Jacob Christensen

Carin Jämtin definitively leaves the Riksdag to become full-time leader of the opposition in the Stockholm City Council and puts herself out of the race to become new chairman of the Social Democrats. Margot Wallström says “no” to any offer to take over after Göran Persson.

Oh, and Anna Sjödin was forced out of office as chairman of the Social Democratic Youth Federation after she was refused the right to appeal her conviction for drunk and disorderly behaviour to the High Court.

Some short notes about Erik Sandberg’s documentary Spionskolan about the Swedish Liberal Party:

First, could you please turn down the music? Adding “dramatic” music to make a documentary feel like a cheap horror movie is really annoying.

Second, if you are a responsible parent you should never, ever let your son or daughter join a the youth organisation of a political party. Any political party. Sex, alcohol, drugs and rock’n'roll (or whatever the kids listen to these days) is ok but not political youth organisations. They are an evil parody of any kind of political activity.

Third, Sandberg raises a very important question but doesn’t quite follow his lead all the way. The question is what happens with a party that gives up the idea of being an ideologically based mass party in favour of a strategy built on media presence on a small number of topics where the party systematically and slavishly tails initiatives from the main competitor.

Four, the vitnesses which were produced may deserve closer scrutiny. Some, like the controversial MEP Maria Carlshamre have had personal axes to grind with the party leadership, others like Per Jodenius face criminal charges, still others like Aaron Israelson have left politics in disgust.