This time, Scandinavia is setting a bad example

The Finns, the Danes and the Norwegians are, in order, are the three happiest Nations in the world. At least, that the World Happiness Report of the United Nations a few weeks ago, has held back. The finding fits into the picture of many Swiss, the suspect in Scandinavia, the place of their dreams. And the Northern Europeans were not always avant-garde: the Expansion of the welfare state, for social liberalisation, tolerance and compassion?

Now, the options in Finland are for some uncomfortable reminder that the Nordic countries have for many years been avant-garde in a totally different field: in the case of the fragmentation of the party landscape and the rise of right-wing populist movements. The right-wing populism has now almost everywhere in Northern Europe, an influence on policy in other countries, is still unimaginable. And he already has changed the political culture and social life in these countries.

The actual election winner in Helsinki are not the social Democrats, who ended up with a paper – thin advantage and a meager 17.7 percent to square one-the actual election winner, the party, The Finns, and their leader, the in the past for sedition sentenced Jussi Halla-aho, who had overtaken a hair, the social Democrats. The amazing thing is that it imports this result, although the party had broken down in front of not even two years and the government had flown.

the similarities and differences between the Scandinavians

One of the Lessons to be learned from it, is perhaps this: It seems to be a unswerving Block from protest voters, the figures were at one-sixth to one-fifth of the population and the will to give his voice a loud and determined occurring right-wing populist party, like disheveled out of him these presents. This seems to apply to all the Nordic countries. The right-wing populists, it means they are here to stay.

no, a comb, you can't shear the right-wing populist movements in the Scandinavian countries. And yet there are Parallels: the sharp rhetoric that processes foreign nationals, to the EU and, more recently, on the "climate hysteria" and exploited the fear of globalisation and loss of status. The often reactionary image of family and home. To be the Pose, the lawyer of the small man who is betrayed by the urban "elites".

Then there are the differences: The Sweden Democrats had emerged as the Only one in the North has its roots in the neo-Nazi Milieu, and elsewhere, the parties were rural-conservative or tax protest movements. Or the Norwegian progress party, the stresses of economic liberal – occur during different everywhere in the North, the right-wing populists as a proud defender of the welfare state, to protect against lazy and greedy immigrants.

In Sweden, the Sweden Democrats celebrate the myth of – once of the social-Democrats conceived – caring "people's home" and would prefer back in the 1950s. And also in Finland and Denmark the right-wing give most often social democratic than the social Democrats.

If they are not isolated or includes: the results of The election of the right-wing populists in Northern Europe remain stable.

The Fatal: Many of the other parties have agreed long ago on the game of the far Right. Denmark's social Democrats are about to give in return, a populist than the populists. Attacks on artists by the Norwegian government, politicians, politically-sanctioned incitement against migrants in Denmark – things that previously were barely conceivable, are now the norm, the companies are moved to the right. Sweden is the only country that isolated his right-wing populists. In Finland, they were, in Norway, you are now part of the government. In Denmark, they support the government coalition, and this support you can buy with always new, always absurderen tightening of the immigration policy.

The thing is: Neither the insulation nor the Integration of the right-wing populists seem to make in Northern Europe, with a difference, the election results remain stable. But this will probably not change, as long as the policy is exhausted, only in a Respond to right-wing populism, as long as all political actors to sit there like the rabbit before the snake.

Scandinavia has given the world a much admired utopia for a better future. But where once passionate Make was, is today, only more fear. The same despondency that has settled elsewhere in Europe, politics and society. If we do not shake off soon, then we can do in the Nordic countries, a look into our future.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 15.04.2019, 22:03 PM