Sweden’s right-wing begins forming govt. backed by far right

Sweden’s leader of the right-wing Moderates party , Ulf Kristersson, has been assigned with the task of forming a government, setting off on the path of negotiations with the Christian Democrats, Sweden Democrats and Liberals.

The Democrat Party, which is against immigration and has neo-Nazi roots, won the majority of votes in the general elections and forced Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson to step down.

The post of prime minister usually goes to the biggest party in a bloc, but it is expected to go to Kristersson, whose party came third with 19 percent of the poll, as Democrat leader Jimmie Akesson is unable to unite all four parties to head the government.

“I now begin the work of forming a new and strong government,” Kristersson said on Wednesday evening in a post on Facebook after final vote counting gave his side the win.

“Now we will restore order in Sweden!”

This is the first time a Swedish government relies on the support of the far right.

Sweden’s right bloc heading to victory in election cliff-hanger

Sweden

On Sunday, the winning bloc, comprising the liberal-conservative right and the far right, ousted the center-left and the Greens with 176 seats against 173.

However, the narrow majority leaves the right-wing bloc fragile as it is at odds over international aid, unemployment benefits, asylum laws and legal reforms to stave off a wave of gang shootings and bombings that have rocked Sweden in recent years.

Andersson has said she is resigning as Prime Minster but would remain as the leader of the Social Democratic Party, which received 30.3 percent of the votes in the elections.

“I will therefore tomorrow ask the speaker to be relieved of my post,” Andersson told reporters during a news conference, adding that it was important that Sweden got a new government as soon as possible.

Andersson said she understood many Swedes were worried about a party with white supremacist roots becoming the country’s second-largest party and a likely part of the new ruling coalition. “I see you concern and I share it.”

Voters head to polls in Sweden in tight election marked concerns about crime, energy

Swedish voters take to polls to take part in a close-run election amid concerns about increased crime and an energy crisis.

According to Akesson, obtaining cabinet posts was the Democrat party's "goal," but he has also made it clear that he was ready to present a long list of demands in exchange for the party's informal support outside government.

The Sweden Democrat Party was formed in 1988 by right-wing extremists and did not manage to win seats in parliament until 2010 due to the party’s neo-Nazi roots.

In late 2019, the right-wing Moderates said they were ready to cooperate with the far-right party, which has expelled more radical members in an attempt to move toward the political mainstream.

With immigration as a hot topic in both the 2014 and 2018 elections, the Sweden Democrats capitalized on that concern and aim for zero asylum-seekers, along with longer prison sentences and a wider use of deportations. The party also has a Euroskeptic stance.

Sweden, like many other European countries, is in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis due to the Ukraine war and the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is set to face a recession next year.

“There are a lot of big questions in our society today that in some ways haven't been addressed correctly and I think that a lot of people have been waiting for a change,” 28-year-old psychologist Axel Lundstrom told AFP.

The Scandinavian nation is also grappling with an energy crisis and needs to adopt long-term energy policies and measures to address climate change as well.

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