Why is it so hard to do things together in Sweden?

In an article in the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet it is described that even though a decision will be made (finally) to build a ringroad around Stockholm, it might be blocked for environmental reasons.

Let me first say I do understand all environmental issues that might arise, I do understand all other arguments that could (and should) block a construction as this.

What I do not understand is why the decision making process is so long in Sweden. We can never ever make any decisions, specifically the ones that have to do with infrastructure that make things better for the whole country in the long term. Sure, hundreds of years ago we digged a channel (Göta Kanal) through Sweden, but could we do that today? Never I claim. But not because we do not know how to do, but because we would never be able to make the decision on how to do it.

I was driving around in France last week. They have a history of revolutions, large and small. Truckers block the highways if they do not like a decision in the parliament, and farmers block Paris if they want to. We do not have that kind of protests in Sweden.

But, France manages to “just” decide that when they build a new fast train, they build new train tracks. Straight tracks, cutting through France. And they just do it. Same with highways. Much better than anything I have been driving on.

In Sweden, we patch the trains are are happy when in artificial tests we manage to get a train up to 285km/h. A speed that is extremely slow if one compare with trains that are on schedule in other countries.

For how long will we patch our train tracks and trains? When will we make the decision to build new tracks between say Stockholm, Sundsvall, Malmö and Göteborg? If we wanted to, could we make the decision? Of course not. Just think about the over-optimistic plan for the tracks that will be a complete lie. Optimistic and not realistic

Hey, some people have been trying to dig through Hallandsåsen for a few km long tunnel for years, and there is failure after failure. I say the problems are there because people where not realistic when they initiatied the planning. They continue to be optimistic. I say “bring in some real engineers”. The humanity have managed to land on the moon and build a tunnel under the English Channel. How hard can this be? Now they have a method that seems to solve the problems they have, but why was that not part of the planning originally?

Back to the highway in Stockholm. We got one highway passing Stockholm in the mid-50th. After that, nothing. Sure, one more lane on that highway. A few hundred meters of new highway to overcome some problems in a crossing between two roads. An extension south of Stockholm. But…

In Beijing they built the 8th and 9th (or was it 7th and 8th) ring-road at the same time because they understood they would need the next one already when the first was finished.

We do not work together enough in Sweden!

I have a few things I think we just must do in Sweden. But unfortunately I do not see any of these things be finalized in my lifetime (boy it sounds like if I am really old now). Not because we can not do it because of economical or engineering reasons. Simply because of all the meetings needed, and the slow processes:

• Fast (and I mean fast trains across Sweden

• Ringroads around the cities that need it

• Fiber network that covers Sweden so everyone can get broadband

• Highway system where the top speed is 130km/h like other countries in Europe

Sometimes (quite often actually) I think we in Sweden have too many people that have as a living to go to meetings, prepare for the meetings, make ppt presentations, have more meetings, and two cups of coffee. Specifically on tuesdays.