Red-Green Division: The Major Issues at Stake

If the red-green parties win the election, Magdalena Andersson may face a difficult effort to bring them together. Her Social Democrats would need support from the Left Party, the Centre Party and the Greens to secure a majority in parliament.

The first dispute concerns the government itself. The Left Party has demanded ministerial posts in exchange for supporting a Social Democratic-led government, while the Centre Party refuses to support any government that includes the Left. The parties also differ over whether to abolish the sick-pay qualifying deduction. The Social Democrats, Greens and Left support abolition, but the Centre Party opposes it if companies would face higher sick-pay costs.

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at present

Fuel prices and nuclear power present another set of tensions. The Greens and Left want more biofuel blended into petrol and diesel, a move that would raise fuel prices. The Social Democrats and Centre oppose that for now. The Greens also want higher fuel taxes to meet the transport emissions target. On nuclear power, the Greens, Centre and Left reject state support for new plants. The Social Democrats support aid, but only if it applies to all large-scale fossil-free power. Andersson hopes to settle the issue through a cross-party energy agreement that could also include major investments in renewable energy.

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stop the deterioration

The parties are divided over profits in schools and the wider welfare system. The Social Democrats and Greens support a ban on school profits, while the Left wants to dismantle private provision throughout welfare services. The Centre rejects a profit ban but would consider limiting withdrawals from schools with shortcomings. Tax policy is also contested. The Centre demands tax cuts for individuals and businesses, while the Social Democrats say people earning less than 70,000 kronor a month should not face higher income tax. The Left and Greens want taxes on billionaires or the super-rich, proposals Andersson has rejected. The Social Democrats, Left and Greens have also proposed a bank tax to fund campaign promises.

Unemployment insurance, landowners’ rights and migration add to the list. The Social Democrats want to stop the deterioration of unemployment benefits, while the Left wants a higher ceiling and no tapering. The Centre proposes saving 8 billion kronor through a model that pays more at first and reduces benefits faster. The Greens favor stronger nature protection and shoreline rules, while the Centre wants stronger landowners’ rights. On asylum, the Social Democrats favor continued restrictive policy, whereas the Greens, Left and Centre want permanent residence to become the main rule for people granted asylum, more quota refugees and a return of residence permits for particularly compelling circumstances.

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particularly compelling circumstances