Parliamentary Election Day here in Sweden. Phew. I’m not as engaged this time around. Just like before, the politicians are trying to seduce me with sweeping election promises that, with big, impactful headlines, promise to solve all the incredibly complicated problems we have in Sweden right now.

It’s so insulting.

Deep down I know this but still allow myself to be ensnared and bewitched by more or less well-formulated rhetoric that is pumped throughout every imaginable channel. But I have a hard time telling the different parties apart.

Somehow, I miss the old Swedish political leaders Fälldin, Feldt, Bohman, Westerberg, Palme, and even the hardcore communist C-H Hermansson. Yeah, I’m slowly moving into the curmudgeon phase.

Making lofty promises is part of every democratic election process. Politics, just like life in general, is about compromises and how to handle inevitable settlements. The most important is that the team at the helm has the experience, strength, and willingness to compromise in order to steer the ship Sweden out of the storm. This year, I don’t know if any of the parties or their leaders are capable of doing anything but bicker.