Analysis: "Fate-filled speech to gather the nation"

It is unusual for a Swedish Prime Minister to speak to the nation in a crisis situation. But this has happened on a couple of occasions in recent decades. The then Prime Minister Carl Bildt (M) made such a speech in 1992 because of the unease in the society surrounding the so-called laser man and former Prime Minister Göran Persson gave a speech to the nation in 2003 after the murder of the then Foreign Minister Anna Lindh.

And today it was time again.

The background is, of course, the exceptional position that Sweden, and large parts of the world are. There is great concern and uncertainty about how the corona pandemic will develop, both in terms of the spread of infection itself, but also the consequences for society at large.

In this situation, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven is now trying to step forward as a unifying force in society. Party politics has been set aside. Now it is about sharpening the gravity of the situation and that all citizens have their own responsibility to try to reduce the spread of infection.

The speech was well advanced, but contained no concrete news. Nevertheless, it was loaded with drama, not least because of the serious situation of the Council. And the Prime Minister's message was bitter. He warned that the situation could deteriorate further and that more measures could therefore be taken that limit people's opportunities to move freely in society. However, the prime minister did not give concrete examples of what measures could be taken. One would, of course, be to close all schools and preschools if the spread of infection increases, another to ban smaller groups of people. For example, Germany today chose to ban all groups of more than two people.

The tone of Stefan Löfven's speech was saturated. The impression that was conveyed was that Sweden is currently in a historical situation where the nation's future is at stake. He gave his speech in front of the Swedish flag, the EU flag was tucked away for the day. In the speech he pointed to the unique situation we are in today: “There will be a few, crucial moments in life when you have to make sacrifices not only for your own sake but also to take responsibility for your surroundings, for your fellow human beings, and for our country. That moment is now. That day is here. "

While Stefan Löfven emphasized the gravity of the situation, he gave no predictions whatsoever for when the spread of infection can be halted or when today's restrictions can be eased. On the contrary, he signaled that the crisis could last for a long time and that further restrictions could thus come from the government and the authorities. So it was a speech with no real bright spots for those who, for adventure, hoped for such.

On the other hand, Stefan Löfven emphasized the responsibility of all citizens to stop the infection. And the duty to follow the authorities' recommendations. He was particularly focused on those over 70 where protests have already been heard forcing them to limit their social contacts.

The prime minister also warned of spreading panic and rumors. The latter has become part of the pandemic itself. Everything from clueless bloggers to foreign intelligence services spread false information in the tracks of the coronas center.

At the same time, it is a natural part of a crisis of this kind that there are different assessments of how the infection is limited and that this is discussed. Especially when different countries choose different strategies and it appears that Sweden has not gone as far in its restrictions as several other countries. At the same time, a new debate is emerging where critics believe that the measures taken to shut down sections of society are too far-reaching and in the long run can create even greater problems.

The most serious part of the crisis Sweden is in now is that no one knows how it will develop in the future, either in terms of the coronas center or the effects on the economy and unemployment.

In this situation, a number of the Prime Minister can act as a unifying camp fire. Confidence in Stefan Löfven is likely to increase, at least in the short term. Then, of course, there are other things that determine how it will affect in the longer term.

When the emergency crisis is over, the government's and the authorities' strategy and overall efforts will be reviewed and tackled. Ultimately, there will be such an evaluation that will determine the final verdict on government and government crisis management.