Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09STOCKHOLM297
2009-05-14 07:40:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Stockholm
Cable title:
Media Reaction - Op-ed on Foreign Minister Bildt's impact
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHSM #0297 1340740 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 140740Z MAY 09 FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4349
UNCLAS STOCKHOLM 000297
SIPDIS
SECSTATE FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/PPD, EUR/NB, EUR/PA, EUR/FO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO PINS PHUM PREF EUN SW
SUBJECT: Media Reaction - Op-ed on Foreign Minister Bildt's impact
on Swedish EU politics
On May 10, Peter Wolodarski, Political Editor of the independent
liberal Stockholm morning daily "Dagens Nyheter" editorialized on
what he calls the end of the Bildt era:
"The Swedish political temperature is still low, despite EU
Parliament elections being less than one month away. In the Sifo
poll published yesterday [Saturday May 9th], 40 percent of the
polled said they were not planning on voting....
"What makes this election especially interesting is the large shifts
that have taken place on the Swedish political scene over the past
few years. Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's total overhaul of the
Moderate Party is continuing into the EU area as well. Together with
the Green Party, the Moderate Party stands for the most obvious
shift in course since the last election....
"During its campaign kick-off last Saturday, the Moderate Party
highlighted employment, refugee policy and the environment as their
profile questions. The EU should not interfere in Swedish labor
market regulations, the Moderate Party believes, a party that claims
it wants to safeguard "the Swedish model." Concerning refugees, the
party believes that mutual regulation is required as Sweden seems to
be taking in too many compared to other countries....
"Of course there is a Moderate Party interest in the future for the
EU, particularly on the climate issue. Regarding criminality,
economic freedom and the EMU, we can still recognize the old line.
But for anyone who remembers Carl Bildt's involvement in the past
the difference is striking....
"In his book 'Mission: Europe' from 2003 Bildt argued for a
federation of national states stretching from Russia to the
Atlantic, from the Arctic Ocean to the Mediterranean. The main
driving force for him was to secure peace, freedom and the
developments in our part of the world. Carl Bildt may today be
Sweden's Foreign Affairs Minister, but he has had little say in his
party's election platform....
"Among the established parties, the Left Party and the Liberal Party
represent two extremes. Lars Ohly and his fellow Left Party members
want Sweden to get out of the EU because the cooperation is based on
"a supranational rightist policy bound by treaties." According to
the Left Party, the EU is an undemocratic super state governed by
evil market powers. Peace, welfare and solidarity have never been
prioritized, the authors of the program claim, quite clearly in
contradiction to all better judgment. The writing is so skewed and
far-reaching that the party in its EU-hostility is in close
competition with the ultra right-wing Sweden Democrats....
"On the other side, one finds the Liberal Party. 'We believe in
Europe,' the party has named its program, and in following that
theme the program is visionary and strongly EU-positive. The Liberal
Party is not trying to woo any EU-critics, but clearly states that
it is in favor of a federal cooperation, which is 'in stark contrast
to nationalism, protectionism and closed borders'....
The party's formulations are reminiscent of Carl Bildt's book from
2003, which aimed towards stirring involvement and curiosity in the
future for the EU. Six years later, this purpose has hardly become
less urgent, particularly not during times of financial crisis and
an upcoming Swedish EU-presidency."
SILVERMAN
SIPDIS
SECSTATE FOR INR/R/MR, EUR/PPD, EUR/NB, EUR/PA, EUR/FO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OPRC KMDR KPAO PINS PHUM PREF EUN SW
SUBJECT: Media Reaction - Op-ed on Foreign Minister Bildt's impact
on Swedish EU politics
On May 10, Peter Wolodarski, Political Editor of the independent
liberal Stockholm morning daily "Dagens Nyheter" editorialized on
what he calls the end of the Bildt era:
"The Swedish political temperature is still low, despite EU
Parliament elections being less than one month away. In the Sifo
poll published yesterday [Saturday May 9th], 40 percent of the
polled said they were not planning on voting....
"What makes this election especially interesting is the large shifts
that have taken place on the Swedish political scene over the past
few years. Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's total overhaul of the
Moderate Party is continuing into the EU area as well. Together with
the Green Party, the Moderate Party stands for the most obvious
shift in course since the last election....
"During its campaign kick-off last Saturday, the Moderate Party
highlighted employment, refugee policy and the environment as their
profile questions. The EU should not interfere in Swedish labor
market regulations, the Moderate Party believes, a party that claims
it wants to safeguard "the Swedish model." Concerning refugees, the
party believes that mutual regulation is required as Sweden seems to
be taking in too many compared to other countries....
"Of course there is a Moderate Party interest in the future for the
EU, particularly on the climate issue. Regarding criminality,
economic freedom and the EMU, we can still recognize the old line.
But for anyone who remembers Carl Bildt's involvement in the past
the difference is striking....
"In his book 'Mission: Europe' from 2003 Bildt argued for a
federation of national states stretching from Russia to the
Atlantic, from the Arctic Ocean to the Mediterranean. The main
driving force for him was to secure peace, freedom and the
developments in our part of the world. Carl Bildt may today be
Sweden's Foreign Affairs Minister, but he has had little say in his
party's election platform....
"Among the established parties, the Left Party and the Liberal Party
represent two extremes. Lars Ohly and his fellow Left Party members
want Sweden to get out of the EU because the cooperation is based on
"a supranational rightist policy bound by treaties." According to
the Left Party, the EU is an undemocratic super state governed by
evil market powers. Peace, welfare and solidarity have never been
prioritized, the authors of the program claim, quite clearly in
contradiction to all better judgment. The writing is so skewed and
far-reaching that the party in its EU-hostility is in close
competition with the ultra right-wing Sweden Democrats....
"On the other side, one finds the Liberal Party. 'We believe in
Europe,' the party has named its program, and in following that
theme the program is visionary and strongly EU-positive. The Liberal
Party is not trying to woo any EU-critics, but clearly states that
it is in favor of a federal cooperation, which is 'in stark contrast
to nationalism, protectionism and closed borders'....
The party's formulations are reminiscent of Carl Bildt's book from
2003, which aimed towards stirring involvement and curiosity in the
future for the EU. Six years later, this purpose has hardly become
less urgent, particularly not during times of financial crisis and
an upcoming Swedish EU-presidency."
SILVERMAN