Sweden election 2022

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Expressen reports one Liberal MP, Anna Starbrink, is already a no. They can only afford two defections otherwise there would be a majority against the agreement.


Jan Jönsson, the leader of the Liberals in the Stockholm Regional parliament, has also spoken out against it.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Aftonbladet reports that several Liberal members of parliament are protesting the agreement with the Sweden Democrats.

Magdalena Andersson is opening up for a collaboration:

"My message to them is that my door is open. I am prepared to enter into cooperation with all good forces that want Sweden to become more like Sweden. This also applies to Liberals, she says and continues:

It is clear that the Liberals were very tormented. The question that will be asked is whether it is time for a name change in the Liberals. because it is not liberal politics that will be pursued. It is Jimmie Åkesson who holds the leash."

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

By the way, there will be a shift of power in Region Stockholm for the first time since 2006. S, Mp, and C have reached an agreement and have reached a separate cooperation agreement with V.

Together they will have 83 seats out of 149, 8 more than is needed for a majority.

Tragically, S+V fell short of a majority together by 7 seats, and an S+V+Mp coalition was short just 1 seat.


From the government agreement between S+Mp+C:

• No increase in the county council tax
• No increase in the public transit ticket fees; reduce prices for certain groups
• Reduce the use of consultants, reduce administration, and slow down the unsustainable cost development in the healthcare selection market
• Expanded primary care will be the focus of the new center coalition
• A holistic approach must be taken regarding the emergency hospitals' mission and level of compensation to achieve better working methods, safer care for patients and a simplified follow-up
• The funding framework for emergency hospitals must be strengthened
• The choice of care within the specialized outpatient care must be reviewed especially as this care shows major shortcomings in unequal distribution, cohesion for the patient and, at the very least, cost development
• Primary care's share of the healthcare budget must increase during the mandate period with the aim of reaching a quarter in 2030. The resources must go to strengthening the healthcare centres
• A limit of 1,100 residents per doctor

The Social Democrats went to the polls to give the emergency hospitals a substantial increase of three billion SEK. Aida Hadzialic cannot now answer whether that promise is true, since it was not included in the above agreement, but says they are working in that direction.

And from the 44-point cooperation agreement with V:

• Financial investments in emergency hospitals. Deficits must be covered and cutbacks stopped. The financing must take account of price and wage increases
• Shortening of working hours for midwives and assistant nurses in maternity care must be introduced
• A commission for the health care staff's working environment must be appointed
• Network doctors' financial advantages are abolished
• No new private care choices must be introduced during the mandate period

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

The Liberal Youth Wing urges a "no" vote on Kristersson on Monday.


Speaking of which, here is the schedule now:

• The proposal for a Prime Ministerial vote was tabled this afternoon for the first time after Kristersson informed the Speaker that he believes he has a government agreement
• Tomorrow, Saturday, the motion must be tabled for a second time
• The Prime Ministerial vote will be held at 11 in the morning on Monday
• If Kristersson is elected without a majority against, he will make his government declaration in the Riksdag and present his government ministers
• Likely on Tuesday, he will meet with the King at the Royal Palace in Stockholm at the so-called "Probate Council", a type of government meeting over which the King presides. The Speaker presents that PM candidate to the King, and the King then announces that a transition of power has taken place

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

So today is the day we get our moment of truth. SVT has contacted all 16 Liberal MPs to ask how they will vote. 7 responded that they will vote for Kristersson for PM, the remaining 9 have not answered.

It's very likely that he will be elected, but then the real work begins on passing actual policies. Already they will have a loaded agenda right out of the gate: needing to pass the electricity price cap they promised during the campaign to be in place by November 1st (virtually impossible to make happen, but they can do it retroactively), the budget for Spring 2023 is due in about one month, etc.

The budget fight will be interesting. While the four parties agreed to negotiate it amongst themselves, some in the Liberals are saying they should seek broad consensus. It will also be interesting to see what they prioritize in the budget. The head of the police union was critical that the agreement included no mention on police salaries or hiring budgets, and the outgoing head of the Riksbank was critical of the projected deficit spending that would result from the combination of increased spending and tax cuts, as well as the planned changes in mortgage amortization requirements. The Financial Supervisory Authority is also deeply critical of the amortization proposals.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Nooshi Dadgostar is giving an absolutely firey speech right now. she called out Kristersson, Busch, and Pehrsson by name and made direct eye contact with them. Was she always this good? Magda isn't here and she is delivering for both of them goddamn

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Kristersson is elected with 176 in favor, 173 against, no defections.


Now he must meet the King tomorrow at the Royal Palace and this will mark the official transition of power.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Do we know government line-up?

Kristersson presented his government today and the King announced that the change took place shortly after 13.00 CET, so yes, now we do:

Prime Minister: Ulf Kristersson (M)
EU Minister: Jessica Roswall (M)
Justice: Gunnar Strömmer (M)
Migration: Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Foreign: Tobias Billström (M)
Development & Trade: Johan Forssel (M)
Defense: Pål Jonson (M)
Civil Defense: Carl-Oscar Bohlin (M)
Social Services: Camilla Waltersson Grönvall (M)
Elderly & Social Insruance: Anna Tenje (M)
Finance: Elisabeth Svantesson (M)
Financial Markets: Niklas Wykman (M)
Culture: Parisa Liljestrand (M)

Social Affairs: Jacob Forssmend (KD)
Healthcare: Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)
Civil Affairs: Erik Slottner (KD)
Energy & Industry: Ebba Busch (KD) -----> she is also the Deputy Prime Minister
Infrastructure & Housing: Andreas Carlson (KD)
Rural Affairs: Peter Kullgren (KD)
Education: Mats Persson (KD)

Schools: Lotta Edholm (L)
Climate & Environment: Romina Pourmokhtari (L)
Labor Market & Integration: Johan Pehrson (L)
Gender Equality: Paulina Brandberg (L)


Interestingly, Carl Bildt was asked to be a minister, but turned it down.

Finance Minister Svantesson avoided detailed answers about how quickly relief from high energy costs will come, and if the proposals for 31 billion SEK in tax cuts are still planned as promised during the campaign. Since the budget vote is due in less than one month, she has a lot to do from Day One. Also, the government wants to get in place a high-cost protection ASAP. They promised during the campaign to have it by November 1st, but with negotiations dragging on for longer than anticipated, that is virtually impossible to keep. But they could still have it apply retroactively.

The new Minister for Schools, Lotta Edholm (L), said that she is going to sell her 9,400 SEK in shares in a for-profit education group "today".

Here is the new government:

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Despite our disagreements, I think all of us can take a moment to laugh at how the Liberals constantly get cucked and they just lay down and take it:

The Liberals were awarded the Ministry of the Environment as part of the agreement. They gave the portfolio to Romina Pourmokhtari, the youngest minister ever and was elected from Stockholm, and who was extremely critical of SD before the election. They probably wanted to effectively buy her vote in case she was going to vote against Kristersson, being one of the 176 who belonged to the Kristersson bloc.

Today it was announced that the Environmental Ministry would be abolished as a stand-alone Ministry and instead be put inside of the Ministry for Energy & Industry.

That means that this outspoken young Liberal minister is now tasked with reporting directly to....Ebba Busch.


Truly one of the weakest and most pathetic parties.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

So the government's first budget for spring 2023 was presented recently. It's more interesting to see what hasn't been done rather than what has, given the lofty promises during the election campaign.

The conservative bloc promised things such as no tax increases, protection against high electricity prices to take effect on November 1st, cutting the tax in ISK savings accounts, a big cut in gasoline/diesel taxes, permanent border controls, and abolishing the right to a translator in healthcare services. None of these things have been accomplished.

The budget presented this week focused mostly on cuts for the environmental budget and international aid, a small tax cut for elderly people who work past retirement age, about 200 million more to the police and justice system (surprising how small the increase was, given the apocalyptic rhetoric on the campaign trail), a 1 kronor/liter cut on diesel (just 10 cents, which is 90% less than what they promised), and unemployment benefits are kept the same. They continue their vague promise of a energy bill compensation that should start in the new year.

Overall a very unambitious budget. The most controversial item (domestically) at least, is the aid to municipalities and regions will come in well under inflation: a meager 6 billion SEK at a time when public budgets are under strain due to inflation + backlogs that have built up over the past 15 years, and with a recession looming.

Which ties nicely into my next point: those municipal and regional councils have a record number of S+M cooperations, and KD has made it into 13 regional governments with their focus on the healthcare system (which is run by the regions). They surely will not be pleased with the national parties giving them shadow austerity.



S, while losing power nationally, saw a major resurgence of influence in the regions and also took control of all the four largest cities:


Meanwhile, the race to succeed Annie Lööf as leader of C at their party congress on February 23rd is in full swing. All of the three candidates have said they intend to stay the course of C's liberal politics, distance themselves from S+V, but also refuse to work with Kristersson so long as he continues to work with SD.

The candidates are:

• Daniel Bäckström - group leader of C in the parliament, elected to the Riksdag in 2014. Current C spokesperson on agriculture. Known for his deep relations with rural areas and working with municipalities.
• Elisabeth Thand-Ringqvist - current member of parliament elected in 2022, spokesperson on business policy. Former CEO of Företagarna, which is the business confederation and lobby for small business interests
• Muharrem Demirok - elected to the Riksdag in 2022, spokesperson for education policy. Honestly, I don't know much about this guy to say anything. I assume he has little chance.

Bäckström strikes me as a throwback to C's roots as a rural- and farmer-focused party. Thand-Ringqvist strikes me as the closest successor to Annie Lööf and her economic liberalism. Demirok, as written above, seems like a long shot. I am obviously not an expert on Centre and am probably blinded by my preferences for S, but IMO Bäckström looks like the favorite? He has a 8 years of parliamentary experience, has served on many committees (defense, taxation, business affairs, transportation, foreign affairs), and is a strong voice for rural areas and smaller municipalities, which is precisely where C suffered the most in the 2022 election. But I will let our resident C activist comment more on that.


The Liberals continue to be pathetic; this time the Liberal Minister of Equality has said she won't enforce the Tidö Agreement plank where prostitutes should be deported from Sweden. I wonder how much picking and choosing the other parties will tolerate from L.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

https://omni.se/a/P40Vx5

https://www.dn.se/sverige/ebba-ostlin-bryter-tystnaden-mest-udda-motet-i-mitt-liv/

Big (and amusing) local scandal for SAP in Stockholm. A local party leader was ousted by her advisaries by recruiting 98 new members.

There is also suspicions of there being connections to a local gang and they wanted to oust the party boss because she fought against gangs in the area.

The party has now centrally taken the decision to throw all 98 members out.