Over the weekend, Sweden gave us yet another in a rather incredible series of very close elections in that past year (-plus) of F&V. But this one was almost a landslide compared to recent elections in Norway, the Czech Republic, Germany, New Zealand, Mexico, etc…
The major parties in Sweden are grouped into two blocs, and the right-wing bloc (including the Moderate, Liberal People’s, Centre, and Christian Democratic parties) combined for 50.0% of the vote, while the incumbent left-wing bloc (including the Social Democratic, Green, and Left parties) won 48%. In seats, the right will have 178 to the left’s 171.
The Social Democrats won the most votes (35.2% to the Moderates’ 26.1%), but lack any means to form a government against the combined strength of the right. A scandal earlier this year had been expected to help save the left from defeat. The EU observer describes the scandal:
Previously enjoying a reputation for being squeaky clean, the country’s pending elections hit the headlines in newspapers around Europe when it emerged that members of the liberal party had hacked their way into the ruling social democratic party’s computer network.
The scandal was dubbed “Sweden’s Watergate,” although the label is misleading. The hacking was by the opposition, whereas in the real Watergate, the bugging was by the government, (ab)using government institutions and personnel. That’s quite a difference. But the more important difference is that, given a PR system, voters wanting to punish the offending party did not have to cross over to the other side of the spectrum. And, in the end, the scandal probably redistributed voters among the right, rather than from right to left, costing the Liberals to the benefit of their partners.
Planted by MSS
Planted in:
Baltoscandia;
VOTES
Coug at Eurotrib does the heavy lifting here, with a report on the winning parties’ having agreed to disagree on the EU, NATO, and expanded oil drilling.
The post notes that Labor has never been in coalition before (either having had a majority of seats on its own, or having formed a single-party minority cabinet) and the Socialist Left has never been in government at all.
12 September 2005
Planted by MSS
Planted in:
Baltoscandia;
VOTES
Although I somehow left it off my list of elections in September, today Norwegians voted in general elections. The count went back and forth after the polls closed, but the incumbent conservative prime minister, Kjell Magne Bondevik has conceded defeat.
Norway’s new government will be a coalition of the Labor, Socialist Left, and Center parties. These three parties campaigned together. They combined to win a majority of the seats in parliament. For decades, most of Norway’s governments have been minority cabinets (often of the Labor party). This was the first time the various left parties had campaigned as a team.
The victorious parties campaigned against the upper-bracket tax cuts implemented by the incumbent government and in favor of increased spending of Norway’s considerable oil revenue on education, health and welfare.
The parties disagree on foreign policy, however, and so it will be interesting to see how they govern in this area. The Socialist Left is on record as opposing Norway’s membership in NATO. It is also opposed to joining the EU. Norwegian voters have twice rejected EU membership in nationwide referenda. The issue is expected to come up again soon. There is not much evidence that the public mood would be any more favorable now, however.
Turnout was 76% of eligible voters.
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