The Swedish Social Democratic party and the double challenge of the “new” Conservatives and the global economic crisis In 2006, the
Swedish Social Democratic party lost office after 12 years in government. The main opposition party, the Conservative party, re-framed itself as the new working party and made a successful election. Two years later, the global economic and financial crisis was a fact. With a Swedish economy faring comparatively well, the economic policy became a flagship of the Liberal-Conservative government, and contributed to the voters’ re-newed confidence in 2010 – and to yet another unsuccessful election for the Social Democrats.
The “new” Conservative party, who has moved considerably to the centre of the political map, and the on-going economic crisis, thus constitute a double challenge to the Social Democrats. The party does not only have to respond to the initiatives and policy measures taken by the government – now often much like the party’s own – but also to the measures taken to the global economic crisis, not least on the EU level. Here, the party has to take into account its internal split on EU (economic) policies, clearly manifested in the referendum on the EMU.
This paper analyses how the Social Democratic party has acted upon this double challenge, and with what consequences to party unity and public opinion.
