For the foot soldiers of the liberal left, it’s as though Sweden has suddenly ceased to exist. Renowned for its successful brand of welfare-based social democracy, this Scandinavian kingdom – with its low rates of crime and poverty, and enviable levels of trust and social solidarity – was the inspiration for progressives everywhere.
But now the people who once praised the Swedish model of society to the skies have fallen silent. And probably for good reason. After all, the country has, over the past decade or so, taken a serious turn for the worse, finding itself afflicted by the deepest social convulsions and conflicts.
And now a major salvage operation is under way.