“Löfven is sitting on a pair of fox scissors”



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Of: TT

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Since the last negotiations failed, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven's situation has been very problematic, according to political scientist Tommy Möller.  Stock Photography.

Photo: Jessica Gow / TT

Since the last negotiations failed, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven’s situation has been very problematic, according to political scientist Tommy Möller. Stock Photography.

Since the last negotiations failed again, the risk of a government crisis is getting closer and closer.

– Prime Minister Stefan Löfven is sitting in a trench, says Tommy Möller, professor of political science at Stockholm University.

On Friday night, negotiations on a new final deal collapsed again when LO’s board rejected the offer, which both the Confederation of Swedish Business and PTK, which represents around one million private sector officials, accepted. Negotiations include job protection, priority rules, and skill development. But LO thinks it was too employer-friendly.

A government crisis

The stalled talks make a real difference for the government.

– There are many signs that a government crisis is approaching. Löfven’s situation is very problematic. If it does what the cooperation parties demand of it, the Left Party will stick to a statement of censure and then there will be a majority in the House to overthrow the government, says Tommy Möller.

At the same time, his assessment is that the Left Party does not really want to overthrow the government, but is forced to do so because it conditioned its indirect support for the government by abstaining when Löfven was elected prime minister.

– It was done within certain limits. It was said that it would not tolerate the government if it did it the way it is about to do now. Nor is it the policy that the Social Democrats as a party want. It will be difficult to anchor internally, says Tommy Möller, adding:

– The prime minister is sitting in a trench.

In this situation, the Prime Minister is likely to try to enter into negotiations with the cooperation parties to appease the Left Party.

– I don’t know what to play with, but the Prime Minister has explicitly said that there is no balance between the parties in the current research proposal, so there is an interpretation dispute about what the January agreement implies. That’s the crux of the matter, says Tommy Möller.

Locked position

He does not know if the door is completely closed for the parties to return to the negotiating table.

– I have no idea what exactly LO’s problem was, but there is still a possibility. But I don’t know how big it is.

Another possibility is that the Prime Minister enters into negotiations with the Liberal support parties and the Center Party.

– They have been very clear when it comes to slamming the door. They say they are done negotiating the January deal, but there may be other things they could get in return if they commit to labor law, says Tommy Möller.

He assumes that Prime Minister Stefan Löfven will be deeply involved in the negotiations, as the stakes are high.

– It is such an incredibly important issue and it is also an issue that you master very well from a purely political point of view as a former union representative.

Tommy Möller points out that the closed parliamentary situation makes the situation difficult and that the parties involved are aware that it is difficult to find an alternative government constellation.

– If no solution is found, wait6 for partial elections to be held and it is not desirable for several parties that are in a bad position in opinion polls. It is generally something the parties want to avoid.

Tommy Möller says there is much to argue against the parties wanting to go that far.

– In such an acute situation, I believe that there may be the will of various sectors to find a solution, both in the matter and if the government is at risk of bankruptcy, or has done so.

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