Sweden’s government to release spending forecasts Thursday as election nears
Swedish Minister of Finance Magdalena Andersson will announce the country’s economic forecasts and spending plans for the coming years less than a month before the September 9 election.
Under the left-leaning coalition between the Social Democratic Party and Green Party, Sweden is struggling to maintain its lead as Scandinavia’s fastest growing economy. Swedish entrepreneurs are critical of the government’s lack of spending on infrastructure. Meanwhile, the opposition Sweden Democrats party is taking advantage of the discord by running a narrative of poor economic management, coupled with anti-immigration and eurosceptic policies—a combination that seems to be resonating with voters.
Summer heatwaves damaging Swedish farms and necessitating foreign intervention have also brought environmental issues to the forefront of Swedish political discourse, headed by the leftist Liberal Party.
The centre-left coalition will have to announce a spending plan with stricter parameters on its asylum policies and higher taxes on carbon emissions to please both right- and left-leaning voters. If the coalition does not significantly increase spending on voters’ priorities, also including healthcare and law enforcement, the centre-left could be voted out of government in Sweden for the first time in over a century.
Wake up smarter with an assessment of the stories that will make headlines in the next 24 hours. Download The Daily Brief.
