Sunday was national, regional and local elections in Sweden. The preliminary results from the Swedish national election are public now with the rest still being counted. The Swedish Pirate Party did not manage to achieve their goal of more than 1% in the national election and to enter local parliaments throughout the country.

The Pirate Party was not listed in the preliminary results, but the group of “others” only amounted to total 0.9% of the results. The party did not manage well in local elections either. One of the most hopeful local areas, Linköping, the party reached a mere 1.1% (a slight improvement from 0.9% in 2010). As the final count for the national elections are finalized, the party is unlikely to reach beyond its 2010 result of 0.65% at national level.

“Pirates are a fantastic breed”, says party leader Anna Troberg in a statement. “We’ve never let a challenge stop us before, and we won’t do it now either. We’re needed now more than ever. Yesterday was a disappointment in many ways, but now we’ll continue working together to achieve the world we want in the future.”

Major Shift in the Swedish Government

The big news in the election results is the expected government shift from the centre-right Alliance, which has governed since 2006, to the left-wing led by the Social Democrats. The Swedish Prime Minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt (Moderat Party), announced his government’s resignation after hearing the election results, and also announced that he would leave his post as party leader in early 2015. Columnists are now fearing an unsure political situation, where the newly elected Prime Minister Stefan Löfvén (Social Democrats) is expected to have trouble forming a new government.

The anti-immigration far right party, Sweden Democrats, entered parliament in 2010 with 5.7% of the votes. In these elections they have managed to double their support and are now somewhere around 12.9%, thus effectively holding the swing vote in parliament. Both the centre-right Alliance and the left-wing parties have explicitly stated that they will not ask for their support.

The left-wing Feminist Initiative, which entered the European Parliament in May, did not reach the 4% threshold for the national election, but entered many local parliaments, including the capital Stockholm.

“The Pirate Party Accepts the Challenge”

Pirate Party leader Anna Troberg focused on the Sweden Democrats’ increase in her statement the day after the election.

“Yesterday’s election has redrawn Sweden’s political map. 12.9% voted for a xenophobic party. Meanwhile the two parties in the riksdag [national parliament], who sometimes address privacy issues, are meeting difficulties. The Green Party lost votes and the Left Party is standing still. This new situation places a lot of demands on us. It is our challenge to use these four years to inform, debate, and act for a future where everyone is respected by the state and by their fellow citizens. The Pirate Party accepts the challenge.”

Featured image: Swedish pirates campaigning for the election, in the public domain.

About Anton Nordenfur

I’m party organiser for the Swedish Pirate Party, and work as a freelancing writer and translator. I’m primarily interested in research politics and LGBTQ rights, and blog in Swedish over at antonnordenfur.com.

 

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Sunday was national, regional and local elections in Sweden. The preliminary results from the Swedish national election are public now with the rest still being counted. The Swedish Pirate Party did…