Dear all on the Scandinavian Politics list,
Two quick reports.
1. It probably won't have escaped your attention that last week the Danish prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, called an election for November 13th. While the opposition Social Democrats and Social Liberals have recently been reconciled, current polls make exciting reading for the debutant New Alliance - and therefore for many members of the Liberal-Conservative coalition government. Success for the new party might well liberate the coalition from its reliance in parliament on the far-right Danish People's Party. More on the campaign next week.
2. Meanwhile, in Sweden, the centre-right government becomes ever more accident-prone. Yesterday it notched its fifth resignation in just over a year - two politically appointed under-secretaries, who are a sort of junior minister, and three cabinet ministers. Only one has been over policy disagreement; all others involved scandal of some sort.
This latest one involved Ulrica Schenström, under-secretary in the prime minister's office. A week ago, Aftonbladet published a paparazzo photo of her in a bar with a TV reporter. Their embrace appeared, at least, to be quite intimate, and vague questions were asked as to whether both parties had overstepped the boundaries of a professional relationship. This might have been shrugged off. But suggestions that Schenström had been on some sort of national-crisis watch that night, a sensitive subject for Swedes since the state's slow response to the Asian tsunami nearly three years ago, plus disclosure of the impressive sum that the pair had spent on booze that night, then combined to force her out. (The reporter has also taken a "time-out" from his job.)
This is a major blow to the prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt, who loses a close political ally. His judgement in recruiting government colleagues looks increasingly shaky. But questions are also being asked as to whether Schenström's offence was really so heinous, and whether media power hasn't exceeded reasonable limits. The precise nature of her crisis-watch duties are obviously highly germane to her case, but the government is reluctant to elaborate - for security reasons, it says.
Best,
Nick Aylott.
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Dr Nicholas Aylott, senior lecturer (docent) in political science
School of Social Sciences, Södertörn University College
SE-141 89 Huddinge, Sweden
www.sh.se/samhallsvetenskaper
