Scandinavia
The collapse of Finnish right-wing populism?
More than just an electoral upwind? Nordic left-wing parties after the EU elections
Sweden’s Left Party celebrates its biggest win in 20 year
Sweden: How the welfare state was stolen
[For more on Sweden, click HERE.]
Denmark: Red-Green Alliance big winner in municipal elections
Map of elected representatives of the Red-Green Alliance.
Why Norway's 'red-green' government was defeated by the right-wing coalition
Seats won: SV – Socialist Left Party; A – Labour Party; MDG – Green Party; FRP – Progress P
Sweden: 'Unemployment, inadequate schools and racism' behind riots
By Mathias Wåg, translated from Swedish by Petter Nilsson
May 28, 2013 -- Transform! -- Stockholm suburbs have been ablaze. Cars have been torched in suburbs around the city and when the firefighters and police arrive they have been met by youths throwing stones. Why is this? Why now? How come in Sweden?
Seen from the outside, Sweden can still seem like the promised land of welfare, the balanced third way between socialism and capitalism. But inside during the last 10 to 20 years, neoliberal policies have been eating away like termites consuming the welfare state's foundations from within, leaving it as an empty shell. And Stockholm, where the riots started and were centred, is the testing facility for neoliberal reforms large and small.
Denmark: Red-Green Alliance congress grapples with increased influence
By Jody Betzien, Copenhagen
May 27, 2012 -- Green Left Weekly -- Red carpet and champagne marked the start of the first Red-Green Alliance (RGA) congress since the party tripled its mandate at a poll in September last year.
The 385 delegates representing the 8000 members packed a basketball stadium in the migrant and working-class Copenhagen suburb of Norrebro to grapple with the party's new increased influence on Danish politics.
Party membership has more than doubled in the past two years, with the party welcoming into its ranks many ex-members of the Social Democratic and Socialist People's parties.
Danes voted in droves in last year's elections to punish the right-wing parties. The poll resulted in the Social Democrats heading a coalition government — and Denmark's first woman prime minister. But this took place on the back of the lowest vote for the Social Democrats since 1906.
There was also a collapse in support for the country's most right-wing parties, including the overtly racist Danish People's Party (DPP). The vote for left parties rose.
The Social Liberals are the most conservative of the four left-of-centre parties supporting the government and the RGA the most radical.
Iceland’s loud 'No!': Can't pay, won't pay
By Silla Sigurgeirsdóttir and Robert H. Wade