.
``We shall promote investment instead of being passive but
cuts in the budget will also have to be made. They form an
important part of the whole'', he said.
So far the Social Democrats have been reluctant to discuss
detailed spending cuts or to reveal where they would make the
cuts that economists agree are essential to reduce the deficit.
On Tuesday, the party's economic policy spokesman, Goeran
Persson, said that if current high interest rates persisted,
state spending would have to be slashed by 70 billion crowns
($8.9 billion) by the end of the century.
The Social Democrats have said they want to cut back on
defence, agricultural subsidies and by abolishing some of the
reforms introduced by the current government.
Spending cuts would go hand in hand with raised taxes and
Carlsson has said he will restore tax reform measures reversed
by Bildt.
``We will go back to the tax reform but we will also diverge
from it by raising income tax for people with high salaries'', he
said.
By restoring the tax reform several taxes on dividends,
capital gains and capital would be increased. The revenue would
in part finance an investment program of around 20 billion
crowns ($2.5 billion), Carlsson said.
|
| 290.21 | Carlsson confident | TLE::SAVAGE | | Fri Sep 02 1994 15:45 | 47 |
| OSTERSUND, Sweden, Sept 1 (Reuter) - Social Democrat (SDP)
leader Ingvar Carlsson, scenting victory in Sweden's general
election later this month, said on Thursday women would form
half of his cabinet.
Carlsson, whose party is polling around 50 percent in
opinion surveys after three years in opposition, told a campaign
meeting: ``Every second one will be a woman, that's clear.''
Conservative Prime Minister Carl Bildt's four-party
coalition government has a 19-person cabinet of whom seven are
women, including the finance, foreign and justice ministers.
Carlsson returned to the campaign trail in northern Sweden
after a three-day holiday during which he was slammed by Bildt
as ``hiding from proper debate''.
The SDP leader promised his party would put into immediate
effect almost all parts of a fiscal austerity programme which
will raise taxes and trim some of the generous benefits which
have made the country's welfare state world famous.
The plan, contained in the SDP election manifesto launched
in the middle of last month, aims to slash Sweden's runaway
budget deficit by over 60 billion crowns ($7.8 billion) by 1998.
``We will be able to put into effect virtually all the
proposals in the first year,'' Carlsson said.
The exception would be a sharp increase in personal health
insurance premiums, to be paid by employees directly from their
payrolls, which Carlsson said would have to be ``phased in''.
He said that if the SDP came to power it would put forward
``at the first budget opportunity'' proposals to increase tax
rates on private capital, including share dividends, and to
reduce benefit allowances for parents staying off work to care
for ill children.
On the demand side of the economy, where strong exports and
high production rates in industry mask sluggish domestic demand
and a very gradual easing of historically-high unemployment,
Carlsson said he could not foresee any growth-stimulating moves
beyond those included in the manifesto.
In broad terms these plans involve subsidising industrial
investments, freezing redundancies in state-run health care and
eductation and offering a guaranteed job or alternative to
unemployment benefit for all under-25s within 100 days of being
made jobless.
``Perhaps it would be possible (to do more) if there was a
rapid economic downturn. Then it would involve action on the
investment side,'' he said. ``There can be no question of any
general stimulation of the economy,'' Carlsson said.
He flatly rejected any cuts in value added tax rates.
|
| 290.22 | Alliance possibilities | TLE::SAVAGE | | Thu Sep 15 1994 16:26 | 70 |
| STOCKHOLM, Sept 15 (Reuter) - Sweden's financial markets are
cheered by opinion polls indicating the Social Democrats (SDP)
may need centrist Liberal Party support after Sunday's election,
and expect this mix to produce a fiscally-tough government.
With two days to go, analysts poring over the polls say they
still see a lot of uncertainty and are trying to guess how the
various alternative constellations would affect their interests.
``Generally I think the market is pleased with any sign that
the Social Democrats are going (to move) to the right rather
than the left,'' said Swedbank analyst Peter Granqvist.
The markets' nightmare -- the SDP trying to govern with a
minority after winning less than half of parliament's 349 seats
-- is now seen as less and less likely.
Few think Sweden's second minority government in a row would
survive long, especially if it needed support from its left.
``Financial markets will not like an SDP government that ends
up with the same relationship with the Left and the Greens as
the current government had with New Democracy,'' business daily
Dagens Industri wrote on Thursday.
Polls imply Left and Green parties could win about 20 seats
each while the right-wing New Democracy party will disappear.
Analysts are instead looking at how the SDP would seek
partners in the centre and quote the SDP's assertion that it is
ready to approach parties to its right if voters deny it a
majority. They see the centrist Liberal party as the key.
``The Liberals are clearly the closest cooperation partner to
hand for the SDP,'' said one analyst, who declined to be named.
SDP leaders have said repeatedly in the last few days that
they have little interest in working with Left or Green parties.
``The SDP's unwillingness to discuss the Liberals' policies
in public is a strong sign that they are preparing a negotiating
position for after the election,'' the analyst added.
Sven-Arne Svensson of Stockholm brokerage United Securities
is one of those who have studied the likely policy implications
of an SDP/Liberal alliance.
He says the conditions are ripe for a merger of the SDP's
planned budget reduction measures with the existing government
fiscal austerity programme.
In a research note he said he expected the SDP to present a
package that would reduce spending and increase state income by
130 billion crowns ($17 billion) during the whole four-year
mandate period.
That would mean the SDP's own 61 billion crown ($8 billion)
package, presented in its manifesto in mid-August, being
implemented alongside the larger so-called Nathalie Plan set up
by the current centre-right government.
According to results of the last six opinion polls, compiled
by Reuters, the SDP is heading for a share of about 45 percent
of the vote. The Liberals are polling around 8.0 percent and
their share has tended to rise during the last few days.
However, analysts caution that a hefty 10 to 15 percent of
those polled say they have not yet decided how they will vote.
Some say it is even too early to rule out a late spurt by
the Moderate (Conservative) Party of Prime Minister Carl Bildt.
``There are a lot of question marks left,'' said Granqvist.
``I think we've got lots of room for suprises.''
Bildt's four-party coalition remains an outside bet,
however.
The main problem for Bildt is the apparent collapse in
support for the smallest of his centre-right allies, the
Christian Democrats (KDS). He needs all four parties to get in,
with more support than in 1991, to be assured of a majority.
The KDS share of the vote has swung sharply under and over
the 4.0 percent level all parties must pass to get proportional
representation in parliament. It shows no sign of stabilising.
The Moderates, Liberals, Centre Party and KDS have about 42
percent of the vote now and need a solid swing of about 10
percent to win.
If the KDS falls the others will need to garner a lot more
votes, and will start from only 37 percent between them.
|
| 290.23 | Candidates for Carlsson's successor | TLE::SAVAGE | | Tue Aug 22 1995 09:43 | 44 |
| To: "International Swedish Interest discussion list"
From: [email protected]
Subject: Ingvar Carlsson retiring
>From ROALD STEEN <ROALD.STEEN @ HAMLINK.MN.ORG>
> I heard over short wave radio this morning that Swedish prime
> minister Ingvar Carlsson has announced that he is retiring. I
> would like to ask if anyone on Swede-l can supply more
> information, and perhaps also information on who is the likely
> person to follow Ingvar Carlsson as prime minister
Ingvar Carlsson announced that he will retire at the next congress of
the social democratic party. This will be held in mid March next year.
Until then he will continue as party leader and prime minister.
One problem is that there IS no given successor...
Likely candidates are:
Mona Sahlin, vice prime minister.
Used to have a strong public profile when she was party secretary
and ran election campaigns together with Ingvar Carlsson.
She has lost some of this with her current low profile position as
vice prime minister. Maybe a bit young (38?).
Jan Nygren, coordination minister(? samordningsminister).
Has never had any profile! Generally unknown, but supposed
to have strong support within the party. Has worked closely
with Ingvar Carlsson and knows the job. Nobody seems to
have anything bad to say about him!
Goran Persson, minster of finance.
Officially denies being a candidate...
Considered best at what he is already doing. His very heavy cuts in the
budget probably doesn't get him any extra votes either...
Margareta Winberg, minister of agriculture.
Considered doing a good job, especially in Brussels. Former(?) chairman
of Social Democratic Women. Did, however, vote "no" to the EU and
has a "husband" that still claims to be a communist...
---
Bo Persson
[email protected]
|