Sweden - Euro or Crown, the working class must defend itself
The referendum of 14 September on adopting the euro in Sweden resulted in a “no”. Member of the European Union since 1995, Sweden had not adopted the single European currency at its introduction in January 2002. The “no” won with 56.1% of voters and the country will keep its currency, the krona. The election campaign has lasted for months and has largely divided the political world. It was also marked by the assassination in four days of balloting, the foreign minister, Anna Lindh, one of the leaders of the Social Democratic Party in power. The latter has campaigned for the yes and training “bourgeois”, currently in opposition, and the bulk of big business. An apple of discord within parties and unions
Meanwhile, the Greens, the Left Party (ex-PC), supporting Parliament the Social Democratic government, have campaigned for the “no” and the quasi-totality of the extreme left. As the direction of the high LO (2 million members), it took late position for the “yes”. But many unionists have campaigned for the “no” and a fraction of the Social Democratic Party. In this campaign there have been many demagogic arguments on both sides, reminiscent in many ways what was known in France at the time of the referendum on the Maastricht Treaty. Supporters of the euro have raised … the creation of at least 100000 jobs if the “yes” prevailed. And the representatives of employers have threatened to transfer production out of Sweden in case of victory “no”. Meanwhile supporters of the rejection of the euro have focused on … the adverse consequences for employment if the single currency was adopted. Many nationalist denounced as “undemocratic” that the European Central Bank is headed. This is true but it mainly to obscure the fact that the Royal Bank of Sweden is obviously just as undemocratic and takes its decisions in accordance with the interests of big business. The debate also focused on defending the “Swedish model”, ie the fact that Sweden has a standard of living and public services that would exceed the European Union average - although it’s a little soon forget the brutal degradation of the last decade. Proponents of the “no” and explained that the monetary policy (the fact change the exchange rate of the currency and interest rates) to maintain a high level of “welfare state” and So that independent monetary policy would protect Sweden. It is true that, being a small country, Sweden could not, once within the euro zone, to walk the plank for tickets, as do France and Germany, leaving up their public deficit - beyond the 3% of Gross National Product provided by the Maastricht agreements. Sweden, it would have had no other choice, under penalty of sanctions, which comply with this limit, to the detriment of its public expenditure, while sharing the note of inflation caused by the large countries that dominate the Union. But being outside the euro zone did not prevent the damaging effects of its financial avatars, if only because its economy depends largely on its trade and finance with this area.
But being outside the euro zone did not prevent the damaging effects of its financial avatars, if only because its economy depends largely on its trade and finance with this area.Because trade and finance are closely related to mortgage rates, being outside the euro zone may cause the interest rates of mortgages to soar up.
Euro or not, social achievements are threatened
Doubtless there in a part of the Swedish population feel that, by remaining isolated, it will come out better and be able to preserve what remains of its “social gains”. But it is illusions, maintained for decades by the Social Democrats and the union LO. Because monetary policy has never served to protect the interests of the working population but to preserve those of business. And neither the defense of the “Swedish model” that the continuation of the crown will not allow the working class to be better equipped to respond to attacks to come. In Sweden, as everywhere, the bourgeoisie seeks to address the cost of labour, “too much” to his liking, ie in fact the standard of living of workers. This has already started well before either the problem of joining the euro: relocations have already taken place and the unemployment rate is rising. In reality, Sweden has had its relatively privileged past to very special circumstances. It remained until the beginning of the twentieth century, a poor country. Hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants have emigrated to the USA to escape poverty. But, remained on the sidelines of the two global conflicts that have bloodied Europe during the last century, it has not experienced massive destruction and exported much during periods of reconstruction. That, combined with significant natural resources (wood and iron in particular), which enabled him to forge an industry quality tour in large part to export.
Meanwhile the bourgeoisie has done since the 1930’s, the choice to associate widely unions to manage its interests. In exchange for social peace (the number of strikes for 60 years is very low), some benefits were granted to workers … and the union bureaucracy. But this is nothing beside what was extorted the working class through an operating smoothly. That has allowed in this country of only 9 million inhabitants, a number of major corporations scale international capitalists can see the day: Ericsson, Volvo, SKF, Alfa-Laval, Saab-Scania, and so on. Today, for the smooth running of its affairs at the international level, the bourgeoisie believes it would be better integrates the euro zone. It is a problem that concerns only the capitalists, large and small. For workers aware, the problem is quite different: whether expressed in euros or crowns, it is knowing where they will create wealth and influence to ensure that distribution is not always more and detriment of the working class. It is a question of balance of power, capacity of the working class to defend itself, but also of conscience. And it is a shame that person, during the election campaign that has just taken place, has denounced the false choice between two options between the bourgeois-nationalist downturn and further integration into Europe, capital to put forward a clear perspective of defending the class interests of workers.
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