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Social Democrats reach new poll heights

Published: 15 Apr 12 12:15 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/40274/20120415/

The Social Democrats' recent dramatic rise in opinion polls has continued with the party climbing a further 3.1 percentage points to 36.8 percent according to the latest voter preference survey.

Since the party's nadir in January, following the resignation of the then party leader Håkan Juholt, the increase is now 12.2 points according to polling institute Sifo.

Furthermore the gap between the red-green opposition and the government continued to grow, with the lead now coming in at 8.9 percentage points.

The Social Democrats are reported to have claimed voters from all sides of the political spectrum and the party has now climbed above its showing at the last election, while all the governing Alliance parties are trailing below.

New party leader Stefan Löfven has been criticized for maintaining a silence since assuming control of the party, but according to commentator Professor Sören Holmberg, the low-key approach has worked in the party's favour.

"The party's position is not clarified and this allows people to engage in a bout of wishful thinking," he said to the Svenska Dagbladet daily, which published the poll on Sunday.

"In this way Löfven has been clever by not putting his foot down on concrete issues," he told the newspaper.

Aside from the growth of the Social Democrats, other changes are small in relation to Sifo's March poll.

The Green Party dropped one percentage point, with all other changes within this margin.

TT/The Local/pvs (news@thelocal.se)

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13:46 April 15, 2012 by libertarianism
TL : In this way Löfven has been *cleaver* by not putting his *food* down on concrete issues.

Let's not mince words; This translation was butchered. :(
17:26 April 15, 2012 by Dazzler
YAY an empty suit! Sounds about right.
19:58 April 15, 2012 by RobinHood
Doing nothing and saying nothing is a tried and tested short-term strategy for incoming party leaders replacing a dog; the only way the numbers can go is up. But sooner or later, there will come a time when Mr Löfven will have to tell us where he stands.

Democracy does not benefit from years of one-party rule, I hope he is able to drag the party, kicking and screaming, into a place where modern Swedes might actually vote it into power at the next election. The rejected stale old policies of tax and spend just won't wash with a savvy, well-educated European electorate anymore.
07:28 April 16, 2012 by prince T
He has done nothing yet and his poll is already going. The same was with Håkan untill scandals got the better of him. Why vote without thinking
11:20 April 22, 2012 by rumcajs
@prince t,

"Why vote without thinking " .......... good question I'd like to ask to maaaaany people mate!

@Robin Hood,

I know many "well-educated" people that still supports those old policies. In the end of the day, Scandinavia in general is a better place to live that most of other European countries and it was a result of those policies applied for so many years, so they can't be all bad. Many are politicaly and economicaly separating people in educated and uneducated and what we should do is "get the right car for its time and place" (like Toyota says) and get all of us in it.

The only problem for me personaly is that car makes keep making the same old cars (all of them... on the right and on the left) and this road is getting funnier and funnier. So far, I'll stay home playing my guitar till someone comes with a suitable ride.
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