Wetterstrand is Obama

Young, charismatic, eloquent speaker, leader of new visions and ideas, popular among the youth. Sounds like a description of president Barack Obama in his campaign of 2008 (and previous), but it could easily fit the leader of the Swedish Green Party (MP), Maria Wetterstrand. The Greens are having their party-convention this weekend, therefore receiving a lot of attention and critical examination. The Green Party has gone through a substantial reformation over the past years, maturing and proving to be more capable of being part of a government. They have shaved off many of the unreasonable ideas and policies that before frightened more independent, or "middle-of-the-road", voters. MP now looks to do their best election ever, and has seen numbers even up to 10 percent in polls.

Maria Wetterstrand may have a few things in common with Barack Obama as a politician, but more than that they share the fate of being more popular than the party they lead. Wetterstrand is the second most trusted party-leader, after Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, but MP ranks fairly low on a number of issues, such as trust in handling the economy. The comparison falters a bit, as Obama is not so much the leader of the Democratic Party, but the leader of the country and will be reviewed as such. Swedish politics works differently. But much points to the fact that MP and Wetterstrand will have to travel down the same road that has Obama. It is one thing conducting an eloquent, visionary campaign, but quite a completely other to lead a country. Both Obama and MP have shown that they can lead, but much like the support has for the former, it is likely that the numbers for the latter will decrease when carrying out administration and day-to-day leadership politics instead of speaking of lofty goals and ideas.

Another problem in common for the two is who fill the shoes of the young and charismatic once they step down. Wetterstrand, the most popular green politician in Swedish history, will have to step down as leader of the party next year. Although there are very qualified people to step in, it will be very difficult, not to say impossible, to be a new Wetterstrand, who has taken many years to establish herself and gain trust and admiration from the general public. Obama will leave party-politics in 2016 (I take for granted that he will be re-elected in 2012), which will leave the Democrats in quite a pickle. No one, at least present so far, can match his charisma and possibility to attract voters and lead a campaign, and will likely be problematic for the Democratic Party in the election of 2016. Though having very little in common when it comes to politics, it is likely that the Swedish Greens and the American Democratic Party will travel down similar roads in the years to come.