Löfven, Lööf and Lövin

January 11, 2019 2:25 PM

After months of impasse and a caretaker government, it seems that Stefan Löfven has forged an agreement with the center-right Annie Lööf and the Center and Liberal parties. With the continued support of the Green party of Isabella Lövin, it would appear that Sweden will soon have a government, albeit one somewhat hogtied with a right-wing budget. The center-right Alliance block appears now to be shattered, leaving Moderaterna and the Christian Democrats in opposition, along with the much-discussed Swedish Democrats. Previously.
posted by St. Oops (7 comments total)

Thatcherism comes to Sweden, 40 years late?
posted by acb at 2:43 PM on January 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

It's a deal that pretty much everyone dislikes yet had to ultimately accept or risk re-election in the next months. Prime Minister Stefan Löfven is used to negotiating with both the socialist Vänsterpartiet and green party Miljöpartiet but the liberals have some tough demands that might be to difficult for the others to accept. Also, the Swedish Democrats keep insisting that Moderaterna and Christian Democrats should join them in creating a conservative coalition but they have been dissed at every turn and it's been fun to watch.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 2:52 PM on January 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

Thatcherism comes to Sweden, 40 years late?

I wouldn't know, but according to this documentary by a Swede, Americans still see Sweden as a socialistic success story, apparently unaware that Sweden gradually changed course back in the 90's.
posted by Brian B. at 3:16 PM on January 11, 2019

Thatcherism comes to Sweden, 40 years late?

The rightward march towards capital has been steady for three decades.

Carl Bildt's right-wing government 1991–1994.
Ingvar Karlsson's and Göran Persson's Blairite, Third Way government 1994–2006.
Fredrik Reinfeldt's right-wing government 2006–2014.

I haven't watched it yet but that documentary is made by Johan Norberg, former editor of Nyliberalen(the new liberal or the neoliberal) who worked for Timbro, a big right wing think tank and have written books with titles such as "Globalisation is Good" and "In Defense of Global Capitalism". People like Ulf Kristersson(current leader of the right-wing Moderate Party) and Filippa Reinfeldt(former wife of Fredrik Reinfeldt and part of the New Karolinska Solna Hospital construction scandal) has worked for Timbro.
posted by Julianna Mckannis at 6:43 PM on January 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

Are there even any economically progressive Christian democratic parties left in Europe?
posted by Apocryphon at 7:35 PM on January 11, 2019 [1 favorite]

Man, I don't know. It does feel like the least bad option, but this pulls Sweden to the right again. And while all Swedish parties continue to consistently shun the Swedish Democrats, they just keep growing, making me think this may not be the right strategy on the long run.

I just don't know what is.

This all feels somewhat bleak and also, a kinda-sorta centrist coalition feels doomed on the long run. At best, they last the 4 years and then it's gonna be a free-for-all again.
posted by KTamas at 5:58 AM on January 13, 2019

I don't know what it says that the place has rolled on happily enough with no government for months. The slide to the right has been steady since I got here in the ninties, it's quite frustrating in that Sweden genuinely did seem to have found pretty much the perfect method and then, in true Swedish style, decided on change for the sake of change and started looking out into the world to see how other countries are doing it. That the Alliance is broken is at least something, it can allow for perhaps a little more flexibility and less bipartesian antics leaving SD as some sort of poop-in-the-sugarbowl option for frustrated thicks.

Anyone wanting to be kept appraised of Stockholm meetups please drop a post in this thread to bet kept track of.
posted by Iteki at 8:58 AM on January 13, 2019