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POLITICS

Politician says critics ‘jealous they didn’t see my body’

Centre Party politician Mats Hallsten had been suggested as the new chair of the Färgelanda municipal council, but his candidacy was stopped in part because of his involvement in a scantily clad comedy group.

Published: 13 May 2008 14:34 CEST

For several years Hallsten, who is also a farmer, has been a part of the “Nättjebacka Boys’ Choir”, a comedy troupe inspired by the 2002 British comedy “All or Nothing”.

As a part of the act they perform at fiftieth birthday parties and community centres, the six men from the Dalsland region of western Sweden strip down to their underwear.

Hallsten has earned enough respect as a politicians that his colleagues proposed he take over as the new chair of the municipal council in Färgelanda.

But despite representing the council’s centre-right majority, he was voted off the candidate list in April.

Hallsten has since left the council in protest against his weak support.

“The chair of the municipal council shouldn’t be involved with such activities. People who know his career as a stripper will just have their eyes pointed toward the ground when they meet him,” said Ute Thompson of the Moderate Party to TV4.

Hallsten feels the criticism is childish.

“To call me a stripper is almost a badge of honour. We perform country humour,” said Hallsten to the TT news agency.

“Last year we were asked to perform at the Moderate Party’s annual meeting in Färgelanda, but we declined because I didn’t think it was appropriate. Maybe they are just jealous that they didn’t get to see my body,” Hallsten added with a laugh.

POLITICS

Full steam ahead for Swedish economy in new three-part budget bill

Sweden has won the fight against inflation and expects GDP to grow next year, Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson proudly proclaimed as she presented the government's budget bill for 2025.

Published: 19 September 2024 08:33 CEST
Full steam ahead for Swedish economy in new three-part budget bill

“Going forward, the task will be to ensure that high inflation does not return, and at the same time to implement reforms and investments that build a more prosperous, safer and more secure Sweden for generations to come,” said Svantesson in a statement on Thursday morning.

The government predicts that Swedish GDP will grow 2.5 percent next year followed by 3.2 percent 2026.

Unemployment, however, is expected to remain unchanged at 8.3 percent in 2025, only beginning to drop in 2026 (7.9 percent, according to the government’s predictions, followed by 7.6 percent in 2027).

Svantesson told a press conference that a strong focus on economic growth would create jobs.

The 2025 budget, worked out in collaboration between the right-wing government coalition and far-right Sweden Democrats, is far more expansionary than the restrained budget Svantesson presented last year when Sweden was still fighting high inflation: 60 billion kronor towards new reforms rather than 39 billion kronor for 2024. Almost half, 27 billion kronor, will go towards funding lower taxes.

ANALYSIS:

Svantesson highlighted three areas in which new reforms are prioritised:

  • Strengthening household purchasing power after several years of the high cost of living putting a strain on household budgets, with reforms set to push the tax burden to its lowest level since 1980, according to the government.
  • Reinstating the “work first” principle, meaning that people should work rather than live on benefits. Some of the measures include language training for parents born abroad and increasing the number of places in vocational adult education.
  • Increasing growth, focusing on investments in research, infrastructure and electricity supply.

In the debate in parliament on Thursday, the centre-left opposition is expected to criticise the government for lowering taxes for high earners and not investing enough in welfare. 

Investments in healthcare, social care and education are significantly reduced in this budget compared to last year: down from 16 billion kronor to 7.5 billion kronor. 

Meanwhile, the hike of the employment tax credit (jobbskatteavdraget) – a tax reduction given to people who pay tax on their job income – is expected to lead to a 3,671 kronor tax cut for people on the median salary of 462,000 kronor per year.

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