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Swedish parliament passes controversial budget bill for 2020

The Swedish parliament has voted yes to the budget framework for 2020. Here's what that means for you and what happens next.

Published: 28 November 2019 07:11 CET
Swedish parliament passes controversial budget bill for 2020
What does the new budget mean for you? Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

This is a not entirely uncontroversial budget.

It is the first budget created as part of the so-called January Agreement, a cross-bloc collaboration between the Social Democrat-Green coalition government and two of Sweden's opposition parties – the Liberals and the Centre Party – which means that for each party, it includes both sweeteners and bitter pills.

Here are the main points that may be relevant to The Local's readers in Sweden.

The total expenditure framework amounts to 1,062 billion kronor. Of this, around 20 billion kronor is earmarked for various reforms that the government and the two other parties want to implement.

These include increased government grants to municipalities, more money for law and order, cash incentives for industry and municipalities to invest in climate measures, abolishing an austerity tax on high earners and cutting taxes for pensioners earning more than 17,000 kronor a month. And the measures have been both praised and heavily criticized.

The estimated revenues amount to 1,116 billion kronor in the 2020 draft state budget, or in other words a surplus of 47 billion.

The exact details will not be clear until the next step of the long budget approval process, however. Parliament will decide in December exactly how to allocate the money in each of the spending areas.

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POLITICS

Over a thousand people join protest against Stockholm attack

Over a thousand people joined a demonstration in Gubbängen, southern Stockholm, on Saturday, protesting Wednesday's attack by far-right extremists on a lecture organised by the Left and Green parties.

Published: 27 April 2024 15:36 CEST
Over a thousand people join protest against Stockholm attack

The demonstration, which was organised by the Left Party and the Green Party together with Expo, an anti-extremist magazine, was held outside the Moment theatre, where masked assailants attacked a lecture organised by the two parties on Wednesday. 

In the attack, the assailants – described as Nazis by Expo – let off smoke grenades and assaulted several people, three of whom were hospitalised. 

“Let’s say it how it is: this was a terror attack and that is something we can never accept,” said Amanda Lind, who is expected to be voted in as the joint leader of the Green Party on Sunday. 

She said that those who had attended the lecture had hoped to swap ideas about how to combat racism. 

“Instead they had to experience smoke bombs, assault and were forced to think ‘have they got weapons’?. The goal of this attack was to use violence to generate fear and silence people,” she said.  

EXPLAINED: What we know about the attack on a Swedish anti-fascist meeting

More than a thousand people gathered to protest the attack on a theatre in Gubbängen, Stockholm. Photo: Oscar Olsson/TT

Nooshi Dadgostar, leader of the Left Party, said that that society needed to stand up against this type of extreme-right violence. 

“We’re here today to show that which should be obvious: we will not give up, we will stand up for ourselves, and we shall never be silenced by racist violence,” said said.

Sofia Zwahlen, one of the protesters at the demonstration, told the DN newspaper that it felt positive that so many had turned up to show their opposition to the attacks. 

“It feels extremely good that there’s been this reaction, that we are coming together. I’m always a little worried about going to this sort of demonstration. But this feels safe.”

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