IMG_0074 Big city and countryside: Center Berlin and a British wellknown village.IMG_0557

Four out of ten Swedish MP:s are worried about the future of democracy in the country.

These numbers are worrying. A couple of years ago, I read an article about young Swedes preferring “a strong leader” to democratic elections.

What is happening in western democracies? Why are so many disappointed with democracy, with politicians, with elections?

Political scientist Katarina Barrling have suggested that the terms “left” and “right” in politics are no longer useful. Instead, you ought to talk about “somewheres” and “anywheres”. “Somewheres” are people who belong somewhere specific, often in smaller towns or in rural areas far from the big cities. “Anywheres” are globetrotters, often young and mostly urban people who bring their laptops all over the world and can work anywhere.

I think Barrling found something here. The difference between a young urban lifestyle, increasingly internationalized, and rural lifestyle, increasingly impoverished, could become political explosive.

Upcoming national elections in September in Sweden and in the European Union in 2019 is a perfect opportunity for political parties in Sweden and in the EU to show that they do not neglect the “somewheres”.

And for all of us who love democracy it is time to start working… Tomorrow, Swedish SVT will start broadcasting a series of documentaries on the topic: ”The threat from within”. I will see it!