Förändring / Change

[Elrich von Richt]

Conditions in the once lively Kingdom of Sweden had begun to decline following the end of the war with Finland. Andreas Karlsson's public announcement put mixed feelings in the hearts of the average Swedish citizen. The questions that arose in their minds were mixed, but they were legitimate. [i]How did the Queen let this happen? Is she fit to rule this nation, and serve the people? Why didn't the Provisional Government serve the interests of the people? How did corruption and selfishness sink so deep into the ruling government's idealism?[/i] The common, average Swedish citizen could debate these matters all they wanted, but the typical response in their mind was simple: 'Förändring' or Change. The situation that Sweden had been left in was cause by the inability of those that governed the people to do so correctly with the interest's of the people in mind. As the old saying went, [i]Lose the consent of the governed, and you have lost the country.[/i]

Feelings on how exactly to go about changing the country varied, as did the viewpoints from different age groups and ideological pools. This much was expected, as without diversity, politics would never be 'politics', nor would the Swedish state be considered semi-democratic. In Swedish society, freedom to follow a political ideology so long as it wasn't oppressive, racist, or deemed 'unfit for sane society' was a guaranteed right. Something that all citizens understood, or thought, they could never have taken away. In the case of a nation which pledged more democratic means, only to fail in fulfilling them, the situation was unclear.

In the Svampen in the center of Stockholm's Stureplan, the members of the Folkpartit that were crucial to organizing and running the party's affairs gathered as was traditional every other Thursday night. The Riksdag elections were upcoming, along with the various other functions that needed to be achieved in order to successfully comply with the surrender terms of the Lesser Northern War. Although the crowd at the Svampen was traditionally no more than the 11 or so odd individuals that Svante met with publically, a rather larger number had gathered on this day. Some of the usual members tried to measure numbers with stat counters, but couldn't keep up with the flow that had begun to pour in. Although the Svampen was a rather popular meeting place and was able to hold a decent capacity, the amount of people flooding in at this rate was impossible to deal with. Human bodies spread out across the Svampen and into the Stureplan, maintaining the rapid rate at which they had begun to enter. Unofficial counts began to swell to around 120,000 although these reports were speculated. The strange occurance that had begun, along with the unexpected crowd, had drove several media stations' attention. Tv4 and several smaller local broadcasters began to drive their vans into the outside of the Stureplan as the crowd began to stop flooding in, setting up their broadcast cameras towards what seemed to be a hastily constructed stage with an attached podium. The podium bore the symbol that the Folkpartit used everywhere: the arrow cross.

Svante Akerlund would approach the podium moments later.

[quote][i]"My fellow brothers, my sisters. Nay, my fellow citizens of our great country of Sweden. I ask you to look forward today and glance at me, but as nothing more than a human and as one of you. In retrospect to what the old ruling government represented, I am one of you. You and I are not any different, we are one in the same. Born of the same blood, born of similar heritage, and standing here to today as equals. I come forward to you today not only to reflect on the current situation of our nation, but to propose solutions to indefinitely end the situation. I want you to recede deep into your hearts, and relax, and listen.

Our government has failed to represents the interests of it's people. Nay, the Provisional Government betrayed our people. The last few who were not pointed our as criminals of the state by the supposed loyalists, who now claim to be the very saviors of our country, betrayed our people. How, you might ask, do you make this assumption? If they really cared about our beloved country, would they have not, perhaps, figured out of this grandiose plot long before it had gotten out of hand? Could they have stopped it? Has any definitive proof ever been shown to us about who is really the criminal, who is the loyalist? Who is the liar, who is the great truth teller? Nay. We have been left with empty words provided by a mere few who claim themselves to serve the state. But now the Provisional Government, indefinitely suspended, no longer presents a problem. Yet, these loyalists continue to make their claims.

They claim to continue to represent the common people of this nation, as the voice of the common man and woman to the Queen. They claim they wish to continue in politics and serve the nation long after their backwards brethren have been put in chains and brought to trial. I view the Provisional Government, and those who represented it, as not just my enemy. No, they are everyone's enemy. The enemy of the people. The enemy of the crown. The enemy of the STATE. I believe action is required to ensure these individuals don't get their way. It's time the real representatives of this nation took things into their own hands. For the only representatives of the people ARE the people, not some rich, corrupt, selfish former politicians. Not those who claim they have royal blood, and use it for political and societal gain.

The monarchy, on that note, the monarchy! How the Queen has failed to answer our cries, our true wishes to stop the violence and madness that cost so many lives. Irredeemable lives that spewed blood on foreign soil, and now lay buried in their land. The Queen is guilty of many things, my friends, among them is MURDER. Sending off boys and men to die in a foreign land, and then claiming she knew nothing of the affair. Once again, where is our proof? Or have we been lied to again? Another knife in the back! How many knives will we let them plant in our backs before it becomes too much. I ask you, is the time for action not NOW? Maybe now is the time to rise up, and take care of this nation for ourselves! Those who represent us are lying rats, murderers, and cowards.

I see this as enough to let you understand, enough to let you contemplate. How do you wish Sweden to be run? Whom do you wish to represent you?"[/i][/quote]

Following his speech, Akerlund, now sweating from the emotion with which he poured in his speech, thought to himself:

[i]I'll let the Riksdag elections, and the people decide. Whatever happens afterwards... we'll see.[/i]

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Evangeline Katherine Athanasia was one of the many among the crowd. Although she couldn't entirely sympathize with some of his concerns about heritage, she still felt enthralled by the young Swedish man's words. Although born to a Russian mother and a Swedish father, she considered herself deeply a Swedish citizen at heart. The words which she had just heard, and her own feelings, mirrored the man that had stood several hundred feet in front of her. If the situation was left as it was, the nation would only suffer and head spiraling downward to a path that would likely result in death. The many few who ran the nation were not 'fit' to govern in her opinion. Although she hadn't gotten involved in politics until now, she felt now was the right time to get involved.

She had finally found a path that suited her.

Although she wished to speak to this man personally, she wouldn't be able to get close due to the guards surrounding the more crowded than expected Stureplan. She would, however, write a note to his office hoping to meet with him, and received an application from one of Akerlund's followers to join the movement.

[quote]Dear Chairman Akerlund,

Your words have moved me beyond that spoken by any politician I have yet heard. Your tongue, harsh and relentless, speaks volumes of your ability to criticize without fear of being struck down by our ever-unstable government. The situation that has arisen has left the current status quo unacceptable. Rather than debate this through a lengthy letter, however, I'd prefer to meet you in person and discuss these things. I believe we'll have a great deal in common.

If you approve of this, please send a letter back to the home of record marked on the bottom of the envelope.

Regards,

Evangeline K. Athanasia[/quote]

Edited May 15, 2011 by Elrich von Richt