Sweden nears end to political gridlock

Bloomberg

Sweden is nearing an end to a record-long political stalemate after Social Democratic leader Stefan Lofven struck a deal across the aisle to remain in power and deny influence to the country’s growing nationalist party.
The accord comes after four months of tumultuous talks, but risks raising the ire of voters who demanded change in an election that handed big gains to the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats and the Social Democrats its worst election result in a century.
It also breaks apart the center-right opposition Alliance, leaving the conservatives out in the cold.
With a snap election threatening, the Social Democrats reached an accord with the opposition Center Party and Liberals and its ally, the Greens. But there are still hurdles to clear, with party meetings scheduled over the weekend to vote on the deal and Lofven will also need backing of the Left Party. There’s also a competing offer for a Conservative-led government.
The agreement with the
Social Democrats is “important for Sweden,” Center Party leader Annie Loof said at a press conference at parliament in Stockholm, calling it the “best possible in a difficult situation.”
As other countries across the world, Sweden has been rocked by a political upheaval. An election in September saw the nationalist Sweden Democrats (SD) emerge as the third-biggest party and left neither of the two main blocs with a majority. A deal with the two smaller opposition parties, who were unwilling to work with SD because of its neo-Nazi roots, will allow Lofven to
remain in power.
The agreement means the Center Party and Liberals will give backing to a Social Democrat and Green Party government that will be evaluated annually and would represent a sharp shift from the tax-raising policies over the past four years.