@FinsterniS:
In the last few years The Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, France and Portugal have each elected conservative leaders.
Today, Sweden, a country with 11% of its 9,000,000 population born outside the country, is looking at a tight election. The Social Democrats have ruled for all but about a decade of the last 70 years. However, the Liberals have put forth a new plan. The proposal requires immigrants applying for citizenship to pass a Swedish language test. Mr. Leijonborg, spokesman for the Liberals, says the plan is not anti-immigrant, but will integrate foreigners into Swedish life more effectively.
wow…wow… First, there’s is ALWAYS a balance, sometime right-wing party are very strong, sometime left-wing party are stronger… and when there is fear, right-wing party get elected. Second; it’s a question of standpoint, Chirac is rightish in france, but if you compare him with the Democrat and the Republican, you will find he is way more leftish than these 2 party…
Sure, fron a European point of vue, we are in a very sad rightish period… even Blair is acting like he was conservative. I only wish Germans will not elect Stoiber, i don’t want germany to be a big bavaria… But maybe Stoiber will get crushed by the “Preiss” after all.
Sweden has the highest taxes of any country in Europe. - Xi
Yeaaa… and sweden is one of the most, and maybe the most, modern country. Low violence, lots of woman in politic, good education/medical system, they do a lot to reduce pollution, they are good in technology and their university are prestigious, their leftish economy is working very well, very good for a little country.
Only their obsolete monarchy make the country sound like an archaic state.
although i believe you and i share a similar disdain for the Monarchy, there are a few “civilized” modern countries with a progressive social conscience and a humming economy (Sweden, GB, and even Canada has not relinquished entirely its links to that “archaic” institution. Could there not be something to this? A balance to the democracy the governs these countries? Naturally America, home of the elected monarchs would soundingly cry “absolutely not”, however i would not be so fast to rule this out yet.