Sweden’s centre-right parties have agreed to form a taboo-shattering minority coalition with political support from the far-right populist Sweden Democrats (SD).
A month after it placed second in Sweden’s general election, Friday’s coalition deal will keep the SD on the opposition benches but see it lend its MP votes in exchange for influence over government policy.
On Monday Ulf Kristersson, leader of the third-placed Moderates, is expected to be sworn in as Sweden’s next prime minister along with his new government.
At a press conference on Friday his three-party alliance with the smaller Liberals and Christian Democrats promised a “paradigm shift” on law and order as well as immigration and asylum.
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Last month’s election was dominated by uproar over rising gangland crime and shootings - and contributed to a slide in support for the outgoing centre-left coalition.
“Change is not only necessary, change is also possible, and we four parties together can offer that change,” said Mr Kristersson ahead of meeting the Riksdag parliament president to discuss Monday’s vote. “We will carry out a thorough review of the entire penal code, with tougher penalties for violent and sexual crimes.”
Taken together the four right-wing parties have a narrow 176 majority in the 349-seat parliament.
The new 50-page coalition agreement is heavy on law-and-order issues, promising to tackle gang crime through more police spending, additional surveillance cameras and stop-and-search areas.
Many other proposals carry SD fingerprints such as a national ban on begging, an undertaking to explore hiring prison places overseas and a proposed analysis of how other countries’ off-shore asylum-processing “transit zones” have been functioned.
“The right to receive asylum will be upheld,” insisted Jimmie Akesson, SD leader. “But Sweden’s framework should not be more generous than what the EU demands.”
While SD will hold no ministerial portfolios, party officials will be appointed as civil servants to ministries to oversee and ensure the implementation of policies.
In addition, the new government will create a “co-operation council” where SD officials can discuss policy ideas and budget proposals.
The new government agreement has far-reaching immigration proposals, such as extending the permanent residency period before citizenship is granted and tougher knowledge of local culture and language for a Swedish passport.
EU citizens already living in Sweden may be asked to re-register with authorities.
On the economy, the incoming coalition plans to cut income and fuel taxes and to build new nuclear power plants after the last government closed six of its 12 reactors.
In a final blow to Sweden’s reputation as a “humanitarian superpower”, the new government will scrap a previous goal to assign one per cent of gross national income to international aid.
