Member Info for tintin35

stick with it - it's interesting;
for newly constructed housing, allowing for private and for-profit alternatives in the welfare sector, and providing a number of tax breaks that will primarily benefit the middle class. To be fair, the agreement is that these proposals will be prepared through dedicated committees, but this is the way that much practical policy is made in Sweden. By promising that the Socialist Party wouldn’t yield any influence, the Social Democrats hoped that the Center and Liberal parties would have faith that their policies would indeed go through and become implemented without meddling and obstruction from the Socialists.

Somehow, the Social Democrats must have simply assumed that the Socialist Party would take all this laying down. They didn’t. Even some prominent conservatives in my social media feeds have lauded Socialist Party leader Jonas Sjöstedt for at least standing up for his voters in making demands of his own on Stefan Löfven in return for not voting against his government. And now, Löfven has until Friday afternoon to convince the Center and Liberal parties, as well as Jonas Sjöstedt and the Socialist Party, that he can make them both reasonably happy.

In the short run, it’s likely that the Social Democrats and the Greens will continue to govern. Löfven showed remarkable incompetence by not foreseeing the possibility that the Socialists would vote against a government that promised not to give it any political influence. Still, even during this short timeframe, all parties involved should be able to strike an agreement that will make no one fully happy, but that will at least give Sweden a government on Friday. Sjöstedt has shown his voters and party base that he will stand up to the big brother in the Social Democrats and that is perhaps all he needed to do to make him and his party not look like political losers.

The long-term consequences are more dramatic. In classical Social Democrat fashion, Löfven has succeeded in driving a likely irreparable wedge between the former liberal-conservative coalition that made history by defeating the Social Democrats in 2006. The Moderate Party and Christian Democrats will find it very hard to forgive this betrayal by their former coalition partners, and they certainly won’t ever forget. An overwhelming proportion of their voters wanted to see a liberal-conservative government. Particularly in the Liberal Party, the current deal with the Social Democrats caused a severe split that will be difficult to repair. Minor parties that cooperate with the Social Democrats usually come out decimated on the other side. The party is skilled at negotiating, and those on the other end tend not to realize how badly they’ve been decimated until it’s too late.

It’s also likely that the deal with have long-term consequences for the Sweden Democrats, who have steadily been gaining support as social problems have mounted from large-scale immigration. The party has long gained from

part 2
For a long time, the Social Democrats could claim that only it could govern Sweden as a unified force because no other party offered a clear and stabile alternative. By bonding together and uniting around a common policy platform, the center-right parties could, for the first time in decades, present a coherent alternative. They managed to do so largely by coopting classically social democratic issues, such as an efficient labor market, a robust and well-functioning welfare state, and decreasing the proportion of the population dependent on welfare handouts. The Alliance lost the election in 2014 largely due to the increasing stream of voters turning from the Moderate Party to the Sweden Democrats, fed up with the unabashed pro-immigration policies of the Reinfeldt government.

After four rocky years under Löfven, with an often unclear parliamentary situation and drastic twists and turns on key issues such as immigration, the September 2018 elections yielded no clear winner. Until only a few days ago, the two center-right parties, the Center Party and the Liberals, wavered over what side to support. And after it seemed clear that Sweden would get four more years with the Social Democratic Löfven as prime minister, we’re back to square one, or rather, at total and utter confusion.

Right now, the fate of the government lies in the hands of the Socialist Party. Long part of the Communist International (Comintern), the party formerly known as “The Communists” was loyal to the Soviet Union and expressed uncritical adulation and love for Stalin as the leader of the world revolution until that habit fell out of fashion among the global left after de-Stalinization in the 1950s Soviet Union. The party long supported various leftist dictatorships around the world, and several of its current officials and most prominent figures have expressed admiration and support for the socialist government of Venezuela and dictator Hugo Chavez. The current leader, Jonas Sjöstedt, comes from the party’s more moderate faction. Still, many are reluctant to trust the party on core issues such as national security and foreign policy, where it is often highly ideological and wavers on crucial issues such as Russian belligerence against Sweden and Sweden’s cooperation with NATO. In domestic politics, the party is a stern voice against publicly funded private alternatives in the welfare sector and advocates abolishing the school voucher system, among other things.

Therefore, it is hardly surprising that the Center Party and the Liberals demanded that the Socialists’ influence be curtailed as a condition for supporting a Social Democratic prime minister. The deal between the parties stated that neither the populist Sweden Democrats, nor the Socialist Party, would yield any influence on budgetary issues or the list of agreed upon reforms. The reform agreement centered on a number of core areas for the Center and Liberal parties, such as letting up on rent control

It was a turn of events that no political commentators in Sweden foresaw. A few days ago, Sweden’s two middle-of-the-road-liberal parties, the Center Party and the Liberal Party, struck a deal with the Social Democrats to allow the latter’s government with the Greens to continue. They would vote for the continued governance of the Social Democratic Prime Minister Stefan Löfven in exchange for (tentative) concessions on a fairly impressive list of economic issues.

This deal would leave the small Christian Democrats and the Moderate (Conservative) Party in a fairly isolated oppositional role on the right. The populist, anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, which holds around 17 percent of the seats in parliament, would be effectively isolated from political influence. That was the main point of the deal. The only other option for the Center and Liberal parties was to govern with the Moderate Party and Christian Democrats, and to this end, they would have needed tacit, parliamentary support from the Sweden Democrats, which at the very least would need to not vote against such a government. Under the deal that was eventually struck, even with a large range of ramifications that would leave Sweden’s political landscape permanently altered (some of which I expand on below), at least it seemed clear that Sweden would finally get a government, following the inconclusive elections of September last year.

Except, no one had asked the Socialist Party’s opinion. Early on January 14, party leader Jonas Sjöstedt declared, under immense internal pressure, that the party may well come to vote against the Social Democratic/Green government, putting them on the same side as the conservative opposition and the anti-immigration populist Sweden Democrats.

At the present time of writing, the speaker of the parliament declared that the prime ministerial vote, scheduled to be held January 16 Stockholm time, would be pushed back to give time for further negotiations and will now be held on January 18. Now, no one knows who will come to govern what has historically been one of the most politically stable democracies in the world. If the vote fails to render a new government, new elections will have to be called.

It’s a term used so often about political developments that it often seems worn out, but this situation truly is unprecedented in Swedish politics.

To understand why the current situation is unchartered territory, a bit of background is necessary. For decades, the Social Democrats held a virtually unthreatened hegemony in Swedish politics, and was largely seen as one with the state. The party’s longevity was unique in the Western world, and it governed first from 1932 to 1976, and then until 2006, with a break in the early 1990s for one term of liberal-conservative rule. In 2006, Moderate Party leader Fredrik Reinfeldt made political history when he won the general election with a center-right coalition known as “Allians för Sverige (Alliance for Swede

Swedish Social Democrat leader Stefan Lofven now has one day to bring together a disparate collection of market liberals and former communists to resolve an unprecedented political impasse.

After four months of talks, Lofven had forged a historic deal with two centrist parties to form a new government as part of an effort to deny influence to the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats. But that meant abandoning his ally the Left Party, which on Monday rejected the deal.

Left Party leader Jonas Sjostedt said he wants Lofven as prime minister, but can’t accept having “zero influence” and would need changes to provide the votes needed. Lofven’s new allies, the Center Party and Liberals, countered that the deal wasn’t up for negotiation.

Parliament speaker Andreas Norlen chastised party leaders over their failure to secure an accord. But to allow for a solution, he delayed a prime minister vote by two days to Friday and will announce his nomination on Wednesday. “I assume that everyone will do their utmost,” Norlen said.

Sweden’s establishment is struggling to find a viable coalition after an election that saw the nationalist Sweden Democrats emerge as the third-biggest group and the Social Democrats post their worst result in a century. The conservative Moderates also lost votes, and neither of the two traditional blocs achieved a majority, echoing a broader rise in European populism.
The deal “is both reassuring and concerning,” said Hakan Frisen and Daniel Bergvall, analysts at SEB AB. “It will give Sweden a functioning government in the short term, but public recriminations about broken political promises and internal tensions may trigger the new government’s collapse before its four-year term of office ends.”

Lofven’s deal with the Center Party and Liberals included a pledge to freeze out his former allies in the Left Party and a shift in policy to tax cuts that were unpalatable to the former communist party.

“This would be the most right-wing Social Democratic government that Sweden has ever had,” Sjostedt said at a press conference in Stockholm.

At his own briefing on Monday, Lofven tried to soften the break with his former ally, saying he was still open to negotiations with the Left on issues over the next four years but he maintained that the deal on the table is “negotiated to the bottom.” Center Party leader Annie Loof also emphasized that the current deal can’t be renegotiated.
aniel Suhonen, head of the left-wing think-tank Katalys, said he thinks that outlook is “quite good” for Lofven becoming PM this week or next week. “’I think all Sjostedt wants is the Social Democrats to show them respect,” he said.
The turmoil has also emboldened the Sweden Democrats. Its leader, Jimmie Akesson, said on Monday that he now envisages the party becoming the dominant party in a conservative bloc that will challenge for power in 2022.

The concessions offered by the Social Democrats “illustrates what a party of power it is,” he sai

So, today the Speaker decided to set the 3rd round to vote for a prime minister on Friday, 18 January. The date is an absolute deadline, and he basically urged the involved parties to get their act together, no ifs and buts. The Speaker’s move was due to the Left party’s decision today to give Löfven the red light, should the vote be held on Wednesday this week. The agreement reached during the recent weekend by S, MP, C and L was considered by the left wing being a pure provocation, and therefore left them with no other choise but to get clarification on the agreement in order to allow the procedure to move forward.
Whilst the Left party temporarily made the Speaker postpone (48 hours) the vote for a PM, they also emphasized their goal to fix a deal before this Friday with S to include them in forthcoming parliamentary work and decisions.
Most experts expect Löfven to get the green light as prime minister on Friday. Once he has formed the government I expect shortly thereafter a decision regarding Kallak – they will most likely be granted a concession.
I wouldn’t be surprised at all if a decision on Kallak is seen before the end of January, 2019 I might add.

if it was all over they would be giving themselves pay rises and bonuses - not shares in the company. They own a lot of shares and have a huge interest in the company's success.

Unlike you.

options granted and exercisable at 7.35p - hardly a massive rise but better than we have been for a while....

worth mentioning that at no time has the MI refused our application or said anything negative about it...

political horse trading taken down to the wire. Letting country suffer whilst the politicians protect their egos.
Sounds familiar.

Social Democrat leader Stefan Lofven was given two days to salvage a deal to become prime minister as establishment parties struggle to resolve Sweden’s unprecedented political impasse while shutting out nationalists from gaining influence.

The deal, agreed on over the weekend by two centrist parties and the Social Democrats and Greens, crumbled on Monday after Left Party leader Jonas Sjostedt balked at the accord. Sjostedt said he wants Lofven as prime minister, but can’t accept being left with “zero influence” and that he will seek to find a solution in the coming days.

After a long day of talks on Monday, parliament speaker Andreas Norlen chastised party leaders over their failure. But to allow for a solution, he will delay a planned prime minister vote by two days to Friday after announcing who will be nominated on Wednesday. “I assume that everyone will do their utmost,” he said

we'd rather he didn't.
Someone is going to have to talk to either the Left or Sweden democrats or risk the wrath of the electorate.

Interesting times.

The deal to resolve Sweden’s unprecedented government impasse now looks unlikely to succeed after the Left Party announced it would vote against making Social Democrat leader Stefan Lofven prime minister.

Left Party leader Jonas Sjostedt on Monday refused to back the deal, agreed on over the weekend by two centrist parties and the Social Democrats and Greens as a way out of Sweden’s political crisis. Sjostedt said he wants Lofven as prime minister, but can’t accept being left with “zero influence” and that he will seek to find a solution in the coming days.

Jonas Sjostedt on Jan. 14.
Photographer: Stina Stjernkvist/AFP via Getty Images

Sweden’s establishment is struggling to find a viable coalition after an election that saw the nationalist Sweden Democrats emerge as the third-biggest group and the Social Democrats post their worst result in a century. The conservative Moderates also lost votes, and neither of the two traditional blocs achieved a majority, echoing a broader rise in European populism.



Parliament speaker Andreas Norlen will make an announcement on the way forward later on Monday. He could still try to force a vote on Lofven on Wednesday as a way of speeding up the process after four months of talks.

Stefan Lofven, left, and Andreas Norlen on Jan. 14.
Photographer: Jessica Gow/AFP via Getty Images

Lofven’s deal with the Center Party and Liberals included a pledge to freeze out his former allies in the Left Party and a shift in policy to tax cuts that were unpalatable to the former communist party.

“This would be the most right-wing Social Democratic government that Sweden has ever had,” Sjostedt said at a press conference in Stockholm.

Lofven at an earlier press conference on Monday tried to soft-pedal the break with his former ally, saying he was still open to negotiations with the Left over the next four years. But he also said that the deal on the table is “negotiated to the bottom” while Center Party leader Annie Loof also emphasized that the current deal can’t be renegotiated.

Loof said the deal was the best available under the circumstances. The party’s priorities were to end the stalemate and keep the fringe parties from exerting influence, while advancing more liberal market policies.

Voters are also lukewarm. According to a poll by Demoskop for Expressen newspaper, some 48 percent of Swedes say the deal struck is wrong, while 45 percent are in favor of the agreement.

With 167 seats of a total of 349, the constellation would still be short of a majority in parliament and would need backing from others to get measures through the legislature. But its budgets would still pass since they only need a plurality.

A potential vote on Wednesday would be the third prime minister vote held in parliament since the September election, with both Lofven and Moderate leader Ulf Kristersson having lost earlier. There must be four

Thanks Andy - have you considered changing your name to Cassandra? lol.

yes, a few votes short - they need to learn that consensus politics means involving all - they can't ignore the Sweden democrats. The only good thing about another election is that it just might wipe out the greens.

thanks - I think we can be positive here and say the Greenies realised they could never get away with banning mining iron ore - or making work near nature areas more problematic. They've gone for the easy targets.
Not worried.

"33. Exploration and new exploitation of coal, oil and fossil gas are prohibited in the same way as with uranium and the regulations for when extraction of minerals may take place from alum shale (Investigation 2019-2020. New legislation from January 1, 2022). Invest more in research , tests and collaborations with the business community to tie back some of the emissions that have already been made in a sustainable and efficient manner. "

where is the mention of iron ore?

The agreement means the two small opposition parties will back a Social Democrat and Green Party government, but will evaluate it on an annual basis.

In a separate report, Radio Sweden reported that the draft deal among the Social Democrats, the Greens, the Centre party and the Liberals is 16-pages long and includes 73 points that Löfven would push as prime minister. The list includes instituting a language requirement for people to become Swedish citizens and deregulating rents for tenants in newly constructed buildings.

According to Lööf the deal would mean that neither the Sweden Democrats nor the Left Party would have influence within Löfven’s government.

let's hope mining was in one of the 73 points....

no probs - and, as you know, the shares are limited here because we keep sending all the sells off to Sweden - now well over 60%....

6.2p paid

6% up over there - about 5.9p to buy now equivalent

That's 60.65% swedes to be p*ssed off if this doesn't happen