Agree that some media coverage on Sweden is misleading but I also think these short-term takes & arguments pointing to the "failure" of Sweden Democrats are helpful because they distract us from the long-term currents swirling beneath Europe's democracies. Here's what matters 1/https://twitter.com/simon_schama/status/1039044839524823040 …
-
Show this thread
-
1. Many of Europe's party systems are fragmenting. I'm stunned that some are arguing Sweden reflects 'success' of the mainstream. Fragmentation means more parties & less coherent coalitions, which makes it more difficult to deliver the strong & stable governments that EU needs
3 replies 12 retweets 43 likesShow this thread -
2. There is now a clear rightward drift on cultural-identity issues like immigration, integration & refugees, as studies have now shown. Since the 1980s, party manifestoes on both the centre right & centre left have become less "liberal" and more "authoritarian".
3 replies 13 retweets 27 likesShow this thread -
3. In past 2 years alone national populists have enjoyed records or near records in Austria, France, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Netherlands & now Sweden. This is not 'simplifying' a trend. As a party family they're reaching new highs, incl. in historically "immune" states eg Sweden
3 replies 18 retweets 36 likesShow this thread
@GoodwinMJ Our collective surprise at the rise of the far-right is a symptom of the reasons its happening.
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.