The SWEDEN Story.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page. 

NEWS. “How the Far Right Bagged Election Success in Sweden.” / “In Dramatic Shift, Right-Wing Bloc Wins Slim Majority in Sweden.” Sweden’s political life could be a bit confusing if we follow from the vantage view of American Left/Right party politics. New Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s Moderate Party or Moderata samlingspartiet is center-right that hinges on liberal conservatism. Okay, let’s just say Ulf is a right-wing leader.

       Anyhow, among his first pronouncements as chief executive of Stockholm’s parliamentary democracy is to ensure continuity in Sweden's application process to NATO. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in response to Russia's war on Ukraine, but faced opposition from Türkey, which accuses them of supporting terrorist groups.

       Anyhow, the winning political party, right-wing populist Sweden Democrats, campaigned via the gut per issues such as immigration, religion, crime and the cost of environmental rules and won. And so liberal media is quick to point at SD’s alleged “neo-Nazi roots.”

       Despite the victory of Sweden Democrats, however, they are not expected to be formally part of the governing coalition but, of course, they can influence.

       And I am confused now, LOL! 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪

BEFORE the general election, Ulf Kristersson suggested that he would form a loose right-wing bloc consisting of the Moderates, Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and the Liberals but expressed uncertainty at SD's demand that they be allocated cabinet positions should the right-wing bloc win a majority.

       Whatever the case, the new PM sounds his plan to form a new conservative government with support from Sweden Democrats although he previously ruled out an alliance with the SD. And so on and so forth.

       The hyphenated categorization of political groupings in massive multi-party system in Sweden, the 3rd largest country in the European Union and the 5th largest in Europe, can cause a bit of confusion for the outsider looking in. Yet Sweden is still a much-emulated nation.

       Sweden maintains a Nordic social welfare system that provides universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens. It ranks very highly in quality of life, health, education, protection of civil liberties, economic competitiveness, income equality, gender equality, prosperity and human development. Ideals that you’d probably categorize as uhh Leftist. 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪

SO who cares about the ism when we go to Sweden? It is still a fine country, anyhow.

       Stockholm’s high-tech capitalism/socialism works just fine with its major industries that include motor vehicles, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, industrial machines, precision equipment, chemical goods, home goods and appliances, forestry, iron, and steel. Traditionally, Sweden relied on a modern agricultural economy that employed over half the domestic workforce. Easily, Sweden is one of the world’s richest economies.

       But currently the country, as in majority of Europe, is facing economic crisis borne from the Covid pandemic’s economic dislocation and the Ukraine crisis that hugely affected the region’s energy supply from Russia. Although Sweden has low dependence on Russian oil and it mainly imports gas from neighbor Denmark, still the current downturn brings Stockholm’s inflation rate at 9.8 percent. Sweden’s inflation has always been low, averaging 3.42 percent from 1980 to early this year, until the current high. The highest inflation in Sweden was 15.50 percent in 1980 under Prime Minister Thorbjorn Falldin.

       Meanwhile, let’s see if Mr Nice Guy Ulf can steer his country out of the 9.8 inflation though I’d like his coalition government to simply withdraw its NATO application. 🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪

Photo credit: BBC. Rockford Register Star.

The EL SALVADOR Story.

Previously posted on my Facebook Page.

NEWS. “In El Salvador, the President Cracks Down on Civil Liberties, and Is Beloved for It.” And adds: “Much of the country’s population is willing to tolerate an autocratic leader, if it means that someone will finally solve their most pressing problem: gang violence.” Unemployment is almost 7 percent. Economic pace is at 2.9 percent. These are not unusual numbers in post pandemic years and current global impact of the Ukraine crisis. Considering as well that El Salvador is the third largest economy in Central America.

       So why the tempest? We always see social unrest in economies that aren’t really down, neck-deep, in the pits. It is more complex that what it seems. For starters, maybe because President Nayib Bukele is friendly with China? How relations with China affects the U.S. foreign policy though it’s all political facades.

       San Salvador’s relations with Washington has always been shaky due to America’s controversial moves and operations in the country since its Civil War years from 1979 to 1992, and interference in Salvadoran elections. But El Salvador’s decision to cut ties with Taiwan in 2018 in favor of China sealed the animosity. 🇸🇻🇸🇻🇸🇻

SUCH news can be a bit confounding, ain’t it? Part of the larger competitive fire between the United States and China? Expected? Just the way geopolitics per superpower rivalry goes?

       Meanwhile, Salvadoran and Chinese leaderships have been meeting recently, per trade. President Nayib Bukele, after meeting with counterpart Xi Jinping in June said the forged or pledged investments represented a “gigantic, non-refundable cooperation” for the small Central American nation. For its part, China is all-set to join hands with El Salvador “to promote international fairness and justice, advocate win-win cooperation, implement the Global Development Initiative together, and move forward toward building a community with a shared future for mankind.” Grand words, indeed.

       In 2018, prior to El Salvador’s break from Taiwan, the U.S. was the country’s top trading partner. Info says Washington still dominates San Salvador’s trade. But China in inching in, quietly but surely. In 2019, China inked several major infrastructure projects in El Salvador including a stadium and water treatment plant, which signaled China’s growing role in the region after El Salvador cut ties with Taiwan.

       El Salvador’s chief industries are food processing, beverages, petroleum, and chemicals. 🇸🇻🇸🇻🇸🇻

WHAT’s going on here is a paradox of sorts. El Salvador does huge business with the U.S. despite its leadership’s newfound cordiality with China. Despite Washington’s interference in the country, the people love America.

       Surveys by the Pew Research Center in recent years say around 80 percent of Salvadorans viewed the United States positively respectively revealing El Salvador as one of the most pro-American nations in the world.

       Following decision of the Salvadoran government, under then President Salvador Sanchez Ceren, to cut ties with Taiwan in favor of China in 2018, some Republican senators like Marco Rubio had demanded that economic aid to the country be cut and their expulsion from Alianza Para Prosperidad. The U.S-supported program is aimed to help El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala with education and healthcare to reduce illegal immigration to the U.S.

       But then, these seem like political sideshows. Meantime, gang violence in El Salvador, could be orchestrated or manipulated (refer to the past)—but blood in the streets isn’t showtime at all. 🇸🇻🇸🇻🇸🇻