Swedes say country has taken wrong turn
Poll results released on Tuesday revealed that half of Swedes think the nation has gone off-track, with record-low support for the reigning government.
Pollsters United Minds interviewed 1,099 people about which party they support most and which parties are best at certain aspects of government, such as economy, healthcare, and environment.
The survey, published in the Aftonbladet newspaper, did not bode well for the Moderate party.
Just over 50 percent of respondents said they believe Sweden has "gone the wrong direction". The survey has seen the majority of responses being positive to the government since it launched in 2012, but now the election winds may have changed course.
"This is the first time that we see a majority who believe things have been developing in the wrong direction," United Minds analyst Felix Åberg said. He added that the faith in the Moderates has been in a downward spiral for quite some time, but has hit a new low. Only 19.7 percent of those surveyed said they would vote for the party.
The Moderates were still rated the most reliable party when it comes to economy, but even there the numbers are dropping. Still, Moderate party secretary Kent Persson is positive, stating that leading in economy may lead them victoriously through elections.
"Experience from earlier elections shows that confidence in the economy is a deciding factor for the outcome," Persson told Aftonbladet. "The Moderate party stands for more jobs, and order and clarity in the economy, compared with the left alternatives who want to drastically raise taxes on labour and don't take responsibility for the economy."
Åberg at United Minds was not so sure.
"The government would need to do something extraordinary to turn things around."
TT/sr
Comments
See Also
Pollsters United Minds interviewed 1,099 people about which party they support most and which parties are best at certain aspects of government, such as economy, healthcare, and environment.
The survey, published in the Aftonbladet newspaper, did not bode well for the Moderate party.
Just over 50 percent of respondents said they believe Sweden has "gone the wrong direction". The survey has seen the majority of responses being positive to the government since it launched in 2012, but now the election winds may have changed course.
"This is the first time that we see a majority who believe things have been developing in the wrong direction," United Minds analyst Felix Åberg said. He added that the faith in the Moderates has been in a downward spiral for quite some time, but has hit a new low. Only 19.7 percent of those surveyed said they would vote for the party.
The Moderates were still rated the most reliable party when it comes to economy, but even there the numbers are dropping. Still, Moderate party secretary Kent Persson is positive, stating that leading in economy may lead them victoriously through elections.
"Experience from earlier elections shows that confidence in the economy is a deciding factor for the outcome," Persson told Aftonbladet. "The Moderate party stands for more jobs, and order and clarity in the economy, compared with the left alternatives who want to drastically raise taxes on labour and don't take responsibility for the economy."
Åberg at United Minds was not so sure.
"The government would need to do something extraordinary to turn things around."
TT/sr
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.