Few things in the Swedish year excite such passion and excitement as the vote to elect EU members of parliament. Ok, I exaggerate, just slightly. Rephrase. So few people in Sweden (and the rest of Europe) care about who will represent them in the EU that the election campaign is about as exciting as a wine sale at Systembolaget!
To assume the lack of public interest equates to the unimportance of who represents Sweden in the EU is wrong. We need strong representation at the EU level to not only represent Swedish interests but also to counter the government if they act against the interests of its citizens or the EU for narrow minded ideological reasons. Which it does regularly!
What we need then is a way to encourage more people to vote on June 7. Australians often have a BBQ party with a lot of beer, meat and seafood to celebrate the booting out of the “bastards” (all politicians are bastards in Australia) and anyway, any reason is a good reason for a barbie right?
A smart political party should sponsor street parties around the country – get out and vote, come home and meet your neighbours whom you last spoke to in 1987 and share a few beers (or glasses of wine). Here are some suggestions what each party could send to the post-voting parties:
Folkpartiet: folk beer (light beer),
Left Party: home distilled vodka
Social Democrats: easy drinking socialist bag in box with a smiling Mona Sahlin on the side
Moderates: not too sure what to send to the party (the Prime Minister does not drink) but could take the safe route and offer GM free organic Swedish made sausages (not pork so as not to exclude Hallal follower voters) with a vegetarian soy option for vegetarians and Jews.
Centre Party: no budget for this campaign so Health Minister Maria Larsson can accompany the police doing alcohol tests on drivers leaving the parties.
Christian Democrats: the election is on Sunday so no time for parties before church.
My own advice on what to drink is something sweet, light, easy to swallow, has more fruit than character and most of all has a good looking bottle – just like many of the candidates!
Cheers
Mark
p.s. if you are eligible to vote, do your research and vote for a specific candidate, not just tick the party list. There are some serious candidates who deserve support and are not party lap dogs.
Mark,
I like your take on today’s politics! I am thinking of having my own BBQ, drinking a glass of antioxidants, i.e. red wine, and then take a moment and prepare to celebrate a real holiday called Independence Day on July 4.
Talking about candidates, do you have any suggestions? Have you heard about the new party called Libertas?
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tell me more about this party!
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