PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN SWEDEN: WHAT DO THEY MEAN FOR EUROPE AND UKRAINE?

On Sunday, September 9, regular parliamentary elections were held in Sweden. The results of them have not particularly surprised anyone; they were predicted long before the elections. But at the same time, it tells us a lot about the near future of Europe. On the example of Sweden, you can forecast the results of the upcoming elections to the European Parliament that will happen next year. This is a matter of great concern for the European elite, and for Ukraine.

The substantial simplification of events in Europe by Ukrainian media and some politicians is equally disturbing.

Following the old liberal discourse, Ukraine often repeats the statements about “dominance of populism”, “neo-Nazism” and right-wing nationalism in the EU, as if this is automatically bad and hostile to Ukraine. Many political parties that came to power during 2017-2018 are immediately associated with the Kremlin, even if these links are not really so obvious.

Generalizations and simplifications are the main obstacles to a clear understanding of the situation. And without this, Ukraine cannot develop a specific attitude to these new elites: are they our enemies or friends?