Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has created a place where he speaks to people. It’s called “Call the Prime Minister”. For everyone over fifty: So it’s a podcast – with pictures.
Call 08-503 54 000 or email hej@ringstatsministern.se.
Of course, I immediately called to talk about NATO, nuclear weapons, sports, literature, film, but was quickly disappointed.
It wasn’t even busy, there was an answering machine – if you have an interesting or relevant question, you can be called. Some of the callers may also be seen in the picture.
It’s grown big attention in the media. A prime minister who talks to his voters completely “spontaneously”. I have to say that I didn’t really understand the fuss.
It’s not like you call the Prime Minister at home in the little cave and he answers, completely unprepared.
“Call the Prime Minister” is of course a charm offensive before the election in the fall – and Ulf is nice, but not a charmer.
In the first broadcast, Ulf Kristersson spoke to some callers about violence against women and children in prison. He felt sorry for both the women and the children.
The problematization is zero. “Call the Prime Minister” is of course a charm offensive before the election in the fall – and Ulf is nice, but not a charmer. He’s as stiff as ever. Sometimes he still speaks a little against the calls. It’s part of the successful, manipulated concept.
If thirteen year olds are dangerous, they need to be locked up. In a long time. Ulf Kristersson cannot understand why the thirteen-year-olds have become life-threatening. Anyone who knows a thirteen-year-old knows that they are, above all, a – thirteen-year-old. How society creates its monsters is too complicated for a podcast.
If you are one If you are a decent person, work and pay taxes, of course you should be allowed to stay and live in Sweden. In episode two, a girl calls whose high school friend is threatened with deportation. Ulf says it’s very sad, the law doesn’t really work.
“Where are you physically?” I ask that of everyone who calls
As I said, the whole setup is super-rigged, even if Ulf Kristersson tries to sound spontaneous and very surprised: “Hello, this is Ulf. Where are you physically?”
That’s it really something you usually ask when you get a call on a normal Wednesday afternoon. “Where are you physically?”
I ask that of everyone who calls.
Sorry, maybe it’s too easy to rant. But how can you take this seriously?
In episode two he is also asked a question about Trump, damn original, he says he thinks a lot about these topics, the USA, Europe, security.
He thinks of us.
The stupidity lies in the simplification – actually.
He is sitting in a roomWith a microphone it looks like a hotel room. Candlelight. He took off his jacket.
He also gets a few short questions. How many beers does he drink on a Friday? Maximum two. Can he say something good about Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats? He can. They worked together on the NATO application.
There has been speculation that Ulf Kristersson wants to try to reach female voters in this “gentle” way
The Moderates, the Prime Minister’s party, believe this is one very good positive initiative, a way to reach out to people. Very democratic. Very modern. Lots of “social media”.
It was speculated that Ulf Kristersson wanted to use this “soft” way to try to reach the female voters who felt that the Tidö parties had too harsh a male political outlook. Of course it can be.
I can hardly do it though I have to come up with something that will curb even more what we used to call contempt for politicians. By the way, have you considered that this question is almost never discussed these days: disrespect for politicians? Just a few years ago it was considered an incredibly important topic. Disrespect for politicians is a danger to our democracy, it was said. Today it is no longer an issue at all. Have we just gotten used to it – just like politicians?
By the way, it would be very wise if politicians addressed voters directly instead of through snooty journalists. And they can do it on their own terms. And makes it sound completely natural. Although it’s just that.
How stupid do they think we are? Pretty stupid, it seems.
Further chronicles and other texts by Johan Croneman
