VZCZCXYZ0010
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSM #0686 3071511
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY ADD1BD90 AMG5480 641)
P 031511Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4844
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS STOCKHOLM 000686 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL SW
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION SOCIAL DEMS PLAN FOR 2010 ELECTIONS 
 
¶1. (U) Sweden's opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), the 
largest party in Parliament, held its 36th annual conference October 
28-November 1.  At the conference, the party decided its future 
domestic and foreign policy platforms -- all with an eye on the 
September 2010 general elections, when the SDP and its allies hope 
to win back the government from the center-right four-party 
coalition headed by Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.  This year's 
SDP meeting was historic because the policy conclusions do not 
reflect the final platform of the party, as the SDP is for the first 
time in modern history in a formal coalition with the Green and Left 
parties, whose positions on key issues, such as Afghanistan, differ 
markedly from those of the SDP. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Left-leaning factions within the SDP -- drawing strength 
from the Left Party -- have caused internal divisions within the SDP 
camp, but party leader Mona Sahlin was ultimately able to lead the 
party to consensus on key issues.  This year's conference theme was 
employment, reflecting both the SDP's historical labor focus and the 
main political issue for the 2010 elections.  The SDP strategy going 
forward appears to be to focus on unemployment and criticize the 
current government's handling of the economic crisis.  Sahlin 
declared she will "take back the job issue" from the center-right 
coalition through investments in education, higher levels of 
unemployment insurance, and reforms for small businesses. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Foreign policy issues are less important in the SDP 
election calculus, but still contentious within the party.  After an 
energetic debate, MP Urban Ahlin (SDP foreign policy spokesman and a 
key Sahlin advisor) engineered the final vote in favor of a platform 
of keeping Swedish troops in Afghanistan.  (In contrast, the Greens 
are calling publicly for an exit timetable for the troops while the 
Left wants to pull them out immediately.)  On the Middle East, some 
SDP delegates demanded sanctions against Israel, but the party 
leadership managed to shoot down the proposal.  The SDP delegates 
did, however, vote in favor of removing Sweden's defense attache 
position in Tel Aviv. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Comment: Sahlin will now focus on developing a common 
election platform with her coalition partners -- but that may prove 
difficult, especially given the public disagreements between Sahlin 
and the Left and Green leaders on Afghanistan and other issues. 
BARZUN