Swedish parties and the EU
Sweden is a parliamentary democracy, with a general election every fourth year. Parties that fail to gain at least 4% of the vote will not get any seats in the Riksdag. The 349 seats are distributed among the parties that manages the threshold by a system of proportional representation.
This means that Sweden has a lot of parties...
The Social Democrats: Socialdemokraterna (s)
This party considers itself the natural party of government, and has only been out of power for nine years since 1932. Its current leader is Prime Minister Göran Persson. The party is pro-EU, pro-Euro, pro-Constiution, and naturally against a referendum.
However, the party has a sizeable eurosceptic minority, predominately on the left wing of the party. The new Party Secretary Marita Ulvskog is a well-known eurosceptic.
The Moderates: Moderata Samlingspartiet (m)
This is Swedens largest opposition party. They are members of the EPP, and the most right-wing party in the Swedish Riksdag. They used to be a conservative party, but in recent years they have transformed and moved in the direction of liberalism. Their new leader Fredrik Reinfeldt is the unofficial leader of the opposition.
The Moderates are europhile, but considerably less enthusiastic than they once were. The Moderate Youth League is split roughly equal between europhiles and sceptics. The sceptics tend to be influenced by liberatarianism.
The Christian Democrats: Kristdemokraterna (kd)
This center-right party is very split on the issue of the EU. It has been faring very badly in the polls and could very well fall below 4% in the 2006 elections. Their leader is called Göran Hägglund.
The party establishment is europhile, but a lot of the grassroots and supporters are sceptics. The party is a member of the EPP.
The Liberals: Folkpartiet liberalerna (fp)
This is Swedens only euro-federalist party. Led by Lars Lejionborg, aka "The Lion King" they have gone from a centrist to a center-right party. They sit in the ELDR-group in the EU-parliament.
The Center party: Centerpartiet (c)
This small party used to be the party of farmers and the country people. It still is to some extent, although the leadership could now be described as social-liberal. Its leader Maud Olofsson has arrested the party´s 25 year decline and given it a new hope for life. The party is confused, and confusing, when it comes to matters European: Pro-EU, strongly anti-EMU, pro-Constitution, in favour of federalism (which the party believs is the same thing as decentralisation), and currently against a referendum.
There is a sizeable eurosceptic minority within the party, led by Dr. Hans Lindqvist of TEAM-fame.
The Center party is a member of the ELDR.
The Green Party: Miljöpartiet de Gröna (mp)
The Green Party is not in the government, but neither is it part of the opposition. It is a member of a three-party agreement with the Left Party and the Socialdemocrats. The three parties have agreed to negotiate and co-operate on most issues during this 4-year term, but the smaller parties reluctantly had to accept that the Socialdemocrats will be the sole government party.
The Greens are currently led by Peter Eriksson and Maria Wetterstrand.
The party is in favour of withdrawal from the EU, against the Constitution and is campaigning for a referendum. The members and the Green Youth are even more eurosceptic than the leadership, but there is also a small but vocal pro-EU minority.
The Left Party: Vänsterpartiet (v)
This reformed post-communist party now has a leader by the name of Lars Ohly who insists on calling himself a communist. This and a number of other reasons is causing a major split in the party. The party is anti-EU, and its policies on European issues are much the same as the Green party's.
The party is a member of the GUE-NGL in the EU-parliament.
The June-list: Junilistan (jl)
This new eurosceptic party was formed right before the EP-elections in 2004 and got 14% of the vote. Their leader is the prominent economist Nils Lundgren. Their activists come from different parts of the political spectrum. Of their three MEPs Nils Lundgren is a social democrat from the right-wing of the party, Helene Goudin is a social democrat from the left of the party, and Lars Wohlin once used to be a political secretary to the Moderate leader before being made president of the Swedish Central Bank.
The June-list is not against the EU as such, but they are strongly opposed to EMU and the Constitution. They are not in favour of Swedish withdrawal. The party does not have a unified policy on other matters than the EU, and they have not yet decided wether to contest the national elections of 2006. They will probably do so unless there is a referendum.
The June-list is a member of the IND/DEM group in the EU-parliament.
"The Feminist Party":
The Feminist Party does not exist officially as of yet. But former Left Party leader Gudrun Schyman is very busy starting it. The party would be expected to do well and take a lot of votes, especially from the Left, Socialdemocrats and Greens.
The EU-policy of the Feminist party will probably be eurosceptic, but to what degree remains unclear. It will almost certainly be against the Constitution and in favour of a referendum.
Some of these parties are not likely to survive the next election.
This means that Sweden has a lot of parties...
The Social Democrats: Socialdemokraterna (s)
This party considers itself the natural party of government, and has only been out of power for nine years since 1932. Its current leader is Prime Minister Göran Persson. The party is pro-EU, pro-Euro, pro-Constiution, and naturally against a referendum.
However, the party has a sizeable eurosceptic minority, predominately on the left wing of the party. The new Party Secretary Marita Ulvskog is a well-known eurosceptic.
The Moderates: Moderata Samlingspartiet (m)
This is Swedens largest opposition party. They are members of the EPP, and the most right-wing party in the Swedish Riksdag. They used to be a conservative party, but in recent years they have transformed and moved in the direction of liberalism. Their new leader Fredrik Reinfeldt is the unofficial leader of the opposition.
The Moderates are europhile, but considerably less enthusiastic than they once were. The Moderate Youth League is split roughly equal between europhiles and sceptics. The sceptics tend to be influenced by liberatarianism.
The Christian Democrats: Kristdemokraterna (kd)
This center-right party is very split on the issue of the EU. It has been faring very badly in the polls and could very well fall below 4% in the 2006 elections. Their leader is called Göran Hägglund.
The party establishment is europhile, but a lot of the grassroots and supporters are sceptics. The party is a member of the EPP.
The Liberals: Folkpartiet liberalerna (fp)
This is Swedens only euro-federalist party. Led by Lars Lejionborg, aka "The Lion King" they have gone from a centrist to a center-right party. They sit in the ELDR-group in the EU-parliament.
The Center party: Centerpartiet (c)
This small party used to be the party of farmers and the country people. It still is to some extent, although the leadership could now be described as social-liberal. Its leader Maud Olofsson has arrested the party´s 25 year decline and given it a new hope for life. The party is confused, and confusing, when it comes to matters European: Pro-EU, strongly anti-EMU, pro-Constitution, in favour of federalism (which the party believs is the same thing as decentralisation), and currently against a referendum.
There is a sizeable eurosceptic minority within the party, led by Dr. Hans Lindqvist of TEAM-fame.
The Center party is a member of the ELDR.
The Green Party: Miljöpartiet de Gröna (mp)
The Green Party is not in the government, but neither is it part of the opposition. It is a member of a three-party agreement with the Left Party and the Socialdemocrats. The three parties have agreed to negotiate and co-operate on most issues during this 4-year term, but the smaller parties reluctantly had to accept that the Socialdemocrats will be the sole government party.
The Greens are currently led by Peter Eriksson and Maria Wetterstrand.
The party is in favour of withdrawal from the EU, against the Constitution and is campaigning for a referendum. The members and the Green Youth are even more eurosceptic than the leadership, but there is also a small but vocal pro-EU minority.
The Left Party: Vänsterpartiet (v)
This reformed post-communist party now has a leader by the name of Lars Ohly who insists on calling himself a communist. This and a number of other reasons is causing a major split in the party. The party is anti-EU, and its policies on European issues are much the same as the Green party's.
The party is a member of the GUE-NGL in the EU-parliament.
The June-list: Junilistan (jl)
This new eurosceptic party was formed right before the EP-elections in 2004 and got 14% of the vote. Their leader is the prominent economist Nils Lundgren. Their activists come from different parts of the political spectrum. Of their three MEPs Nils Lundgren is a social democrat from the right-wing of the party, Helene Goudin is a social democrat from the left of the party, and Lars Wohlin once used to be a political secretary to the Moderate leader before being made president of the Swedish Central Bank.
The June-list is not against the EU as such, but they are strongly opposed to EMU and the Constitution. They are not in favour of Swedish withdrawal. The party does not have a unified policy on other matters than the EU, and they have not yet decided wether to contest the national elections of 2006. They will probably do so unless there is a referendum.
The June-list is a member of the IND/DEM group in the EU-parliament.
"The Feminist Party":
The Feminist Party does not exist officially as of yet. But former Left Party leader Gudrun Schyman is very busy starting it. The party would be expected to do well and take a lot of votes, especially from the Left, Socialdemocrats and Greens.
The EU-policy of the Feminist party will probably be eurosceptic, but to what degree remains unclear. It will almost certainly be against the Constitution and in favour of a referendum.
Some of these parties are not likely to survive the next election.
posted by Max Andersson at 15:40
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