Nordic Countries
Denmark’s radical left party, the Red Green Alliance, is in a spin. At the November 1 general election, it lost a quarter of its support, a third of its seats, and its influence with government. Alongside the immediate financial and political ramifications, the result has opened up both internal and public debate on what went wrong and why – exposing strategic disagreements over the party’s direction. This was the Red Green Alliance’s (RGA) third electoral retreat in a row, following the 2019 national election and last year’s municipal vote. The party won just ...
read more "Denmark’s left in crisis?"
read more "Denmark’s left in crisis?"
The political results of the Swedish election are in, and they bear all the hallmarks of a bad dystopian novel. The new government will be comprised of the Moderates, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals, and – in all ways except appointed ministers – the far-right Sweden Democrats. Broadly speaking, the Moderates get all the central functions of government, including the role of Prime Minister, ministers of finance, justice, and foreign affairs, while the Christian Democrats get social issues and health care, with the Liberals filling...
read more "Sweden’s new government – a dystopian nightmare"
read more "Sweden’s new government – a dystopian nightmare"
The Danish election of 1 November 2022 was truly historic: consolidated parties have fallen from grace, new ones have stormed into parliament, and never before have so many voters shifted their alliances between parties in the months leading up to the election. Entering the voting booth last Tuesday, Danish voters were presented with no less than fourteen different parties to choose from. New parties on the right presented old populist positions, but with a more popular visage. Led by well-known politicians, these parties have matched different policies ...
read more "Denmark 2022: A landslide election"
read more "Denmark 2022: A landslide election"
On November 1, Denmark will vote, seven months ahead of schedule. Polls show left and right blocs almost neck-and-neck, and the risk of an outright win for the right-wing remains real. However, with Social Democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen seeking to hold onto power through an unlikely coalition across the middle, a rightwards shift seems inevitable. The early election was called when the Social Liberals, one of three smaller parties propping up the Social Democrat minority government, threatened a no-confidence motion ...
read more "Denmark to hold early elections as Social Democrats move right"
read more "Denmark to hold early elections as Social Democrats move right"
Duroyan Fertl interviews Line BarfodOn September 9, the 2023 budget for the City of Copenhagen was agreed in historic circumstances. For the first time in a century, Denmark’s Social Democratic Party – which has long treated Copenhagen as its crown jewel – was outside the deal. Instead, radical left party Enhedslisten (the “Red-Green Alliance”) took the lead in budget negotiations, delivering robust funding for social welfare and the climate, with support from parties of the centre, right and even far-right. In November 2021 ...
read more "Historic Copenhagen budget leaves Social Democrats out in the cold"
read more "Historic Copenhagen budget leaves Social Democrats out in the cold"
With almost all votes counted from Sunday’s election, it looks like Sweden’s right-wing parties are set to take power with a razor-thin majority, ending eight years of social democratic government. For the first time, this conservative coalition also includes the far-right Sweden Democrats, who have emerged as the country’s second largest party, despite their roots in Sweden’s neo-Nazi movement. The result is an evident decline for the progressive spectrum of Swedish politics as a whole and the Left party in particular. ...
read more "Sweden: right-wing coalition wins election by the narrowest of margins"
read more "Sweden: right-wing coalition wins election by the narrowest of margins"
Duroyan Fertl interviews Aaja Chemnitz Larsen, Member of the Danish Parliament for Inuit AtaqatigiitIn Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland), the radical left party, Inuit Ataqatigiit (‘Community of the People’) won a landslide election last year, taking 37 percent of the vote and 12 of the 31 seats in the Inatsisartut (Greenlandic parliament). The past year has proved difficult, however, leading to a change in coalition partners. Meanwhile the country faces multiple challenges, balancing economic development and social justice with ...
read more "“We need to collaborate with Denmark, but in a more equal way”"
read more "“We need to collaborate with Denmark, but in a more equal way”"
Duroyan Fertl interviewed Tobias Lund, MP for Norwegian left party Rødt (“Red”)The impact of the war in Ukraine in the Nordic countries has been largely viewed with reference to Finland and Sweden and their possible accession to NATO. But what have been the reactions of other Nordic countries to Russia's war of aggression, what are their most important demands, and what role are left parties playing in this response? Tobias Drevland Lund, an MP from the Norwegian left party Rødt, outlines the experience in Norway, and the prospects for a ...
read more "“The government has been relying too much on the EU”"
read more "“The government has been relying too much on the EU”"
Duroyan Fertl interviews Christine Lundgaard about the war in UkraineRussia's invasion of Ukraine is an unacceptable violation of international law, posing serious questions about how best to respond. In a climate of increasing tension and militarisation, is it possible to oppose Putin’s aggression while maintaining a perspective of peace and disarmament? The Danish government is also using the crisis in Ukraine to further deepen military with the US and to remove the country’s exemption ...
read more "“The Danish government has used fear of Russia’s brutal war to rush through major policy changes”"
read more "“The Danish government has used fear of Russia’s brutal war to rush through major policy changes”"
Duroyan Fertl interviewed Pinja Vuorinen about the war in UkraineRussia's war of aggression against Ukraine grossly violates international law and thus leads to new discussions on how to deal with Russia. As a result, Finland and Sweden are closer than ever to join NATO. If Finland were to join NATO, the Western military alliance's land border with Russia would double. The most significant consequence in Finland regarding the Russia-Ukraine war has been the question of NATO membership, says Pinja ...
read more "“The most significant consequence in Finland has been the question of NATO membership”"
read more "“The most significant consequence in Finland has been the question of NATO membership”"