Swedish National Elections

Since we are living in Sweden during their national elections (the relatively low-key campaign is happening right now), I thought I should say something about, however ill-informed I am. I am trying to get a handle on it by reading the English language online newspaper here, and if you yourself want to understand it, you should go to the web page of "The Local" in Stockholm, and check out their special Election Coverage. At any rate, the most important thing to understand is that, while there are two coalitions of parties running against each other (normally in parliamentary systems, coalitions, or voting blocs, are not formed until AFTER the election results, but this time around groups of political parties have already negotiated their coalition blocs beforehand,promising to work together after the election to make sure their shared policies can be legislatively passed), their politics have little to do with American-type politics. The left-wing government that had ruled Sweden successfully (by that I mean that they had developed a social "welfare" system in Sweden--spending money on roads, schools, museums, airports, job-creation, research and development, health care, housing, etc--that had created one of the wealthiest, happiest, and healthiest populations on earth) lost 4 years ago to a center-moderate coalition of parties. It has also successfully steered Sweden through an economic storm that has brought other countries to their financial knees, by continuing to stress job-creation and encouragement of companies that actually provide goods and services, as opposed to following policies that support the banking and other financial institutions. By keeping the economy as a whole strong, the banks have remained strong, and so has the Swedish kroner (crown). This center-moderate coalition is ahead in the polls, partly, it seems, on the basis of their campaigning on re-nationalizing the educational system, in order to restore order to it, on making sure students' work is graded, beginning at age 12, and on what passes for a "law-and-order" platform here, as people seem worried about rising crime rates (they are NOTHING compared to the States, but are still worrisome to Swedes), young people's behavior, and better integration of immigrants into Swedish society and culture (people are welcome here, as long as they become Swedish. This is similar to the French stance. Research here finds that immigrants who continue their ethnic identity, continue naming their children ethnic names, don't speak Swedish well, etc, continue to work in segregated and lower-paid jobs and to experience negative social responses from Swedes. I guess this is common-sense, right? Immigrants who leave behind their ethnic identities, learn the language, and assimilate, moved into mainstream society even in the US, historically (I use the word "even" because of the vicious anti-immigrant politics right now in the US, centered, seemingly, on the ignorant assumption that all immigrants are illegal immigrants, and that all Hispanics are illegal immigrants. Both of these assumptions are so un-informed that they would be laughable as simply stupid, except that they have vicious consequences. Thank God our own ancestors weren't treated similarly--and before you bring up "NO Irish Need Apply," it's a myth. There is absolutely no historical evidence of any such signs or practice. I know you've been hearing about it for years, but it's like the hitch-hiking prom-going ghost-girl who disappears in the night--and we've all been hearing about HER for years, too).

Okay, so at any rate, what I am learning about these two political coalitions is that, by American standards, both of them are extremely liberal. Basically their differences would be classified, in American politics, as left-wing vs. liberal. Yes, the "center-moderates" want to be "tougher on crime" and to beef up Sweden's contributions of manpower to NATO; yes, they want to continue the personal tax breaks both for those who hire domestic workers to clean, cook and watch their kids, AND for those who hire services in the form of carpenters, plumbers, electricians, etc, while the left coalition wants to get rid of the tax break for hiring domestic service (these policies, by the way, have been or are being adopted all over Europe, on the basis of varying, and sometimes contradictory politics: pro-getting educated women to retain their link to the labor force; as a jobs-creation policy for low-education women; jobs-creation for trained crafts workers; jobs for immigrants;...It is also criticized as anti-immigrant, as sexist, as against women being homemakers, as maintaining a two-tiered economy,...) but keep the one for hiring the plumbers, etc. The left-wing slogan and platform stress that the nation has a responsibility to take care of ALL the nation before it thinks about tax cuts for the wealthy (everyone agrees on tax cuts for pensioners, who now pay higher taxes than workers, and on lowering taxes for workers; the left wants to raise taxes on million-dollar homes, which are less common here than in the States); the moderates' slogan and platform stresses that they must help integrate everyone into the Swedish economy and culture (Can you imagine the wonderfullness of living in a society where politicians have the guts to use words like "responsibility" and NOT just mean it fiscally, but in the sense that we all have a responsibility to each other?). One interesting policy that the moderates just suggested is a block payment of about $1000 to any immigrant who learns (can pass the language exam) Swedish within a year, rather than continuing to take the government-subsidized Swedish language classes; this policy was termed "condescending and patronizing" by the left, who argue that, of course all immigrants WANT to learn the language; we don't have to PAY them to do so. The ruling moderate coalition, as I said before, also thinks that Sweden needs to be better members of NATO and the EU, and that Sweden must provide greater incentives for going "green," including tax cuts for homeowners who purchase energy-saving materials for their homes.
In other words, the center-moderate coalition here is WAY more liberal than the Democratic Party in the US has had the balls to be in over 40 years, despite the here-and -there oddities of individuals within parties within that coalition, where individuals come out with anti-immigrant remarks, etc. One problem in understanding these issues, I think, is that many Swedes believe that it is MORE helpful to immigrants for them to assimilate than for them to retain their separate identities and cultures. And so arguing for programs that are meant to help immigrants to improve their economic standing in Swedish society, by NOT "being so Muslim" or so southern European in "lifestyle", language, and names (Muslims here are especially disapproved of if they behave in ways that are seen as demeaning to women) can of course be seen as insulting to immigrants and therefore "anti-immigrant," when there actually is some factual basis for their argument. It is cultural relativism vs. hard, cold, economic and social reality (which is not always the way we would like it to be). Swedes in general like ALL people to be "normal" and to conform to the mean; they don't like people who stand out in any way (Don and I on our 7-hour round trip driving weekend, plus hours of local driving while there, kept looking for ONE house painted a different color than Falun red or yellow, and NEVER saw a single one. It would make ME WANT to paint my house ANYTHING else). It takes courage in Sweden--more so than in most American cities--to dress differently,to pierce your nose and/or dye your hair pink. And yes, I know there are bohemian areas and cities in Sweden, but their existence speaks to the "normality" of the rest of Swedish life. Swedes themselves will say, "oh, but ____ is very bohemian." They do not deny that the rest of Sweden is conformist. Swedes in general like being Swedish, and they can't imagine why you wouldn't like to be Swedish too, especially if you emigrated here. It's not an arrogance like the French, because it's not that they think they are superior to anywhere else, necessarily (well, maybe they believe that their welfare state is). It's just that, in their own modest way, they are very happy being Swedish and want their immigrants to be Swedish too. They don't want the kind of hyphenated people that America is made up of- Irish-Americans, Polish-Americans, Muslim-Americans, Italian-Americans, African-Americans, etc. They just want SWEDES. And this is seems to be fueling much of the current "conservative" (actually left-moderate) politics here.

Alright, I am now spinning sociology out of only a few sources,and so have gotten over my head. At any rate, I find this election interesting BECAUSE it is so different from American elections. I am enjoying being far away from the horrible politics in the US, which is so depressing and where it seems that so many people WANT us all to be furious all the time (my body and brain can't take all that anger). I can't stand all that negative energy being thrown around constantly--it's exhausting and frightening. Give me a calm, orderly, month-long (only) election campaign with mostly sane, calm politicians and media any day. Our campaigns, instead, seem to have degenerated into a bloodsport run by crazies and cheered on by media who are themselves starving for blood. Yuck.