The minority government of Prime Minister Stefan Löfven has abandoned plans to hold snap elections in March 2015 after reaching an agreement with the Alliance, comprising of opposition parties like the Moderates, Center Party, Liberal Party and Christian Democrats, according to The Local. The far right Sweden Democrats, which caused a political crisis this month, blasted the so-called December agreement.
Mattias Karlsson, the acting chairman of the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, said that his party is now the main opposition party as a result of the agreement.
“He (Löfven) doesn’t deserve to govern Sweden,” Karlsson was quoted as saying on The Local, which cited TT news agency.
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Löfven said at a press conference that the agreement with the Alliance will permit the minority government to govern during 2015-2022.“With the agreement the government will not be making any decision about an extra election, it is simply not the immediate interest,” the prime minister said.
The biggest loser of the December agreement isn’t only the Sweden Democrats but the Perussuomalaiset (PS)* of Finland, which were hoping to capitalize on the snap elections in Sweden. Finland holds parliamentary elections in April 2015.
Statements over a week ago by the party’s secretary Björn Söder, that the Saami, Jews and Kurds couldn’t be considered “true” Swedes unless they assimilate into white Swedish culture, and the arson attack on Christmas Day in Eskilstuna against a mosque, must have boosted the resolve of the minority government and the Alliance to reach an agreement in order to keep the Sweden Democrats in the cold.
The Sweden Democrats saw their support rise in the September elections to 12.9% (up 29MPs to 49MPs) from 5.7% (20MPs) in 2010.
All Swedish parties have boycotted the Sweden Democrats since it is a far right party that is demanding a drastic cut in immigration.
* The Finnish name of the Finns Party is the Perussuomalaiset (PS). The names adopted by the PS, like True Finns or Finns Party, promote in our opinion nativist nationalism and xenophobia. We therefore prefer to use the Finnish name of the party on our postings.