The Swedish parliament has elected its new prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, who is supported by the far right, including anti-immigration, nationalist Democrats.
Krsitersson will lead the country's first government to be shored up by the far-right Sweden Democrats. The 58-year-old lawmaker was elected on Monday by a narrow majority of three votes. It came after he announced a deal on Friday to form a governing coalition comprising his Moderate Party, the Christian Democrats, and the Liberals.
New Swedish Government
With the newly-elected prime minister, the Swedish government will be supported in parliament by its far-right ally. During a news conference following the vote on Monday, Kristersson said that he was thankful for the trust that he received from parliament. He added that he was considerately humble before the tasks that would soon come his way.
Kristersson is expected to present his new government by Tuesday and would come as the Sweden Democrats are considered the big winners in the closely fought Sept. 11 general election. The group emerged as the second-largest party with a record 20.5% of votes, as per Aljazeera.
Now, the ring-wing bloc has 176 seats in parliament compared to its rival, the left, which has 173. Kristersson's four-party alliance unveiled on Friday a 62-page roadmap that was heavily influenced by the far-right agenda.
The roadmap promises significant crackdowns on crime and immigration and also the construction of new nuclear reactors to supply energy. In a statement, Kristersson said that Sweden is a nation that is facing several parallel crises at the same time.
According to ABC News, gang violence has become a major issue in Sweden, particularly in neighborhoods that are dominated by immigrants. It is also considered a key reason for the country's shift to the right.
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Far-Right Support
Kristersson has led the Moderates since 2017 and will take over the prime minister's post from Magdalena Andersson, the leader of the center-left Social Democrats. The latter said that the situation in Sweden was "frightening."
Sweden Democrats have, since the election, landed the chairmanships of four parliamentary committees, giving them the ability to wield more political influence. On top of immigration and criminal justice, the incoming coalition has agreed to work with the Sweden Democrats on other areas such as energy.
Despite a major change in government, there is no anticipated, significant change to Sweden's historic bid to join the NATO military alliance with neighboring Finland. The former's application was endorsed by a clear majority in parliament following Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.
Furthermore, Kristersson's coalition government pledged to cut taxes and cap benefits. In a statement, the leader of the Social Democrats, Jimmie Akesson, said that the new government would mark a "paradigm shift" in immigration policy. He argued that it will be made up of "order, reasons, and common sense.
The group was originally founded by Nazi sympathizers and had been shunned by the mainstream for decades. However, a focus during the election campaign on various issues has put the Social Democrats' agenda at the heart of mainstream Swedish politics, BBC reported.
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