Sweden's right wing announced Friday an agreement to form a government. "The Moderates, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals will form a government and collaborate with the Swedish Democrats in Parliament," said Moderates Party head Ulf Kristersson at a press conference reported by Asociated Press.
Among the priorities of the new Swedish government, led by Kristersson himself, are to reactivate nuclear energy in the country, - after decades away from this energy source - fight crime and reduce immigration.
The changes in the energy market caused by the war in Ukraine revived the debate on the future of energy policy in Sweden, as in other countries in Europe. In recent years, Sweden has closed six of its 12 nuclear reactors. Those that remain open generate about 30% of the electricity used in the country. "New nuclear reactors will be built," declared the leader of the Christian Democrats, Ebba Busch, during the presentation of the new cabinet.
Even the outgoing Social Democratic government, in power for the past eight years, had traditionally opposed the construction of new reactors, but admitted this year that nuclear power is crucial for the near future.
After eight years of Social Democratic rule, the right will once again rule Sweden. In the September 11 elections, outgoing Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson's Social Democratic Party won 30% of the vote (107 seats). Closely behind was, the conservative Sweden Democrats (SD) who made an unprecedented advance, with a record 20.5% of the vote.
The support of the Sweden Democrats will prove crucial to enable a right-wing government, as the formation led by Jimmie Åkesson is the largest parliamentary force in the new right-wing majority with 73 seats. Adding the Moderates (68 seats), the Christian Democrats (19) and the Liberals (16), the Right has an absolute majority with 176 seats compared to 173 seats for the opposition.
The challenge of this new government was to bring on board the small Liberal Party, which did not want the entry of the Sweden Democrats into the administration. The latter, for their part, demanded control of several ministries. Finally, the conservative formation will support the new coalition government without being part of it and in exchange for defending its policies on the control of illegal immigration.
Jimmie Åkesson, chairman of the Sweden Democrats, noted that "it is a totally new direction for Sweden... The immigration policy of the Sweden Democrats will be made." The Sweden Democrats Party rejects illegal immigration and the Islamization of the country.
Jimmie Åkesson: Det är en helt ny inriktning för Sverige : "Det blir SD:s invandringspolitik"https://t.co/QqwbziY6Y5
- Riksstudios (@Riksstudios) October 14, 2022
