Archive for November 24th, 2006
No Honeymoon
The Swedish centre-right government hasn’t had a very promising start in the electoral arena: This week’s opinion poll, conducted by Synnovate Temo, still gives the Social Democrats, the Left Party and the Green Party a lead in the opinion.
According to SR’s report, the Social Democrats have been able to attract sympathies from blue-collar voters, men and voters in Greater Stockholm. Well done for a party which is effectively without a leader.
As I think I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, the unexpectedly bold – or right-wing, or liberal, or whatever – economic and labour market policies of the new government could be seen as an explanation for the decline in voter sympathies. Still, the next election is four years away, so lots of things can still happen.
PS: Aftonbladet wants the former Minister for Overseas Development and present leader of the opposition in the Stockholm City Council, Carin Jämtin, as the next leader of the Social Democrats.
You’re Out. And You’re Out, Too
On Friday, the Danish Liberal Party’s #2 and 3 men were involved in some high-profile resignations and sackings.
First, the head of the Danish National Board of Health, dr. Jens Kristian Gøtrik, resigned from his post with immediate notice after being criticised by the Minister of Health, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, in a live televised debate. The issue behind Mr. Gøtrik’s resignation was the handling of waiting times for cancer surgery. Mr. Løkke Rasmussen denies that he tried to force Mr. Gøtrik to resign.
Next, the Liberal parliamentary group sacked local government spokesman Leif Mikkkelsen following charges from the Employment Minister Claus Hjorth Frederiksen that Mikkelsen was being illoyal towards the party leadership and that his criticism of the Liberal Party’s centrist policies amounted to party-damaging activity.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, Prime Minister and chairman of the Liberal Party Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who is visiting South Korea denied any prior knowledge of the sacking of Leif Mikkelsen and said that the parliamentary group had been acting on its own initiative. Mr. Rasmussen also said that he was surprised by the sacking.