Grand Détour - International Edition

Coming back to Sweden this time of year, this year... was coming right into the campaigns for the general elections. No efforts are spared by the two blocs - it's described as a now-or-never situation for both sides. And the big day - is tomorrow. The latest polls gives the center-right opposition the lead... then the Social Democrats would be kicked out.

Somehow I admit to feeling a bit exited, invigorated, even though I stand outside the ranks of parties. But it is not thanks to the efforts of the parties, they are only tapping the accumulated but rather unarticulated need for some kind of change. This last two years there has been something of a vibe. A new generation is popping up: new thoughts presented. Not always the brightest ideas, but at least something new. Interesting debates, on blogs, in papers, among friends. And the inner circle of the Social Democrats has not been fast enough to pick up on these trends. And Prime Minister Persson's tiredness and a line of smaller scandals paved the way for the opposition.

From outside it might be hard to see the real differences, now, that everyone seems to be going towards the middle. The right no longer uses neo-liberal rhetorics, but rather: "We don't want to take something away from us, we want to add something." And, more of everything, sounds nice, eh?

Now, the economy is good, things are good on the whole, Sweden is a happy and peaceful country. People are envious of us. Outside some are trying to explain why Swedes would want to change rulers. The Economist, in it's usual dry and sober tone, and Sweden-fan Polly Toynbee at the Guardian, less neutral and more outspoken: "What are you afraid of? Your model is working!"

You can find many good points in these text, but there is also something else: a general angst, haunting the society, the opposition has found, and cleverly exploited. It is a feeling like: "Well, everything is basically fine now, but... we don't understand, what will happen in the future? The children just plays computer games all the time, they have baseball caps in class... Reality shows, porn... They have it to easy. Will never make it in the bad times, sure to come." Well, you can imagine. So, the right have the momentum, the go, and good ol' work ethics.

If there are some interest in Sweden from abroad now at election times, there is very little said about foreign relations in the campaigns here. I look for any real international interest, any real plans for cooperation, any internationalist visions... but there are none. Well, some Members of European Parliament and the esteemed Foreign Minister seems to have a lot, but it's like it is not part of politics but just a diplomat's job.

So maybe that is that to pick up, the things that are actually left out of the agendas. That are left for us to resolve any other day than election day. New generations are quietly tying the world together, travelling, migrating, while the older generations still decides the questions for the polls. It's the people who builds the country, and it's we that have to overcome the angst of the future. I think: Let's connect to that new, barely formulated, exiting ideas, if like me outside formal politics, or like some will be tomorrow, part of a losing camp. It's been 16 years since the last major change of world politics, in this time we must have learned something of this new world.

So, that's a quite philosophical take, with some matter-of-fact links. Now for some popcorn. It's going to be a thriller tomorrow, they say.