SAWT BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL

| 19 March 2024, Tuesday |

Sweden, government’s fall or Right’s victory?

US President John Biden’s arrival to power after such a complicated presidential election, was considered by Europe’s socialist parties, as a unique event, that represents support for liberal and democratic trends worldwide.

Sweden, located in the far north of Europe, is not far from political quarrels. The government headed by Stefan Lofven, leader of the Socialist Party, is going through difficult circumstances, as the government has been toppled after losing confidence by the Parliament, having its fate now pending between the challenges of new formation or early elections, but the parties are divided and here is the great danger.

Despite the specificity of the Swedish internal governmental problem, which is now linked to the mechanism of rent liberalization issue, the undeclared alliance between Right and Left, aiming at overthrowing the government, made this ancient Scandinavian country facing a critical crisis, where all scenarios are open to all options.

Thousands of Syrian, Iraqi, Palestinian, Afghan, Iranian and other nationalities refugees live in Sweden, and most of them fear that the  right-wing party will take office,  and they look with fear at the Danish neighbor, which has been taking, and still,  strict measures weekly against asylum and refugee issues, after the Right took over power years ago.

Although the Swedish political rhythm is considered – according to observers – relatively calm, and cold weather is reflected at times on the cold political and partisan atmosphere in terms of performance, the Swedish Right-Wing Democrats, however, are viewed with suspicion, as a party that carries hostile ideas against all immigrants. Especially since it won 62 seats in the 2018 parliamentary elections

Some of the countries’ Right-Wing and Center-Right parties, still deal with this party differently, as the latter is sometimes described by Swedish media – as racist. But the great surprises that occurred in Stockholm during the past days, made the impossible a reality, when the Left-Wing party’s agenda met with the extreme Right party’s one, albeit partially. And although Löfven,  Swedish prime minister, is very popular among unions in which he has worked for years, and has a long history of succeeding in any negotiation process between parties, he is facing today a difficult test, which forced him personally to confess to journalists, that the country’s early elections has become inevitable,  if the government with socialist orientations is toppled.

The Right-Wing tide that is creeping immensely inside the Swedish political process, gives an indication to the depth of this governmental and parliamentary crisis, but it raises a big question that dominates the social as well as political scene. What is the fate of asylum policies in a country like Sweden if the right gets the chance to head the government?