Goal: represent the unrepresented (*)
* It puts the whole system under pressure
Voting is a right in Sweden, unlike in Greece, the cradle of democracy, or Belgium, for example, where voting is mandatory.
The number of people who do not vote, cast a blank or invalid ballot is counted in Sweden, but they are not taken into account when seats are allocated. As a result, they have no representation in the Riksdag.
In the most recent election, 1.2 million eligible voters were unrepresented. That is more than 15% of eligible voters—almost as many as voted for the third-largest party in the Riksdag.
[Seat distribution in the Riksdag if the 1.2 million unrepresented voters had been included in the 2022 count—the uncolored “O”s in the middle of the chart represent those who are unrepresented]
Since the unrepresented are not included in the distribution of seats in the Riksdag, the parties’ percentage shares carry greater weight, and the parties receive more seats than they should, approximately 60 more during 2022–2026.
[Seat distribution in the Riksdag following the 2022 election – where all parties received more seats than they should have]
This isn’t just about 60 seats, but also about 60 jobs and 60 allowances that the parties receive for free.
Because they do not represent the unrepresented.
So what’s the problem? …
… if those 1.2 million votes hadn’t been dismissed, the Liberal party (L) wouldn’t have cleared the 4 percent threshold to begin with.
The Tidö-agreement wouldn’t have been possible.
The extreme polarization is a direct result of how the system works. The 50/50 deadlock between the left and right blocs would not exist. (The Tidö-government has 176 seats.The opposition has 173)
This means that IF the parties only receive the seats they deserve, neither the left nor the right can secure a majority. In that case, every decision and every vote in the Riksdag will require compromise and cooperation across party blocs, since the necessary majority in the Riksdag always remains the same: 175 (out of 349 seats).
And that is a big difference: cooperation instead of polarization.
“Lagom” politics.
O’s Solution
Represent the unrepresented: Ensure that the unrepresented are included in the allocation of seats.
Reset the system.
Get rid of those extra seats, extra jobs, and extra allowances.
Put pressure on the parties that have created this polarization to resolve it themselves—through compromise, through better substantive and less image-driven politics: Stop the polarization.
How?
When O enters the Riksdag with at least 4% of the vote,
O will vote against every proposal in the Riksdag.
Always. No exceptions. No negotiations. For four years.
Why?
There are three options in the Riksdag: yes, no, and abstain. Yes and abstain are votes for the majority: the unrepresented remain invisible and ignored.
The only way to make the unrepresented visible,
to ensure that the unrepresented are not ignored,
is to vote no on everything.
And then what?
After four years of voting “no” on everything, there are
three possibilities:
1) The traditional parties have fixed the system* — O disappears.
2) The traditional parties rethink their strategies and offer all eligible voters an alternative — O disappears.
3) The traditional parties have not fixed the system and still do not offer all eligible voters an alternative — O remains and will increase the pressure even more.
* This means that seats are allocated based on the number of eligible voters. O is convinced that none of the traditional parties want to fix the system. That would mean a loss of political power and financial resources.
O encourages every voter to check which of the current political parties best represents them, in terms of ideas, values, and vision.
If you feel that no political party represents you and your values, you have two options:
– Don’t vote, cast a blank or invalid vote: no one listens to you; you are ignored.
–Vote for O: make your voice heard, ensure it counts from day one. Put pressure on all traditional parties to work harder, perform better, and create the kind of politics expected in a democracy.