5 ms·

I think it shouldn't be understated the significance of this. It is extremely rare for a constitutional monarch to so publicly undermine the democratically ele

by Svip 6y ago

I think it shouldn't be understated the significance of this. It is extremely rare for a constitutional monarch to so publicly undermine the democratically elected government. The Danish Queen and Norwegian King made speeches this Spring, where they were very careful to not undermine the government's strategy, but rather emphasis the significance of the pandemic. Additionally, in Sweden, it is has become pretty recognisable by all that the Swedish approach has failed, but no one is willing to take the blame. The King effectively cuts through all this, and says the blame lies squarely with Prime Minister Stefan Löfven. In political terms, I wonder how long Löfven's government will last.

kzrdude 6y ago
You say that the prime minister is to blame, but the King doesn't say so explicitly, and I point this out because in Sweden's media climate it is for some reason not obvious that the PM is to blame when it all falls short. Because they (the PM and cabinet and the health authority) name their own factors and institutions that they blame. I think the PM should take responsibility, so evidently say you, but unfortunately the King didn't say that.
- ruslanbogan 6y ago
  It is a very unswedish thing to point the finger and blame someone from what I can tell, the best you will get is "not my fault"
- Svip 6y ago
  You are correct, that the King is not explicit in this, he cannot be, he's a constitutional monarch. However, the subtly is thick, and it's not hard to read between the lines, that he is thinking the government of Sweden has failed Sweden. He represents the government of Sweden, and when he is indirectly apologising, that's the statement he is making. And who is liable for the government in the end? Prime Minister Löfven. I think it's hard to read anything else between the lines here.
  - leereeves 6y ago
    Even assuming that's true, why should anyone care? Why would someone's family line give their opinion about the coronavirus approach more value than anyone else's?
    - kzrdude 6y ago
      If you get a job, then it doesn't matter who your family is or if you're the best person for the job(!). If you are lead architect of your company, your job is to give directions etc. Same thing here. Doesn't matter there's others that could replace the king is his job.. he's the current one with that job, so we listen in a way that takes his position into account.
      - deleted 6y ago
        [deleted]
      - deleted 6y ago
        [deleted]
      - leereeves 6y ago
        I confess I come from a country that has so little respect for that job that we abolished the position, and I don't know much about Swedish royalty. What qualifications, knowledge, authority, responsibility are associated with that job? And considering that, how much respect does the job deserve?
        ErikBjare 6y ago
        As a Swede: Practically none, it's all just for show.
    - AnimalMuppet 6y ago
      I'm not Swedish. I'm from one of those full-on democracies without a monarch, so take this opinion with some salt. The king isn't an infections disease expert, but he's not an idiot, and he can get any experts he want to tell him what's going on. He's also the one person "in government" who can speak truth about the prime minister without fearing the prime minister's wrath. This lets the king be the one who can say what needs to be said when nobody else will say it.
libertine 6y ago
It's maybe time to EU to follow through and admit that both EU and individual countries approaches were a disgrace that costed, and will cost, too many lives.
- leokennis 6y ago
  Wait...what would have been the better approach then?
  - throw20201217 6y ago
    Utilise the awesome powers of hindsight and backseat driving?
    - libertine 6y ago
      Because there isn't any good example in the past year?
  - libertine 6y ago
    Well clearly something has failed when some countries have the pandemic under control for months now, and EU is riding waves. Or we want to ignore success cases? Because neither the media or governance talks about it, don't even mention that are countries in economic recovery and they match countries that have the pandemic under control. It's like living with the virus is bad for the economy. I think a big part of it was public discourse, some faced this pandemic has a battle that must be won, others took it has an inconvenience. This second group, the majority, then went on to face issues like individual rights crises that resemble something like everyone is entitled to their RIGHTS, but somehow they forgot about DUTY and RESPONSABILITIES.
    - leokennis 6y ago
      I know of two major examples: * China and other countries using state surveillance and privacy infringement to control the virus. * New Zealand which is a pretty sparsely populated isolated island.

by Svip 6y ago

kzrdude 6y ago

You say that the prime minister is to blame, but the King doesn't say so explicitly, and I point this out because in Sweden's media climate it is for some reason not obvious that the PM is to blame when it all falls short. Because they (the PM and cabinet and the health authority) name their own factors and institutions that they blame. I think the PM should take responsibility, so evidently say you, but unfortunately the King didn't say that.

ruslanbogan 6y ago
It is a very unswedish thing to point the finger and blame someone from what I can tell, the best you will get is "not my fault"
Svip 6y ago
You are correct, that the King is not explicit in this, he cannot be, he's a constitutional monarch. However, the subtly is thick, and it's not hard to read between the lines, that he is thinking the government of Sweden has failed Sweden. He represents the government of Sweden, and when he is indirectly apologising, that's the statement he is making. And who is liable for the government in the end? Prime Minister Löfven. I think it's hard to read anything else between the lines here.
- leereeves 6y ago
  Even assuming that's true, why should anyone care? Why would someone's family line give their opinion about the coronavirus approach more value than anyone else's?
  - kzrdude 6y ago
    If you get a job, then it doesn't matter who your family is or if you're the best person for the job(!). If you are lead architect of your company, your job is to give directions etc. Same thing here. Doesn't matter there's others that could replace the king is his job.. he's the current one with that job, so we listen in a way that takes his position into account.
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
    - deleted 6y ago
      [deleted]
    - leereeves 6y ago
      I confess I come from a country that has so little respect for that job that we abolished the position, and I don't know much about Swedish royalty. What qualifications, knowledge, authority, responsibility are associated with that job? And considering that, how much respect does the job deserve?
      - ErikBjare 6y ago
        As a Swede: Practically none, it's all just for show.
  - AnimalMuppet 6y ago
    I'm not Swedish. I'm from one of those full-on democracies without a monarch, so take this opinion with some salt. The king isn't an infections disease expert, but he's not an idiot, and he can get any experts he want to tell him what's going on. He's also the one person "in government" who can speak truth about the prime minister without fearing the prime minister's wrath. This lets the king be the one who can say what needs to be said when nobody else will say it.

libertine 6y ago

It's maybe time to EU to follow through and admit that both EU and individual countries approaches were a disgrace that costed, and will cost, too many lives.

leokennis 6y ago
Wait...what would have been the better approach then?
- throw20201217 6y ago
  Utilise the awesome powers of hindsight and backseat driving?
  - libertine 6y ago
    Because there isn't any good example in the past year?
- libertine 6y ago
  Well clearly something has failed when some countries have the pandemic under control for months now, and EU is riding waves. Or we want to ignore success cases? Because neither the media or governance talks about it, don't even mention that are countries in economic recovery and they match countries that have the pandemic under control. It's like living with the virus is bad for the economy. I think a big part of it was public discourse, some faced this pandemic has a battle that must be won, others took it has an inconvenience. This second group, the majority, then went on to face issues like individual rights crises that resemble something like everyone is entitled to their RIGHTS, but somehow they forgot about DUTY and RESPONSABILITIES.
  - leokennis 6y ago
    I know of two major examples: * China and other countries using state surveillance and privacy infringement to control the virus. * New Zealand which is a pretty sparsely populated isolated island.