If you appreciate this essay by Fjordman, please consider making a donation to him, using the button at the bottom of this post.
Swedish Politics in Chaos
by Fjordman
Sweden will hold a new election on March 22, 2015, just a few months after the previous general elections. The move was announced by Prime Minister Stefan Löfven on December 3, 2014 after his government’s budget failed a crucial vote in Parliament. This is highly unusual for Sweden.
The trade unionist Löfven is leader of the Social Democratic Party. His cabinet, widely considered one of the weakest in recent Swedish history, is a minority coalition cabinet consisting of the Social Democrats and the Green Party. It was installed on October 3, 2014. Mehmet Kaplan, Sweden’s Minister of Housing and Urban Development from the Green Party, was born in Turkey. He has been accused of having ties to Islamic groups affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
Stockholm and the country’s second city, Gothenburg, have been plagued by a rise in violent crime. A justice center in Malmö, Sweden’s third largest city, was bombed in late 2014. It was the second attack on the building this year. The center houses multiple departments, including a courthouse, police offices, the region’s prosecution authority and the economic crime authority. Malmö has been hit by a string of shootings and bombings in 2014, including several car bomb attacks. This is not Colombia or Iraq — this is Sweden, today.
In December 2014 the intelligence community expressed concerns about a rapid rise in the number of Swedish citizens heading for Iraq and Syria to fight for the Islamic State (ISIS). Anders Thornberg, the head of Sweden’s Security Service Säpo, told Swedish television that “It’s an explosive development. When I talk to my colleagues on the other security services in Europe and around the world we see the same trend.” He suggested that by late 2014, up to 300 Muslims from Sweden had travelled to countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and Syria to fight Jihad. Some of these Jihadists return to Europe afterwards, battle-hardened.
In this situation, virtually the first thing the left-wing Löfven government did was to officially recognize a state of Palestine. Apparently, it is acceptable for Palestinian Muslims to have their own nation-state, but not for Swedes or other Europeans.
The Sweden Democrats entered Parliament for the first time in 2010. In 2014, they became the third largest party there. They decided to use their new found strength to vote against the proposed budget. “Sweden has the most extreme immigration policy in Europe and the government wanted to make it more extreme,” said its acting leader Mattias Karlsson. The country has the highest rate of asylum applications per capita of any EU country. The SD indicate that they are ready to bring down any government that does not meet its demand of addressing what it sees as “unregulated immigration.”
Mona Sahlin has been a profiled member of the Swedish Social Democrats for decades. She was the party’s candidate for Prime Minister in 2010. In December 2014 Sahlin warned, concerning the Sweden Democrats, that “[a] xenophobic and right-wing populist party has today taken Parliament hostage. Democracy is at stake.” So, if the country’s third largest political party vote in a way she disagrees with, this is a threat to democracy.
The Social Democrat Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson called the Sweden Democrats a “neo-Fascist party” that “doesn’t stand for the basic value that all human beings are equal, which now raises its voice and wants to dictate the terms in Swedish politics.” Even the Prime Minister called SD a “neo-Fascist party.”
The Guardian in Britain, a left-wing newspaper, states that “The Sweden Democrats are treated as pariahs by the mainstream parties and the media.” This despite the fact that they more than doubled their vote in the September 2014 elections to almost 13%.
What about the so-called conservatives? Sadly, when it comes to immigration, they are not much better than the Social Democrats. Mass immigration continued at full speed under the center-right government of Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt between 2006 to 2014. The same was the case from 1991 to 1994 under PM Carl Bildt. The four center-right parties in Sweden don’t call themselves conservatives, anyway. They simply call themselves “The Alliance.”
The traditional left-right axis cannot explain this situation. The political terms Left and Right date back to seating arrangements in the Assemblée nationale during the French Revolution in the late eighteenth century. They may have outgrown their usefulness in the twenty-first century; perhaps we need a new vocabulary. The dividing line now is not between left-wing and right-wing; it is between those who value nations and those who don’t.
All of the other parties in the Swedish Parliament (the sjuklövern*), including the so-called conservatives, champion continued mass immigration. All of the other parties gang up on the one party in Parliament that objects to continued mass immigration at current levels. By doing so, they demonstrate to the nation that the Sweden Democrats represent the only genuine opposition. As long as the latter stand firm, they will continue to grow. They have a pool of potential supporters much larger than their current number of voters. The Sweden Democrats have finally forced the issue of immigration higher on the political agenda in Sweden.
Some Swedes feel that the current situation is embarrassing for Sweden’s image abroad as a stable and well-governed country. It makes Sweden resemble a banana republic. My view is that this old image was already an illusion, a false façade desperately maintained to keep up appearances. Sweden is no longer a well-governed country. Attacks not just with knives or bottles, but with car bombs and hand grenades, have become regular occurrences in the worst-hit areas. Foreign tribes foolishly imported in large numbers clash with each other in Swedish streets.
The chaos of Swedish politics now accurately mirrors the chaos of Swedish streets. No more pretending.
The nation of Sweden can only be saved by abandoning Sweden as the humanitarian ideological beacon for mankind. There is not much time left.
Note:
| * | Sjuklövern: seven-leaf clover, the seven-party system. All parties in Parliament, apart from the Sweden Democrats, are seen as one party when it comes to policies on mass immigration. These seven parties are the “seven sisters” or the “7-clovers”. | |
For a complete archive of Fjordman’s writings, see the multi-index listing in the Fjordman Files.
Hat tip for the government photo: Da Capo.
There are two opposing trends happening simultaneously in Europe. On the one hand, there has been a sharp increase in the popularity of anti-immigrant parties, like the PVV in Holland the FN in France. On the other, there has been a defensive hardening of traditional views in the mainstream parties regarding the Islamic question, reflected in the tendency to recognize “Palestine”.
These divergent opinions may be the result of alarm at events surrounding Islam: the rise of anarchy in the Mideast, the Islamic State, Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the export of anarchy to Europe. One side sees Islam as the problem and wants it out, the other side clings to the idea that combatting racism is the answer and is doubling down on appeasement. It’s ironic that those who think racism is the problem are enabling the most benighted bigots on the planet.
Excellent and clever analysis of the the Sick Man that is Europe. Has lost direction and purpose.
Ah, “the sick man of Europe”–that shining relic (but eternally relevant) of an ottomanopoeia [sic]!
Your second group, “the mainstream parties”, are also in some cases motivated by simple self interest expressed as a desire to join the winning team: they can see the future and that future is Islam and Sharia. They are just getting a head start.
We can soon expect the regime to introduce laws restricting SD to use the power the voters have given them, they’re so used to not being questioned by the media that they don’t even try to hide this, they discuss it openly as if it is the most natural thing in the world to do.
Sweden is not a democracy and I wish the world would stop treating us as one, if they can impose sanctions on other authoritarian regimes they can do so to the Swedish one as well.
Importing foreign tribes is a laughable policy.laugh loudly at your Liberal friends at polite dinner parties,laugh loudly.
I am laughing but then I feel sad and dismayed at the horrible fate awaiting Europe, brought upon itself by The Traitor Class.
We should refrain from any kind of voting until they stop muslim invaders.
“The dividing line now is not between left-wing and right-wing; it is between those who value nations and those who don’t.”
Yes, indeed Fjordman! The terms “left and right wing politics” have become useless as indicators of attitudes towards state institutionalised multi–culturalism and mass immigration. I doubt that the old progressive left would have supported the cultural relativism or the accommodation to Islamic demands that’s the current obsession.
This old leftist definitely does not want to be associated with the multi-culti fantasists and their “anti-racist” dysfunctional politics, conservatives please take note.
The nation-state is, so far, the only stable institution for the expression of democratic forms of government ever developed. In the past, those demented individuals who wanted to build a Utopia took their followers into the wilderness and usually perished there, now entire nations, such as Sweden are involved in uncontrolled social experiments.
Israeli (Hebrew w/English subtitles) satire of the Swedish mindset–including subservience and fear of Moslems. ABBA provides the (musical) superstructure. Or, is that substructure?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBI8hikSlIs
Wikipedia:
Swedish antisemitism satire. Following the 2009 Aftonbladet-Israel controversy, in which a writer for Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet alleged that the IDF harvested organs of Palestinians, LatmaTV produced a clip a parody on ABBA’s song “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme a Man After Midnight” entitled Primi Primi Primitive and Phlegmatic in which the Swedish foreign minister sings about how primitive and cowardly he is. The clip became a hit after it was quickly picked up by the leading newspaper in Sweden, DN.se, and by Swedish and Norwegian bloggers. The clip received many anti-Israel as well as antisemitic and Neo-Nazi comments. Latma website director Shlomo Blass said, “We were surprised by how quickly the clip took-off, we must have hit a sensitive nerve”
I would like to know which Western country’s politics are not in chaos. It’s good to study the insanity of Scandinavia, Sweden most of all, because they have brought the chaos on themselves — with more and worse to come — entirely by a willful effort. The U.S., U.K., France and Australia at least have some thin excuse for the self-destruction: demographic-cultural problems were there from the beginning, e.g. Indians in and African imported into, the “New World,” or the wages of Empire for the UK and France. Even Germany has an excuse: it’s rushing to fulfill Hitlers’ Revenge: suicide in atonement for mass murder.
But Scandinavia? That is pure, unmitigated lunacy. If a person were doing this, he’d have been put away in a maximum security psychiatric hospital decades ago. Whole countries pulling out their own entrails apparently get a pass, but it should not be expected that there are no unpleasant consequences that are built into the equation…
Actually I think a landslide victory for SD is not impossible anymore. If not nw, when?
Read in swedish
Söndagskrönika: En svetsares fall
http://snaphanen.dk/2014/12/07/sondagskronika-en-svetsares-fall/
Separately follows a translation of ca one 1/2, the general part, of this Sundy Chroicle
[grammatical redaction certainly needed]
The defeat of a welder
translation from Swedish original at http://www.snaphanen.dk
I want to sink under the surface of the earth and put something old over me. Without having the slightest responsibility for, or involvement in the government crisis, I am ashamed to be Swedish, and to witness the travesty of politics that is unfolding before our eyes. Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (s) believes that he takes responsibility for Sweden. Aside from his rapidly shrinking band of voters – 31 percent in parliamentary elections – he is, I guess, quite alone in that assessment.
“Responsibility” is one of our time’s most abused word. According to the seven-party’s dictionary it means to build even higher walls to the realization that their immigration policies are splitting Sweden. To “take responsibility” is to engage in continued mass immigration and by all means isolating the eighth party, the Swedendemocrats. Cost what it wants. If the country goes under, it’s worth it.
Let’s not pretend. The government Löfven is from Day 1 a disaster. Sixty days in the Government Office Rosenbad became sixty days’ of an acid test for both the former Metal Union president and for us poor Swedes. Two months of manifested governmental incompetence – and for the citicens an ice cold, creeping feeling that everything is flowing. Panta Rei.
Stefan Löfven’s definition of responsibility differs significantly from the word’s usual meaning. He sweetens his speech with signal words where his swedishnorthern dialect is meant to reinforce the illusion of security; “Collaboration”, “outstretched hand”, “responsibility”, “inclusive society”, “pull together” and “together”. But do not be fooled by words. Behind them are the same old Socialdemocratic concrete fist that ruled the country for 44 uninterrupted years and wants to continue control in old socio-dictatorial manner. All power to the party elite. Open your mouths and swallow, people of Sweden, and do not forget to be grateful.
During the two months Löfven’s government has been in power, it has exposed the Swedes almost daily to near-death experiences. For each day that passes the country is damaged in a way that it will take many years to heal, if healing is even possible.
Stefan Löfven has folded himself flat to the cultural Marxistic extremists of both the Green Party(MP) and the Left Party and allows them to block major issues, such as maintaining the Bromma airport under arrangements relating to the year 2038, and to implement the Stockholm Southern Bypass, which now costs taxpayers four million per day to hold in standby mode. A list of the government’s most spectacular failures can be found in Peter Wolodarski’s editorial in the Dagens Nyheter and can be read here.
[…]
Löfven’s government – a pure horror cabinet. What we have witnessed in the autumn may reasonably cause the dismounted Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt (m) to laughing all the way to the condominium in Taby Centrum he has bought for himself for over three million .
[…]
Stefan Löfven’s “humanistic rainbow(=pride)government” represents – himself included, a pure horror cabinet. A collection of misconceived characters whose pubertal left-wing extremism may run wild and the Socialdemocracie’s march toward the abyss is manifested in the incompetmence it is represented by on the Minister taburetts.
With the reservation that Stefan Löfven really believes that the skilled people he has scraped together in his government represent the crème de la crème of Sweden’s political intelligentsia, it is likely that many in spee respondents declined his offer after conducting a risk analysis. It did not feel attractive to be part of a ministry that was destined to run into the ditch before the Christmas roasted pig buttoc even arrived on the table.
In the end there were only the bottom scratch remaining with names like Magdalena Andersson (s) (who said “SD is a neo-fascist party”), Islamist, not the least moderate muslim Mehmet Kaplan (Green Party),environment hypocrite Åsa Romson (Green Party), Ardalan Shekarabi (s), (another muslim ?), who hid illegally for several years and in 2003 used 76.000 crowns of SSU’s funds that should have gone to integration projects for his own campaign to become SSU president, Margot “empty-barrels-rattle-most” Wallström (s) previously in the EU, thereafter promotion queen for a lottery business, and last but not least the culture analphabet Alice Bah (turning Green Partyist over night), to name a few of the worst examples.
That Stefan Löfven gave no ministerial post to the woman behind the failed attempt to get the Socialdemocratic Party organization infiltrated with the muslim mole Omar Mustafa,
Veronica Palm (s), must be due to a mere oversight.
He was a lousy welder. According to well-informed sources, Stefan Löfven was a lousy welder during the eighteen years from 1979 he worked at the munitions manufacturer Hägglund & Sons in Örnsköldsvik. (This means no disrespect to welders in general). That was why he began to engage in union activity.
When the old welder Stefan Löfven assisted by MP and V has welded together his first budget the results do not cling together. The budget is largely under-funded and involves both growth and employment declines. Lliteratim it is is expressed in the budget:
“The tax proposals submitted and announced in this bill will contribute to a noticeably
slow down both of employment and GPD”
Here, the growth hostile Environment Party (MP) issued an influence that they should never have had and never should get.
Strong warning from industry. The government’s failures are so many and so great that they have prompted a sharp warning from representatives of the business community, which – regardless if the red-greens likes to hear it or not – builds the base of a welfare society. In an article in the Dagens Nyheter four known entrepreneurs, including Olof Stenhammar and Antonia Ax:son Johnson writes
“This autumn Swedish entrepreneurship was hit by a cold shower that probably no one thought possible. In area after area was exhibited a levity, a shortsightedness and a tone deafness for business conditions that are am azing. (…)
“Stefan Löfven has suddenly let a small political outer portion dictate the government’s agenda in areas such as gains in welfare. And this without the Swedish people in elections has given the government a mandate to move in that direction. Perceptions that before the election was considered extreme has Löfven now accepted. (…)
The short-termism and unpredictability in politics is amazing. Will Sweden in reallity be controlled by two small parties with distinct business hostile policies? Two parties, as in the election received a reduced support and that together total about 12 percent of the electorate.”
He is offended, and is crowning himself with the martyr halo. So he stood there on Wednesday December 3, 2014, before the parliament’s rejection of his budget, Stefan Löfven. Obviously the budget was voted down by the bourgeois alliance parties. This seems to strike Stefan Löfven completely unexpected. For some unfathomable reason, he seems to have believed that the alliance would help him stay in power. He is mad as a grumpy kid in its anal phase and behave like the union boss he no longer is. He is offended by not getting his way. The martyr halo goes on and everything is the Swedendemocrat’s fault – the new neo-fascists…
[..]
[..]
Just curious – are freedom loving people in Sweden packing up and leaving and if so where do they go if they are leaving?
No, not really. Where would we go? Things aren’t really much better elsewhere. Going to Iceland or Finland might give you an extra 10-15 years but we’re all heading towards disaster.
Of course. I have read comments on this site saying how they are leaving Europe and heading for America or the Antipodes – hey folks, wakey wakey, if Europe falls do you really think you’ll be safe. We are approaching the time for line drawing in the sand… There’s no running away from it.
After some yrs in Europe I went to live in norway. Much better than sweden at least…
The Swedish vision of an ideal country has been touted as Muslim Malaysia. The Gulp Estates?
I first visited Sweden and Denmark in 1968 and was so charmed, I decided eventually I wanted to learn a Scandinavian language. Eventually I learned Swedish which I have studied intermittently over the years. The last time I visited Sweden was 1995.
Now I ask myself why I bothered to learn the language. The country seems doomed and sometimes it seems they deserve their fate. They have allowed their country to be taken over and be a hotbed for Jew hatred by the same immigrants who riot in their streets.
It’s so sad.