Δημοσιεύθηκε: 03 Δεκεμβρίου 2014 - 08:25
Source:Euro2Day, FT.COM
Source:Euro2Day, FT.COM
March elections called in Sweden as government collapses
...''The rise of the populist party, which wants to cut immigration by 90 per cent, has plunged Sweden into its worst government crisis in decades and strained traditional consensus politics as it faces its first snap election since 1958.The Sweden Democrats are shunned by all parties for their stance on immigration. The country of 10m takes more immigrants per capita than any other European nation.
Mattias Karlsson, acting leader of the Sweden Democrats, welcomed the new vote, which he said would be a referendum on immigration. ""Immigration is devouring too many resources and is tearing Sweden apart," he added....''
Sweden will hold fresh elections in March following the collapse of itscentre-left government after two months in power.
A period of political uncertainty in the normally stable Nordic country has begun after the populist, anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats joined the centre-right opposition to vote down the government's budget.
"I cannot let the Sweden Democrats dictate the terms. I think this is irresponsible and would be unprecedented in Swedish political history," Stefan Lofven, the Social Democrat prime minister, said. Mr Lofven's government will go down as the second shortest-lived administration in Swedish history after a day of political drama in Stockholm.
The opposition centre-right's budget was passed, with the help of the Sweden Democrats, who shocked the establishment by coming third in September's elections with nearly 13 per cent of the vote.
The rise of the populist party, which wants to cut immigration by 90 per cent, has plunged Sweden into its worst government crisis in decades and strained traditional consensus politics as it faces its first snap election since 1958.
The Sweden Democrats are shunned by all parties for their stance on immigration. The country of 10m takes more immigrants per capita than any other European nation.
Mattias Karlsson, acting leader of the Sweden Democrats, welcomed the new vote, which he said would be a referendum on immigration. ""Immigration is devouring too many resources and is tearing Sweden apart," he added.
Mr Lofven's Social Democrats and the centre-right traded barbs yesterday over who was to blame for the turmoil. The prime minister criticised the four centre-right parties for letting the Sweden Democrats make a political move that he said "redraws the map".
Opposition leaders said they merely voted for their own budget and blamed Mr Lofven for saying he would reach out to the centre-right but then put forward a leftwing proposal of his own. "This is a clear failure of the Social Democrats . . . they have failed to get their budget through," said Goran Hagglund, leader of the Christian Democrats.
Recent gains by the Sweden Democrats make the outcome of new elections highly uncertain.
An alternative would be for the centre-right to put limits on its immigration policy in an overture to the Sweden Democrats, along the lines of conservative parties in neighbouring Denmark and Norway. Sweden expects between 80,000-105,000 immigrants next year, up from 18,000 a decade ago and 54,000 last year.
Investors reacted with detachment, with shares on the Stockholm exchange falling slightly on news of the elections but still up 0.9 per cent on the day.
A period of political uncertainty in the normally stable Nordic country has begun after the populist, anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats joined the centre-right opposition to vote down the government's budget.
"I cannot let the Sweden Democrats dictate the terms. I think this is irresponsible and would be unprecedented in Swedish political history," Stefan Lofven, the Social Democrat prime minister, said. Mr Lofven's government will go down as the second shortest-lived administration in Swedish history after a day of political drama in Stockholm.
The opposition centre-right's budget was passed, with the help of the Sweden Democrats, who shocked the establishment by coming third in September's elections with nearly 13 per cent of the vote.
The rise of the populist party, which wants to cut immigration by 90 per cent, has plunged Sweden into its worst government crisis in decades and strained traditional consensus politics as it faces its first snap election since 1958.
The Sweden Democrats are shunned by all parties for their stance on immigration. The country of 10m takes more immigrants per capita than any other European nation.
Mattias Karlsson, acting leader of the Sweden Democrats, welcomed the new vote, which he said would be a referendum on immigration. ""Immigration is devouring too many resources and is tearing Sweden apart," he added.
Mr Lofven's Social Democrats and the centre-right traded barbs yesterday over who was to blame for the turmoil. The prime minister criticised the four centre-right parties for letting the Sweden Democrats make a political move that he said "redraws the map".
Opposition leaders said they merely voted for their own budget and blamed Mr Lofven for saying he would reach out to the centre-right but then put forward a leftwing proposal of his own. "This is a clear failure of the Social Democrats . . . they have failed to get their budget through," said Goran Hagglund, leader of the Christian Democrats.
Recent gains by the Sweden Democrats make the outcome of new elections highly uncertain.
An alternative would be for the centre-right to put limits on its immigration policy in an overture to the Sweden Democrats, along the lines of conservative parties in neighbouring Denmark and Norway. Sweden expects between 80,000-105,000 immigrants next year, up from 18,000 a decade ago and 54,000 last year.
Investors reacted with detachment, with shares on the Stockholm exchange falling slightly on news of the elections but still up 0.9 per cent on the day.