The elections to elect local government is few days away: Sunday, 9 September 2018. Stina Svensson, 48, is one of the 81 elected members to the Gothenburg municipality (Göteborgs Stad – kommunfullmäktige) in the last elections 2014-2018, and she is contesting again on behalf of Feministiskt Initiativ (FI).
STRUCTURAL DISCRIMINATION: What is structural discrimination? Stina says Sweden has structural discrimination – discrimination on the basis of one’s name, skin colour, social background, class, sexuality, gender, religious conviction, ethnicity … and this discrimination is affecting immigrants from entering into the job market. She points out that for immigrants, men take about 7-9 years to enter the job market or be employed, and for women it takes 9-11 years.
HOUSING: Gothenburg is running short of houses to accommodate the youth and those who are moving out of their parents’ houses. Stina thinks one way to overcome the housing shortage is to build more affordable houses.
LISTEN to the PODCAST: Stina talks about human rights, structural discrimination, housing and how FI will double its seats in Gothenburg …
Gothenburg’s municipal council or assembly (kommunfullmäktige) has 81 members. They are elected once in every four years. The 81 members represent 9 political parties in 2014-2018. The executive committee (kommunstyrelsen) of the municipality has 13 members and currently headed by Ann-Sofie Hermansson from the Social Democratic Party. In the outgoing local government, three political parties – Social Democratic Party, the Green Party and the Left – have formed a coalition government. The 81 members are:
Socialdemokraterna (Social Democratic Party): 20
Moderaterna (Moderate Party): 20
Miljöpartiet (Green Party): 9
Liberalerna (Liberals): 7
Vänsterpariet (Left Party): 7
Sverigedemokraterna (Sweden Democrats): 6
The Route/Road to Elections: Vägvalet: 5
Feministiskt initiativ (Feminist Initiative): 3
Kristdemokraterna (Christian Democrats): 3
FI is informing the voters that in order to achieve the political goals of human rights and sustainability, it wants to: increase tax revenue by reinstating progressive taxation, fees and taxation on financial markets and dividend and royalty payouts. The party is also vouching for gradual decrease in working hours: 6 hours a day.
You may also want to read:
Swedish Elections 9 September 2018: Interview with SD leader Jörgen Fogelklou in Gothenburg
Nikke Ström on Music and Swedish Elections on 9 September 2018
Ina Lundström on Music, Politics, Elections
Professor Håkan Thörn: The Legacy of 1968 Continues … in Music & Politics
Swedish Elections 9 September 2018: Why SD has risen?
