Month: June 2023

There once were four small parties

Four parties bottoming out

Voters aren’t leaving small parties in droves, but they’re leaving. Statistics Sweden published the results of its annual survey the other day. If the election had taken place last month, the changes would have been mostly small, yet decisive. Three big parties remain big, and the Left Party is holding relatively strong. However, there are now four parties bobbing around the 4% required percentage to gain a seat in parliament. The small parties often make up the crucial votes that decide a block’s victory or loss. Why have their voters left them?

Rally round the flag

For some commentators, the reason is the behemoth quality of major parties – the closer you stand the more likely you’ll be crushed. The smaller, supportive parties who help form a government are often overshadowed, and their separate, political identities dissipate. Another reason might be the tendency to “rally around the flag.” When things seem shaky and the times are uncertain, it feels safer to seek shelter in something or someone bigger. Finally, since the Social Democrats in particular have surged ahead in popularity it could be voters blaming the government for the mess in the world (or for making it worse).

One response to dissatisfaction can be to form your own party. You wouldn’t be alone.

Form your own party!

There are 107 parties to choose from registered in Sweden for the 2024 election to the European Union parliament. These include the Evil Chicken Party (Ond Kyckling Partiet), the Least Awful party (det minst dåliga partiet), and the Chill party (Chillpartiet). The requirements to register a party in Sweden are few: At least one person to be the party, between 50 and 1500 signatures (depending on the post to which the person wants to be elected), and navigating a minimum of red tape.

In a democratic sense, it’s important to have the freedom to create a political party. Small parties capture people’s interest and can encourage interest in the political process. They can give marginalized people a chance for broader recognition, and can expand a national and/or local political discourse. Perhaps the four above parties have failed in those efforts.

The Evil Chicken Party’s platform calls for a lower parliamentary threshold. They might get some unexpected support.  

Gods and guns

On allemansrätten – the right to roam
Something you don’t see in Sweden very much. If at all.
image source: www.emedco.com

One of the best things about Sweden is the ability to wander around freely in the woods, fields, and waterways. These places are open to everyone thanks to allemansrätten.  Allemansrätten is translated as the right of public access, but there are other inherent meanings. “Everyman’s right,” “freedom to roam,” and “right to roam” are a few.

Don’t disturb, don’t destroy

The concept allemansrätten is first found in the report of a commission on leisure activity in the late 1930s. The purpose of the commission was to find ways to make it easier for city dwellers to get out into nature more often.

Later in 1994, it was written into law that “every man should have access to nature in accordance with the right to roam.” The right itself, however, was never clearly defined. It is more a negative right, meaning you can mostly wander where you will as long as you “don’t disturb and don’t destroy.”

The right to roam has deep roots. Much of the romantic soul of Sweden is embodied in the majesty of the forest and in the wealth of mushrooms and berries found there. Walking in a forest is life-giving. It began with the gods.

The gods then created people from trees

In the Nordic creation myth, trees were created from the hair of the giant Ymir, who was slain by Odin and his brothers Vile and Vé. Some time later, while out walking by the sea, Odin and his brothers saw two trees, an ash tree and what some say was an elm tree. From these two trees they created people, Ask and Embla. Ask and Embla went on to populate Midgard.

The oak tree symbolized, and was dedicated to, Odin’s son, Thor (the god of thunder). If lightning struck and split an oak tree it was under no circumstances allowed to be cut down. It was considered Thor’s place of abode. In her book on oak trees, Åsa Torlind writes that one of the first things Christian missionaries did to convert the Scandinavian heathens was to burn down oak trees and forests. When no ill effects were felt, she writes, people drew the conclusion that the new god must be more powerful than the old gods. They were converted.

Don’t get shot

Felling trees is still not a simple issue. Nor is keeping meadows open by grazing cows and sheep. And even if no one owns the water, a company still can’t install wind turbines where it likes (see this post). Between military needs, the environment, commercial interests, and simple land ownership the right to roam isn’t as uncomplicated as it looks from the outside. Especially now when you might get shot.

It is well known that the military is going through a massive upgrade. There are more recruits, and more training exercises. This includes more active firing ranges. Previously, people have quite blithely, if illegally, walked by a warning sign to go picnicking in a meadow. Now, the message is that visiting your favorite little corner of the universe may put your life in danger.  

The right to roam has some limitations, as well as a number of responsibilities. The number one responsibility is perhaps making sure that there is nature left to go roam around in.