So, the election for governement is accomplished and finished this Sunday. And the outcome is … not very positive for solidarity and empathy. Everyone expected there to be a new governement of course, and that the Social Democrats would win. No big surprise. The disturbing fact is that the extreme right wing/foreigner hostile party SD (Sweden Democrats) got so many votes. We were afraid this would happen as we had a touch of that for the EU election this spring. And when I say ”we”, I mean me and my friends and collegues – all the people I know, really.

Good rethoric and people not finding any other good alternatives…wanting changes…the other parties too much saying the same things…

I work with the elections every time we have them, and has done so for about thirty years. Not for any party, but helping with the democratic voting process. Now, this SD party has a stronghold in the southern parts of Sweden – in fact close to where I live. Only some 50 kilometres from here they got 27% of the votes. In my little village, the percentage was about 20…So, every fifth person might be an SD-voter! Their faces do not say, their mouths do not speak of this…I look at people I meet in the street and think…Who are you? Really?

There is something growing here in Sweden as well as everywhere in the western world …a cold wind blowing. It frightens me. Together we must stand up against those forces. They must never win.