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Celerity
Celerity's Journal
Celerity's Journal
April 30, 2022
https://ra.co/news/77196
Bandcamp's parent company, Epic Games, is suing Google after the tech giant proposed a major change to its payment system on Android. Due to come into effect on June 1st, the policy update will require Bandcamp and other apps to exclusively use Google Pay Billing, and pay Google a revenue share of sales. Since 2015, Bandcamp has used PayPal integration on its Android app.
In a blog post, Bandcamp cofounder Ethan Diamond said that, if the changes stand, Bandcamp will either have to "pass Google's fees on to consumers (making Android a less attractive platform for music fans), pass fees on to artists (which we would never do), permanently run our Android business at a loss, or turn off digital sales in the Android app." He added: "Furthermore, the policy changes would impact our ability to pay artists quickly—instead of receiving payment after 24 to 48 hours, artists may not be paid until 15 to 45 days after a sale."
In a bid to stop Google, Epic Games filed a preliminary injunction at a court in San Francisco yesterday, April 28th. The filing claims, among other things, that the new policy violates California's Unfair Competition Law and that Epic Games "is likely to suffer irreparable harm" as a result.
Bandcamp currently only offers in-app purchases via Android. Though the app is also available on iOS, Bandcamp says its business model isn't compatible with Apple's IAP payment system, which imposes a 30 percent fee on transactions. According to Diamond, Bandcamp pays artists and labels 82 percent of sales on average—vastly higher than streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. The case is due to go before court on Thursday, June 2nd. For more on the case, read Epic Games' filing and Diamond's declaration in full.
snip
Epic Games sues Google over changes to Bandcamp payment system on Android
Having accepted PayPal integration since 2015, the tech giant will now require Bandcamp to exclusively use Google Play Billing, which could spell the end of in-app purchases.https://ra.co/news/77196
Bandcamp's parent company, Epic Games, is suing Google after the tech giant proposed a major change to its payment system on Android. Due to come into effect on June 1st, the policy update will require Bandcamp and other apps to exclusively use Google Pay Billing, and pay Google a revenue share of sales. Since 2015, Bandcamp has used PayPal integration on its Android app.
In a blog post, Bandcamp cofounder Ethan Diamond said that, if the changes stand, Bandcamp will either have to "pass Google's fees on to consumers (making Android a less attractive platform for music fans), pass fees on to artists (which we would never do), permanently run our Android business at a loss, or turn off digital sales in the Android app." He added: "Furthermore, the policy changes would impact our ability to pay artists quickly—instead of receiving payment after 24 to 48 hours, artists may not be paid until 15 to 45 days after a sale."
In a bid to stop Google, Epic Games filed a preliminary injunction at a court in San Francisco yesterday, April 28th. The filing claims, among other things, that the new policy violates California's Unfair Competition Law and that Epic Games "is likely to suffer irreparable harm" as a result.
Bandcamp currently only offers in-app purchases via Android. Though the app is also available on iOS, Bandcamp says its business model isn't compatible with Apple's IAP payment system, which imposes a 30 percent fee on transactions. According to Diamond, Bandcamp pays artists and labels 82 percent of sales on average—vastly higher than streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. The case is due to go before court on Thursday, June 2nd. For more on the case, read Epic Games' filing and Diamond's declaration in full.
snip
April 30, 2022
Chinese studio DnA_Design and Architecture has transformed a series of former stone quarries in Zhejiang Province into cultural spaces, making sensitive insertions into their grand hand-carved interiors. The abandoned quarries, which are among the thousands located in China's Jinyun county, have been converted into facilities for locals and tourists as part of a broader project to regenerate the area.
Beijing-based DnA_Design and Architecture was commissioned to transform nine of the excavated pits, three of which are now complete. These three spaces provide a library, performance venue and area for gathering. Drawing on the rich history of monuments and rock inscriptions in the region, the studio focused on highlighting the existing character of the quarries as much as possible. According to the studio, this also challenges the "over-designing" of popular tourist areas in rural China.
"The project is an ecological improvement to mend the interrupted nature," the studio told Dezeen. "The reuse of these abandoned quarries reconnects the local community with its thousand-year history and heritage." "The project is a rather minimal intervention, a micro-renovation and upgrade, addressing the possibility of spatial transformation of different quarries," the studio continued. Each quarry features a distinctive form and patterns as a result of having been largely excavated by hand, which informed their designs as pieces of "public infrastructure".
The first space, named Quarry 8, has been turned into an open library. Its existing stone platforms have been retained and adapted with new concrete steps and seating areas made from steel and pressed bamboo. Cabinets containing books have been built into the large steps of the quarry, with its tapering form creating naturally sheltered areas for reading. "Each platform is a multicultural study where one can read, practice calligraphy from stone rubbings and, in the future, access e-books," said the studio.
snip
DnA_Design and Architecture transforms Chinese quarries into cultural spaces
https://www.dezeen.com/2022/04/24/dna-design-and-architecture-jinyun-quarries/Chinese studio DnA_Design and Architecture has transformed a series of former stone quarries in Zhejiang Province into cultural spaces, making sensitive insertions into their grand hand-carved interiors. The abandoned quarries, which are among the thousands located in China's Jinyun county, have been converted into facilities for locals and tourists as part of a broader project to regenerate the area.
Beijing-based DnA_Design and Architecture was commissioned to transform nine of the excavated pits, three of which are now complete. These three spaces provide a library, performance venue and area for gathering. Drawing on the rich history of monuments and rock inscriptions in the region, the studio focused on highlighting the existing character of the quarries as much as possible. According to the studio, this also challenges the "over-designing" of popular tourist areas in rural China.
"The project is an ecological improvement to mend the interrupted nature," the studio told Dezeen. "The reuse of these abandoned quarries reconnects the local community with its thousand-year history and heritage." "The project is a rather minimal intervention, a micro-renovation and upgrade, addressing the possibility of spatial transformation of different quarries," the studio continued. Each quarry features a distinctive form and patterns as a result of having been largely excavated by hand, which informed their designs as pieces of "public infrastructure".
The first space, named Quarry 8, has been turned into an open library. Its existing stone platforms have been retained and adapted with new concrete steps and seating areas made from steel and pressed bamboo. Cabinets containing books have been built into the large steps of the quarry, with its tapering form creating naturally sheltered areas for reading. "Each platform is a multicultural study where one can read, practice calligraphy from stone rubbings and, in the future, access e-books," said the studio.
snip
April 29, 2022
https://twitter.com/jamie_raskin/status/1520056793942175744
Raskin:We now have evidence to support the story of the worst presidential political offense against
the Union in American history. The @January6thCmte hearings in June will expose every facet of the assault against our democracy and Constitution on 1/6.https://twitter.com/jamie_raskin/status/1520056793942175744
April 29, 2022
https://archive.ph/85uTI
The United States will “strongly support” NATO membership for Sweden and Finland if they choose to join the military alliance, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday, underscoring how Russia’s invasion of its neighbor has reverberated far beyond Ukraine.
The United States has long backed an open-door policy for NATO that allows any nation to apply for membership. But it has been more careful about spelling out what comes next, and the top U.S. diplomat’s remarks are likely to prompt an angry response from Moscow.
“The world has changed pretty dramatically, and one of the ways it has changed is in the very strong interest of both countries to become members of NATO,” Blinken told the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Biden administration is also urging new aid to Ukraine, looking to provide long-range weapons expected to play a crucial role in the next phase of the war. Biden on Thursday asked Congress to approve a $33 billion spending package with military and humanitarian assistance; he also proposed escalating America’s financial war with Moscow by letting U.S. authorities liquidate the assets of Russian oligarchs and donate the proceeds to Ukraine.
snip
U.S. backs NATO membership for Sweden and Finland
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/28/russia-ukraine-war-news-putin-live-updates/https://archive.ph/85uTI
The United States will “strongly support” NATO membership for Sweden and Finland if they choose to join the military alliance, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday, underscoring how Russia’s invasion of its neighbor has reverberated far beyond Ukraine.
The United States has long backed an open-door policy for NATO that allows any nation to apply for membership. But it has been more careful about spelling out what comes next, and the top U.S. diplomat’s remarks are likely to prompt an angry response from Moscow.
“The world has changed pretty dramatically, and one of the ways it has changed is in the very strong interest of both countries to become members of NATO,” Blinken told the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Biden administration is also urging new aid to Ukraine, looking to provide long-range weapons expected to play a crucial role in the next phase of the war. Biden on Thursday asked Congress to approve a $33 billion spending package with military and humanitarian assistance; he also proposed escalating America’s financial war with Moscow by letting U.S. authorities liquidate the assets of Russian oligarchs and donate the proceeds to Ukraine.
snip
April 29, 2022
Fear of nuclear energy has made it harder to stand up to dictators and slow down global warming. Is it time for a rebrand?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2022/nuclear-power-fear/?itid=hp-top-table-main
snip
“If you were designing a truly rational energy system to move towards a zero-carbon energy system, this is not the path you’d be taking,” Randy Bell, senior director for global energy security at the Atlantic Council, said of Germany’s decision to abandon nuclear power.
Even accounting for emissions created during the building of the facility and the mining of its fuel, the typical nuclear plant produces fewer greenhouse gases than power plants fuelled by natural gas and coal, and about the same as those running on renewable sources such as wind and solar.
Yet on windless days, wind turbines fail to spin, and even in sunny places, solar panels sit idle at night. Nuclear plants make electricity all day long. As the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of 278 top climate experts assembled by the United Nations, put it, “Nuclear power can deliver low-carbon energy at scale.”
What gets in the way? “Emotional factors” can make nuclear energy politically toxic, the report noted, citing Germany’s policy after Fukushima. The conclusion? “Nuclear power and accident potential score high on psychological dread.”
snip
How fear of nuclear power supports Putin and global warming
Fear of nuclear energy has made it harder to stand up to dictators and slow down global warming. Is it time for a rebrand?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2022/nuclear-power-fear/?itid=hp-top-table-main
snip
“If you were designing a truly rational energy system to move towards a zero-carbon energy system, this is not the path you’d be taking,” Randy Bell, senior director for global energy security at the Atlantic Council, said of Germany’s decision to abandon nuclear power.
Even accounting for emissions created during the building of the facility and the mining of its fuel, the typical nuclear plant produces fewer greenhouse gases than power plants fuelled by natural gas and coal, and about the same as those running on renewable sources such as wind and solar.
Yet on windless days, wind turbines fail to spin, and even in sunny places, solar panels sit idle at night. Nuclear plants make electricity all day long. As the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of 278 top climate experts assembled by the United Nations, put it, “Nuclear power can deliver low-carbon energy at scale.”
What gets in the way? “Emotional factors” can make nuclear energy politically toxic, the report noted, citing Germany’s policy after Fukushima. The conclusion? “Nuclear power and accident potential score high on psychological dread.”
snip
April 29, 2022
https://archive.ph/km6Pn
It’s a subject that hasn’t gone away and apparently won’t anytime soon: whether Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) might one day switch parties. The latest entry in the saga comes via a new book from the New York Times’s Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin. The two report that Manchin had dinner with some Senate Republicans in early 2021 and responded to their entreaties that he join them by suggesting he might indeed do it — if not for Mitch McConnell.
Per the book:
https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1519493521086074882
Manchin has now responded to the report, suggesting that his response was more lighthearted than it appears on the page. “Not that I can remem-” Manchin told CNN’s Morgan Rimmer, before shifting course: “No, we talk all the time, we have dinners together and all that. No, they’re always kidding back and forth.” Thune also suggested the exchange wasn’t quite so serious, saying he took Manchin’s comment in “good humor”: “A lot of those are obviously light-spirited conversations.”
https://twitter.com/morgan_rimmer/status/1519683116641787904
https://twitter.com/jordainc/status/1519739125120872450
The thing is: That could ring true if you visualize the scene and put yourself in it. You’ve got a bunch of GOP senators who would very much like Manchin to actually switch parties — because it would flip the 50-50 Senate back into their control — but who also know it’s probably a long shot for the very same reason. So you feel it out by talking about things in a perhaps lighthearted way, and Manchin offers a kind of vaguely noncommittal, lighthearted response — using it to flatter someone he genuinely likes. (“John Thune is the most decent human being, a good friend of mine,” Manchin added Thursday.)
snip
The latest in the Joe Manchin party-switch saga
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/04/28/manchin-thune-republican-switch/https://archive.ph/km6Pn
It’s a subject that hasn’t gone away and apparently won’t anytime soon: whether Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) might one day switch parties. The latest entry in the saga comes via a new book from the New York Times’s Alexander Burns and Jonathan Martin. The two report that Manchin had dinner with some Senate Republicans in early 2021 and responded to their entreaties that he join them by suggesting he might indeed do it — if not for Mitch McConnell.
Per the book:
You don’t have to join our caucus, [Senate No. 2 John] Thune told him. Just become an independent and caucus with us. Thune suggested Manchin would likely be rewarded for taking such a step: You could write your own ticket, the South Dakotan told him. Chair a committee, we’ll help you raise money for your campaign. Manchin heard them out and gave Thune a politically deft response. John, he said, if you were the leader I would do it. It was not a hard no, but Manchin was not about to put Mitch McConnell back in charge of the Senate.
https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1519493521086074882
Manchin has now responded to the report, suggesting that his response was more lighthearted than it appears on the page. “Not that I can remem-” Manchin told CNN’s Morgan Rimmer, before shifting course: “No, we talk all the time, we have dinners together and all that. No, they’re always kidding back and forth.” Thune also suggested the exchange wasn’t quite so serious, saying he took Manchin’s comment in “good humor”: “A lot of those are obviously light-spirited conversations.”
https://twitter.com/morgan_rimmer/status/1519683116641787904
https://twitter.com/jordainc/status/1519739125120872450
The thing is: That could ring true if you visualize the scene and put yourself in it. You’ve got a bunch of GOP senators who would very much like Manchin to actually switch parties — because it would flip the 50-50 Senate back into their control — but who also know it’s probably a long shot for the very same reason. So you feel it out by talking about things in a perhaps lighthearted way, and Manchin offers a kind of vaguely noncommittal, lighthearted response — using it to flatter someone he genuinely likes. (“John Thune is the most decent human being, a good friend of mine,” Manchin added Thursday.)
snip
April 28, 2022
Sage Steele, the controversial ESPN anchor who went on a podcast rant about Barack Obama and COVID vaccine mandates, has sued her employer for allegedly sidelining her in the aftermath.
On ex-footballer Jay Cutler’s podcast, she called mandates “sick” and “scary to me in many ways,” and questioned why Obama didn’t identify as biracial, as she does, given he was raised by a white mom and grandmother.
Steele, who has previously attracted criticism for her “All Lives Matter-like stances,” claims ESPN violated her First Amendment rights and unlawfully retaliated by forcing her to apologize for the remarks, taking her off prime assignments, and failing to stop bullying by colleagues.
In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, ESPN denied Steele was sidelined and said she remained “a valued contributor on some of ESPN’s highest profile content, including the recent Masters telecasts and anchoring our noon SportsCenter.”
Read it at The Wall Street Journal
ESPN Anchor Sage Steele Sues Network, Alleging Violation of Free-Speech Rights
Lawsuit centers on Ms. Steele’s comments about Covid-19, ex-President Obama in a podcast interview last year
Anchor Who Called Vax Mandates 'Sick' Sues ESPN for 'Retaliation'
https://www.thedailybeast.com/sage-steele-anchor-who-called-covid-vax-mandates-sick-sues-espn-for-retaliationSage Steele, the controversial ESPN anchor who went on a podcast rant about Barack Obama and COVID vaccine mandates, has sued her employer for allegedly sidelining her in the aftermath.
On ex-footballer Jay Cutler’s podcast, she called mandates “sick” and “scary to me in many ways,” and questioned why Obama didn’t identify as biracial, as she does, given he was raised by a white mom and grandmother.
Steele, who has previously attracted criticism for her “All Lives Matter-like stances,” claims ESPN violated her First Amendment rights and unlawfully retaliated by forcing her to apologize for the remarks, taking her off prime assignments, and failing to stop bullying by colleagues.
In a statement to The Wall Street Journal, ESPN denied Steele was sidelined and said she remained “a valued contributor on some of ESPN’s highest profile content, including the recent Masters telecasts and anchoring our noon SportsCenter.”
Read it at The Wall Street Journal
ESPN Anchor Sage Steele Sues Network, Alleging Violation of Free-Speech Rights
Lawsuit centers on Ms. Steele’s comments about Covid-19, ex-President Obama in a podcast interview last year
April 28, 2022
https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/peacefield/61f4c3849d9e380022bdaeb9/big-pharma-tv-drug-ads-legal/
I know we’re all focused on the war in Europe—as we should be—but I thought I’d take a week to go full Andy Rooney and complain about television commercials. Specifically, I want to talk about the television commercials that more than any other really get under my skin: pharmaceutical ads. Not to worry. If there’s a problem with my skin, Dupixent can heal it from within. Cyndi Lauper and I can trade stories about Cosentyx, and then we can sing about Otezla to the tune of the 1974 pop hit “Magic,” which is not as catchy as the Skyrizi song (written, I swear, by someone named Richard Cheese). At the end of it, I can emerge Tremfyant with…well, with Tremfya.
And that’s just for my skin. I haven’t even thought about my atrial fibrillation, HIV status, toe fungus, overly thick (or thin) blood, diabetes, Hep C, or my many cancers, none of which might matter if I am undergoing a manic-depressive phase or suffering from schizophrenia. All of these conditions and more now have treatments marketed directly to the consumer. And that’s unhealthy.
Maybe I’m just getting old and overly sensitive about my health (which is, in general, not too bad for a man of my years and, shall we say, portly carriage). I take a handful of medicines every day, and I am grateful they exist. But I am hating these advertisements for prescription drugs on American television more than ever. If you wonder why we are a self-absorbed, querulous, neurotic society, it might have something to do with a barrage of ads meant to turn us into hypochondriacs who are determined to make our doctors prescribe us the thing we just saw.
Determined, that is, unless of course we have medullary thyroid cancer or tuberculosis, are pregnant, are about to be pregnant, are even thinking of getting pregnant, or have been to an area where fungal infections are common. Or if we’re allergic to whatever it is we’re about to demand, which we will probably find out about by having an allergic reaction. If that happens, and our tongue swells and our heart races, we’re supposed to call 911. But we won’t be able to call a lawyer, because we’ve already been warned that this miracle drug can cause just about anything, including death.
snip
Tom Nichols: Pharmaceutical Ads Give Me Hives
How ads help to create a nation of querulous hypochondriacs.https://newsletters.theatlantic.com/peacefield/61f4c3849d9e380022bdaeb9/big-pharma-tv-drug-ads-legal/
I know we’re all focused on the war in Europe—as we should be—but I thought I’d take a week to go full Andy Rooney and complain about television commercials. Specifically, I want to talk about the television commercials that more than any other really get under my skin: pharmaceutical ads. Not to worry. If there’s a problem with my skin, Dupixent can heal it from within. Cyndi Lauper and I can trade stories about Cosentyx, and then we can sing about Otezla to the tune of the 1974 pop hit “Magic,” which is not as catchy as the Skyrizi song (written, I swear, by someone named Richard Cheese). At the end of it, I can emerge Tremfyant with…well, with Tremfya.
And that’s just for my skin. I haven’t even thought about my atrial fibrillation, HIV status, toe fungus, overly thick (or thin) blood, diabetes, Hep C, or my many cancers, none of which might matter if I am undergoing a manic-depressive phase or suffering from schizophrenia. All of these conditions and more now have treatments marketed directly to the consumer. And that’s unhealthy.
Maybe I’m just getting old and overly sensitive about my health (which is, in general, not too bad for a man of my years and, shall we say, portly carriage). I take a handful of medicines every day, and I am grateful they exist. But I am hating these advertisements for prescription drugs on American television more than ever. If you wonder why we are a self-absorbed, querulous, neurotic society, it might have something to do with a barrage of ads meant to turn us into hypochondriacs who are determined to make our doctors prescribe us the thing we just saw.
Determined, that is, unless of course we have medullary thyroid cancer or tuberculosis, are pregnant, are about to be pregnant, are even thinking of getting pregnant, or have been to an area where fungal infections are common. Or if we’re allergic to whatever it is we’re about to demand, which we will probably find out about by having an allergic reaction. If that happens, and our tongue swells and our heart races, we’re supposed to call 911. But we won’t be able to call a lawyer, because we’ve already been warned that this miracle drug can cause just about anything, including death.
snip
April 28, 2022
https://www.thelocal.se/20220427/swedish-security-service-warns-of-russian-influence-campaign-on-nato/
Charlotte von Essen, chief of Sweden's Säpo security service at the release of the service's annual yearbook. Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT
“Russia could at the current time realise that it has a limited window of time in which it can influence Sweden’s positioning on the Nato issue,” Säpo’s chief, Charlotte von Essen, said in a press release. “How such a Russian influence campaign might look is hard to predict, but it could take place in many different arena simultaneously, in order to influence the media, public opinion, and decision-makers.”
Von Essen made her statement as she met with the heads of the Finnish and Norwegian security services in Helsinki. The newly formed Swedish Psychological Defence Agency last month said there was no sign of an active Russian influence campaign in Sweden, going so far as to say that the country’s international propaganda operation seemed to have stopped functioning properly.
“We have seen them carry out particularly qualified influence operations against other country… people talk about ‘the Russian bear’ and that Russia is good at all this,” said Mikael Tofvesson, the agency’s chief at the start of the month. “But the Russian propaganda machine has not succeeded in standing against a counter attack. In some way, it’s whole handling [of the invasion] has broken down.”
Säpo, however, said it was braced for propaganda, noting that Russia has shown itself going as far as to launch military attacks to force other European countries to follow its will. “The security police has intensified its work to reduce the room foreign powers have to manoeuvre and to strengthen the power those operations we have worth preserving have to resist,” von Essen said. “We are continuously carrying out measures to protect Sweden and are cooperating broadly with others, even internationally.
snip
https://www.sakerhetspolisen.se/ovrigt/pressrum/aktuellt/aktuellt/2022-04-27-okad-vaksamhet-mot-paverkan.html
'Russia may seek to influence Sweden's Nato debate'
Sweden's Säpo security police have warned that Russia is likely in coming weeks and months to make a concerted effort to influence the debate over Sweden joining the Nato security alliance.https://www.thelocal.se/20220427/swedish-security-service-warns-of-russian-influence-campaign-on-nato/
Charlotte von Essen, chief of Sweden's Säpo security service at the release of the service's annual yearbook. Photo: Henrik Montgomery/TT
“Russia could at the current time realise that it has a limited window of time in which it can influence Sweden’s positioning on the Nato issue,” Säpo’s chief, Charlotte von Essen, said in a press release. “How such a Russian influence campaign might look is hard to predict, but it could take place in many different arena simultaneously, in order to influence the media, public opinion, and decision-makers.”
Von Essen made her statement as she met with the heads of the Finnish and Norwegian security services in Helsinki. The newly formed Swedish Psychological Defence Agency last month said there was no sign of an active Russian influence campaign in Sweden, going so far as to say that the country’s international propaganda operation seemed to have stopped functioning properly.
“We have seen them carry out particularly qualified influence operations against other country… people talk about ‘the Russian bear’ and that Russia is good at all this,” said Mikael Tofvesson, the agency’s chief at the start of the month. “But the Russian propaganda machine has not succeeded in standing against a counter attack. In some way, it’s whole handling [of the invasion] has broken down.”
Säpo, however, said it was braced for propaganda, noting that Russia has shown itself going as far as to launch military attacks to force other European countries to follow its will. “The security police has intensified its work to reduce the room foreign powers have to manoeuvre and to strengthen the power those operations we have worth preserving have to resist,” von Essen said. “We are continuously carrying out measures to protect Sweden and are cooperating broadly with others, even internationally.
snip
https://www.sakerhetspolisen.se/ovrigt/pressrum/aktuellt/aktuellt/2022-04-27-okad-vaksamhet-mot-paverkan.html
April 28, 2022
https://www.thelocal.se/20220427/sweden-democrats-see-lowest-support-in-three-years-in-new-poll/
Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson has said his party has shifted position over Nato membership. Photo: TT
According to the poll, carried out by Ipsos for Dagens Nyheter, the share of respondents who said they would vote for the far-right party fell from 19 percent in March to 18 percent in April, putting it more or less in line with the 17.5 percent share of the vote it won in the 2018 election.
The share who said they would vote Green rose from three percent to four percent. The biggest fall, however, was for the Social Democrats, who fell from the 33 percent high they saw in March in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, back to 30 percent in April.
“Right now there’s a big focus on the Nato issue and the Social Democrats’ positioning, which can impact on support for S [the Social Democrats],” Nicklas Källebring, an opinions analyst for Ipsos, told DN. “Among the party’s voters, there are people who oppose Swedish membership.” The Green Party, which has so far shown a stronger opposition to Nato membership, may be picking up some of those votes.
Källebring also believes that the the riots over the Easter weekend will have seen voters shift support from the Social Democrats to the Moderates and Sweden Democrats, drawn by their tougher messaging on crime. The Liberal Party has also seen its support grow from closer to two percent to three percent, perhaps as a result of its new leader Johan Pehrson. The Moderate Party's share of the vote stayed the same at 22 percent.
snip
Good News: Sweden Democrats support hits three year low in new poll
Support for the populist Sweden Democrats is at its lowest point in three years, while the Green Party is back above the four percent threshold for entering parliament, according to a new poll.https://www.thelocal.se/20220427/sweden-democrats-see-lowest-support-in-three-years-in-new-poll/
Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson has said his party has shifted position over Nato membership. Photo: TT
According to the poll, carried out by Ipsos for Dagens Nyheter, the share of respondents who said they would vote for the far-right party fell from 19 percent in March to 18 percent in April, putting it more or less in line with the 17.5 percent share of the vote it won in the 2018 election.
The share who said they would vote Green rose from three percent to four percent. The biggest fall, however, was for the Social Democrats, who fell from the 33 percent high they saw in March in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, back to 30 percent in April.
“Right now there’s a big focus on the Nato issue and the Social Democrats’ positioning, which can impact on support for S [the Social Democrats],” Nicklas Källebring, an opinions analyst for Ipsos, told DN. “Among the party’s voters, there are people who oppose Swedish membership.” The Green Party, which has so far shown a stronger opposition to Nato membership, may be picking up some of those votes.
Källebring also believes that the the riots over the Easter weekend will have seen voters shift support from the Social Democrats to the Moderates and Sweden Democrats, drawn by their tougher messaging on crime. The Liberal Party has also seen its support grow from closer to two percent to three percent, perhaps as a result of its new leader Johan Pehrson. The Moderate Party's share of the vote stayed the same at 22 percent.
snip
Profile Information
Gender: FemaleHometown: London
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Current location: Stockholm, Sweden
Member since: Sun Jul 1, 2018, 07:25 PM
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