Flag of Sweden, Jonas Sjöstedt

Flag of Sweden, Jonas Sjöstedt

Magnus E Marsdal about the danger to leave the EU-the resistance to Åkesson

This is a kulturartikel which is a part of Aftonbladet's opinionsjournalistik.

If you belong to the left-wing euroscepticism in the Nordic region and looks blåbruna forces over the whole of Europe to attack the EU with the requirements of national sovereignty, it is easy to become positive. I meet constantly vänstersinnade opponents of the EU that might not be for Brexit, because the british EU debate is strongly marked by the xenophobic right-hand side.

the political landscape in the change? At the 1994 referendum, was the right-wing populists, New Democracy, supporters of EU membership. It is not The sweden democrats. The Norwegian EU resistance 1994 was a pretty rödgrön community and the anti-immigration progress party was a Yes party. Now the Frp has launched itself as ”a guarantee against Norwegian EU membership.”

Should vänstersidans reaction to the blåbruna EU-criticism being to diminish the white EUROPEAN resistance? It would fit perfectly with Steve Bannons vision. The strategist who got Trump selected dreaming now about to unite Europe's authoritarian right-wing populists to an apocalyptic confrontation on the future of the continent.

On the one hand, to the reactionary parties stand as commander of the national folkdjupet. On the other hand, ”globalists” and the economic liberals like Emmanuel Macron lift the EU-the flag of the supranational elite. Let the games begin!

In this arena is rising now the left party chairman, the very knowledgeable EU-critic Jonas Sjöstedt: ”the Difference against the extreme right is more important than the EUROPEAN resistance” (Today's News Debate 26 aug). The left should no longer push the issue of Swedish exit, the mean Sjöstedt, who does not want to give the EU-confrontational in the extreme right ”air under the wings”.

It is an understandable thought. If the alternative is something so reactionary as SD, EU opponents on the left be prepared to form a kind of ”folkfront” with the EU-liberalism, towards a common, and more dangerous enemy. If it is the alternative to the forces that Bannon, it is perhaps time for the red-green scandinavians to re-evaluate their harsh EU criticism?

Reach. The problem is this: to use the EU as a bulwark against högerpopulismen is as to extinguish the fires in California with the gasoline.

The decisive battle in our time politics can be a struggle for the agenda: If kulturkonflikterna get to define the contradiction between the right and left, loses the labour movement. If economic interests predominate, we can mobilize the majority.

Högerpopulisternas arbetarklassväljare is leftist when it comes to economic distribution, welfare rights and influence on the world of work. These intressefrågor connects them with the vänstersidans potential voters. At the same time these voters are often conservative in the more cultural issues such as gender roles, immigration and religion.

Högerpopulisterna win the part of the working class, and the right-hand side, thus the majority of the population, when conflicts of interest are downplayed in the election campaign and the kulturkonflikterna is highlighted. Here, the EU plays a crucial role.

the Directives for the EU internal market and the governance of the eurozone is forcing economic policy into the autopilot in the direction of more privatization, konkurrenstvång, increasing inequality, cuts in welfare, temporary employment, and increased insecurity in employment in most EU countries.

this increases social discontent and strengthens the foundation for proteströstandet.

When the economic issues avpolitiseras to be moved out of the democracy range, choking vänstersidans protests. Instead, the högerpopulisterna result of the dissatisfaction in the polarizing cultural conflicts. The popular anger is directed against the politically correct smakdomarna and the patronizing moraliseringen against ”a colder society”, while the economic power elite can continue to enrich themselves at the expense of the majority of the population.

in Addition, the EU-elite, by driving over nation-states, transforming the economic issues and klassproblem to the national issues of sovereignty. It allows Le Pen and Orban to take care of the energy in the working class economic discontent, and transfer it to a nationalchauvinistisk mobilisation against everything that comes from ”outside”.

those who want to stop högerpopulismen may not surrendering to the corporate liberalism. To respond to the blåbruna the offensive with a reinforced enthusiasm for the EU à la Macron, is a vaccine that causes the illness which it claims to combat.

What should the red-green No-learning of Brexit? That we should turn our backs to the principle of democratic sovereignty, or national self-determination, and end up behind the EU project as Norway's equivalent of the confederation of Swedish Enterprise calls ”the main defence of our common values, democracy and human rights”?

No, on the contrary, It is when the left side choose the wrong path on this issue, and turns folksuveräniteten the back, as the blåbruna forces can take the lead in it which is the essential deal with how the EU is running over representative government.

Of the inter-war period, we learned, moreover, that the more the political elite in a country stood by the economic liberalism of orthodoxy, such as to reduce the unemployment rate by cutting down the central government, the greater the risk of a fascist takeover. The euro-elite seems determined to repeat the experience with his orthodox austerity.

I am also concerned over the emergence of a blåbrun EU-criticism. But we must remember that the reason for the strong reactionary euroscepticism is a weakly progressive opposition to the EU.

When Jimmie Åkesson raises the Swedish flag – on the issue of Sweden's democratic sovereignty – has vänstersidans the leaders of two options: Either to respond with a EU-flag and the empty phrases about the solidarity, or to hoist the Swedish flag for the defense of democracy – both against the EU-elitismen and the fake SD-populism. We all know what Åkesson hope that Jonas Sjöstedt to choose.

of Course, you can say, that Jonas Sjöstedt, at the Socialist forum at the ABF-house last Saturday, to the left ”select the red flag”.

And yes, in all klassfrågor that SD want to transform to nationalchauvinistiska problems, answer the left with the red. But here, the issue of Sweden's democratic sovereignty. It is something else.

to respond To Jimmie Åkessons Swedish flag, in this issue, with to hoist the red flag, is to fit in the confrontation between the EU and folksuveräniteten. The result is the same as when the socialist thoroughfares together under the EU flag: the sale of the Swedish flag to the extreme right side.

No finer christmas present from the Left may well not Jimmie Åkesson want?

Translation: Åsa Linderborg