An antiquated way to choose an unpopular leader
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The news that only half of Social Democrat voters have confidence in Sahlin to do the job must be worrying news for party hacks – it is also the best argument for her to be put to the test in a real vote of party members.
The mysterious way in which Sweden’s party chooses its leader – with an anonymous committee presenting one candidate to members – is reminiscent of the way the British Tory Party used to choose its leaders until the sixties. A group of vaguely-defined party dignitaries would gather in smoke-filled rooms and pick a leader from a list of the usual suspects – always men. The Social Democrats are now doing the same thing. No smoke, of course, and from a list of just women, but in a system just as antiquated.
This process would barely have legitimacy if the ‘magic circle’ of Social Democratic functionaries had managed to select someone who was universally acclaimed as the right woman for the job. Given that they have chosen someone the party barely wants, you have to ask whether Sahlin can really give Social Democracy the boost it needs.
March 16th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Isn’t this the way most leadership decisions are made in Sweden? Whether it is the big technology companies deciding what the salary for a programmer will be at secret dinners, or the Federation of Songwriters deciding which tunes will be included in the Melody Festival by throwing out most of the competition in the first round of judging, the Swedish way is for leaders make decisions in small secret groups, then publicly convince everyone that there has been consensus with a meeting of the powerless.
March 18th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Are you suggesting that we should have to endure the thousands of entries to the Melodifestival and then vote for them? That would mean we would get a whole year of shows just dedicated to the Melodifestival. I don’t even think that would be enough…