The art of Swedish compromise OR 'everyone gets to be a vice chairperson'
Hey friends. Gino here. Y'know, I'm just a half-blind mini-poodle, with everyday mini-poodle struggles.
So, I was reading the Swedish news (as a mini-poodle does) and I came across an article that either illustrates A) the frivolity of political compromise, B)my complete misunderstanding of Swedish culture and politics, or C) both.
Here's the punchline: The committees in the Swedish parliament now have second- and third- vice chair positions to keep everyone happy.
Here's my best explanation of the article: The Swedish parliament is full of committees. Each has a chairperson and a vice chairperson. Typically, the chair position gets assigned to a member of the ruling coalition, and the vice chair position gets assigned to a member of the opposing coalition in parliament. So far, pretty normal.
But the recent election was anything but normal. To summarise months of news: The election results were complicated by a far-right party (The Sweden Democrats) whose growing popularity robbed either the traditional centre-right 'Alliance' or the centre-left 'Red-Green' coalitions of ruling majorities. It got so complicated that Sweden very nearly had a do-over election. The do-over scenario was averted when two parties that had for decades been part of the centre-right coalition (strangely named the Center Party and the Liberals) jumped ship and joined the centre-left coalition, keeping the ruling Social Democrats in power. See my silly cartoon explanation below. Circles are roughly scaled to the size of each party in parliament, but nothing scientific.
The Social Democrats needed the Liberals and Center Party to join their coalition in order to keep their power in parliament, but one consequence is that the Liberal and Center members (now, part of the ruling centre-left coalition) got delegated vice chair positions on the committees. Social Democrats and Greens and (maybe Leftists) still get the chair positions.
So, as a consolation prize, the Moderates have been given ''second vice chair'' roles, which seem to have been something that parliament used to do, but hasn't in over a decade. Fair 'nuff. Here's the silliest part: the ruling coalition consisting of Social Democrats and Greens, who already occupy the regular chairperson positions, have decided to delegate themselves third vice chairperson positions.
I mean, you only need to add a couple more vice chairs before every party on every committee has a special title. These roles can't actually have power, right? This is beginning to remind me of tales I hear from the corporate world where everyone that's been in the company for a year gets to be CEO of their cubicle cluster. So to cope with this absurdity, I've decided to propose some new position titles to no one at all:
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| Me. |
So, I was reading the Swedish news (as a mini-poodle does) and I came across an article that either illustrates A) the frivolity of political compromise, B)my complete misunderstanding of Swedish culture and politics, or C) both.
Here's the punchline: The committees in the Swedish parliament now have second- and third- vice chair positions to keep everyone happy.
Here's my best explanation of the article: The Swedish parliament is full of committees. Each has a chairperson and a vice chairperson. Typically, the chair position gets assigned to a member of the ruling coalition, and the vice chair position gets assigned to a member of the opposing coalition in parliament. So far, pretty normal.
But the recent election was anything but normal. To summarise months of news: The election results were complicated by a far-right party (The Sweden Democrats) whose growing popularity robbed either the traditional centre-right 'Alliance' or the centre-left 'Red-Green' coalitions of ruling majorities. It got so complicated that Sweden very nearly had a do-over election. The do-over scenario was averted when two parties that had for decades been part of the centre-right coalition (strangely named the Center Party and the Liberals) jumped ship and joined the centre-left coalition, keeping the ruling Social Democrats in power. See my silly cartoon explanation below. Circles are roughly scaled to the size of each party in parliament, but nothing scientific.
The Social Democrats needed the Liberals and Center Party to join their coalition in order to keep their power in parliament, but one consequence is that the Liberal and Center members (now, part of the ruling centre-left coalition) got delegated vice chair positions on the committees. Social Democrats and Greens and (maybe Leftists) still get the chair positions.
So, as a consolation prize, the Moderates have been given ''second vice chair'' roles, which seem to have been something that parliament used to do, but hasn't in over a decade. Fair 'nuff. Here's the silliest part: the ruling coalition consisting of Social Democrats and Greens, who already occupy the regular chairperson positions, have decided to delegate themselves third vice chairperson positions.
I mean, you only need to add a couple more vice chairs before every party on every committee has a special title. These roles can't actually have power, right? This is beginning to remind me of tales I hear from the corporate world where everyone that's been in the company for a year gets to be CEO of their cubicle cluster. So to cope with this absurdity, I've decided to propose some new position titles to no one at all:
- Chief Executive Chairperson: Higher than Chairperson or even the Executive Chairperson. Wears very fancy apparel and gets bejewelled pens as gifts regularly.
- Executive Chairperson: An actual title in the corporate world. It's the chairperson, but in case you were concerned it's also executive. Valet service included. Has a shower in the office.
- Regular Chairperson: Same as chairperson, but extra words.
- Associate Regular Chairperson: Just under the chairperson, on their way up!
- Regular regular Chairperson: Probably stuck in this position for a long time to learn a thing or two about decorum, but important nonetheless.
- Chief Vice Executive Chairperson: The highest of the 'Vice' positions. Fills in for the Executive Chairperson after slaughtering or disappearing the Regular Chairpeople.
- Associate Chief Vice Executive Chairperson: Somebody's cousin, probably. Signs many forms.
- Vice Associate Chief Vice Executive Chairperson: Creates synergy.
- Deputy Vice Associate Chief Vice Executive Chairperson: Makes coffee.
- Deputy Deputy: Offers an overview of operational tactics and strategy.
- Associate Deputy: Offers an overview of tactics and strategy.
- Assistant Deputy: Offers an overview of strategy, but not tactics and nothing operational.
- Assistant Deputy Vice Associate Chief Vice Executive Chairperson: Makes national policy.
- Regular Joe: The only woman on the committee, but has worked far harder than most of the dudes above and is in touch with actual happenings on the ground. Often ignored, interrupted, and underpaid. Consequentially people suffer, and many rightly blame the government for their suffering and vote for politicians that believe the solution is lowering taxes and reducing government power, when all along the real problem was that too many people crave power but can't actually have it all, and those people ignore people with good ideas and pass on opportunities to compromise so that they can be chairman of something. Of course, this is a broad generalisation, and not meant to imply any specific ill will toward Swedish politicians, who are much more egalitarian when it comes to gender in politics.
- Secretary: Takes notes at the meetings. Brings the coffee that the DVACVEC made.
- Intern: Makes copies. Learning MS Excel.
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