Hakan Juholt, leader of Sweden's opposition Social Democrats, has just concluded a two-month tour of the country. Fresh from a failed attempt to topple him following an expenses scandal, Mr Juholt was seeking to rebuild trust in his leadership and his party. It has not worked. One recent opinion poll found just 28% support for the Social Democrats, a record low for the party and a far cry from the 40% or more that it once took for granted. The Social Democrats were once the natural party of government in Sweden. They have been in office for 66 of the past 80 years. They introduced the country's famous cradle-to-grave welfare system, funded by high taxes. But since losing power to Fredrik Reinfeldt's centre-right coalition in 2006, the party has lost ground. Some think it may never recover. One reason is its fading appeal to Sweden's aspirational middle class.
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