Reader urges voters to cast blank ballots as a protest against politicians

Henrik Nyquist has a message for voters tired of political theatrics: cast a blank ballot, but do not stay home.

In a Dagens Nyheter reader submission, Nyquist accuses members of parliament of underestimating voters through flattering, costly and populist political statements. He says a blank vote would serve as a protest against all political leaders who have abused the trust placed in their public office.

Nyquist asks whether voters are exhausted by politicians who deliberately twist facts to suit their own purposes. He also criticizes an election campaign that, in his view, offered no vision of what kind of country Sweden should become, focusing instead on what the country should avoid.

The reader points to several issues that have deepened his disillusionment. He condemns the failure of the major governing parties to prevent Sweden from beginning to deport teenagers in the spring, which he says happened in the belief that a small dose of xenophobia would attract votes. He also attacks promises aimed at putting more money in voters’ wallets, despite the eventual bill, as well as what he calls election giveaways, political theatre and maneuvering.

Nyquist further objects to the climate debate being reduced to simplistic questions about fuel prices while forests across Europe burned again. His conclusion is direct: voters who share his protest should vote blank, but vote.

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Vote blank! But vote!