Critical numbers for Swedish Prime Minister

PM Reinfeldt gets a wake up call in the latest poll in Sweden, which reportedly shows support for the alliance weaker than ever. 

  • Brussels, Belgium Swedish Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt addresses a news conference Feb. 4 at the end of a European Union leaders summit at which they agreed to merge and strengthen energy networks in a move that gives fresh impetus to the renewable energy industry and could help curb Europe's growing reliance on fossil fuels. Yahoo! News photo via Reuters/Thierry Roge
  • A wake-up call is sounding for the Swedish political alliance – the red-greens are pulling ahead. In the latest poll from Aftonbladet/United Minds, it’s easy to see the gap widening between the two political blocks.

  • Troubling figures for Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.
  • “The alliance is viewed as tired. People don’t know what it is they want,” says United Minds’ opinion director Carl Melin. The smaller alliance parties continue their rollercoaster ride. In spite of the fact that the crisis-laden Centerpartiet (the Center Party) is moving forward, the alliance on a whole is losing. Folkpartiet (the People’s Party) has decreased with all of 1.7%. If election was to be held in Sweden today, the red-greens would win with 6.4% according to this poll. Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt is trying his utmost to pull the divided alliance together; he has accepted Center Party leader Annie Lööf’s invitation to join in a meeting in Småland, but problems continuously arise.

  • “The alliance has many problems,” continues Melin. And the moves from the smaller parties, primarily in regards to youth salary issues and the law of employment security, may sink the collaboration of the alliance. “Kristdemokraterna (the Christ Democrats) and Centern are fighting for survival, which makes for spectacular actions,” according to Melin. Moderaterna (the Moderate Party – to which Reinfeldt belongs) at the same time tries to be the great middle party, and this creates tension. The next election in Sweden won’t take place until 2014, but if several of the smaller right-winged parties are in the same predicament then as they are now, Prime Minister Reinfeldt has cause to worry. “It won’t be easy for voters to cast a vote of support for them. And if one of the parties exit the Parliament due to low votes it will be impossible for the alliance to win. Then we’re looking at a transfer of powers,” says Melin. Since the Social Democrats changed party leaders last spring, a new position has been established in Swedish politics. The party is the greatest now with 34% and the red-green parties altogether has a majority of 6.4% against the alliance.