Tidö Parties Struggle to Deliver on Promises One Year After Election, Survey Shows
Published at 06:09, Updated 06:52
A year has passed since Swedes went to the polls and voted for a change of government. However, a recent survey conducted by Aftonbladet/Demoskop shows that the current government is facing criticism for not delivering on its election promises.
According to the survey, the Tidö parties in government have faced a tumultuous first year, marked by a stormy NATO application, escalating gang conflicts, increased terror threat level, and a difficult economic situation. Despite these challenges, one in three voters still express support for the current government. However, when asked if they consider the government to be positive for Sweden, only 37 percent of voters believe so, while 50 percent believe it is negative.
Pelle Ahlin Olofsson, Demoskop’s business area manager, notes that satisfaction with the current government varies among voters. He emphasizes that those who voted for the government parties are generally satisfied, while opposition voters are more dissatisfied.
The survey also reveals that only three out of ten voters believe that the Tidö parties have delivered well on their election promises. In comparison, 63 percent of voters believe that the promises have not been delivered or have been poorly delivered.
The economy is identified as one of the key areas where the government has fallen short. 47 percent of voters believe that the Tidö parties have taken Sweden in a more negative direction regarding the economy, while only 14 percent believe there has been a positive change. The survey was conducted before the announcement to stop the indexation of state income tax and the employment tax deduction, leaving the impact of this decision to be determined.
On the issue of reduced tax on fuel, most voters, including Tidö party supporters, feel that the government has not delivered. However, this measurement was taken before the government’s recent announcement of reduced taxes on petrol and diesel, which might influence future opinions.
Regarding energy and electricity supply, 41 percent of voters believe that the government has taken Sweden in a more negative direction, while 24 percent have a positive view. This may be attributed to the Tidö parties’ openness to nuclear power.
In terms of law and order, the Tidö party voters are generally satisfied. Interestingly, voters from the Center Party and Social Democratic Party are unsure whether the government has made a positive or negative impact in this area.
Opinions on immigration and integration are divided, with 34 percent of voters seeing a positive change and 36 percent feeling the opposite. Notably, Tidö party supporters view the government’s performance positively.
On defense and security, 40 percent of voters believe that the government has taken Sweden in a more positive direction, while 19 percent disagree. Tidö party supporters are highly satisfied, and even opposition voters are not highly critical, with the exception of voters from the Left Party (V) and the Green Party (MP).
Overall, the survey highlights doubts among voters about the government’s ability to deliver on its promises, with more than half of voters believing that the government is having a negative impact on Sweden. Pelle Ahlin Olofsson suggests that it may take the entire mandate period to fulfill election promises. Nonetheless, the government still has work to do to improve its standing among voters.
About the Survey:
The survey was conducted by Demoskop on behalf of Aftonbladet using the Inizio panel, which reflects the Swedish population. The target group was the public aged 16 and over. The survey included 2,255 interviews conducted as a web survey from August 21 to September 4, 2023. The selection was pre-stratified and weighted by age, gender, region, and party in the previous election.