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SWEDEN ELECTS

What’s next in Swedish politics: Key dates to keep an eye on in 2023

Everything from EU summits to budget bills – here are the key political dates to put in your diary in Sweden this year.

Published: 2 January 2023 07:53 CET
a man writing in a calendar
Make sure you don't miss these political events in Sweden. Photo: Christine Olsson/TT

January 1st: Sweden to assume the EU presidency, a task that rotates among the member states every six months. Here’s a list of the top priorities for the next six months with Sweden at the helm.

January 8th-10th: The annual Folk och Försvar (“Society and Defence”) conference to be held at the Sälen ski resort. Expected to attend are as usual some of the top names in the world of security and defence, including Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

January 12th-13th: The EU Commission to visit Sweden.

January 17th: Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to present Sweden’s presidency at the EU Parliament in Strasbourg. On the same day, Sweden will chair a meeting of the EU’s finance ministers in Brussels.

January 18th: Party leader debate in the Swedish parliament, the first one of 2023.

January 25th-27th: Informal meeting of the EU’s justice, home affairs and migration ministers in Stockholm.

February 2nd-4th: The Centre Party to hold an extraordinary conference in Helsingborg to elect a new party leader, who will succeed Annie Lööf.

February 9th: The Swedish Central Bank to announce its latest decision on the interest rate, whether to leave it unchanged, raise it or lower it.

February 9th-10th: Summit of the EU’s heads of state and government in Brussels. On the same dates, the EU’s foreign aid ministers will have an informal meeting in Stockholm.

February 15th: The Swedish parliament to debate foreign policy.

February 21st-22nd: Informal meeting of the EU’s energy and transport ministers in Stockholm.

March 1st-2nd: Informal meeting of the EU’s defence ministers in Stockholm.

March 2nd-3rd: Informal meeting of the EU’s foreign affairs ministers in Stockholm.

March 9th-10th: Informal meeting of the EU’s trade ministers in Stockholm.

March 17th-19th: The Liberals’ party conference in Linköping.

March 21st: The deadline for submitting spring bills to parliament before the summer.

March 23rd-24th: Summit of the EU’s heads of state and government in Brussels.

March 24th-25th: The Moderates’ party conference in Karlstad.

April 14th-15th: The Christian Democrats’ party conference in Örebro.

April 17th: The government to present its spring budget bill.

April 18th-19th: Informal meeting of the EU’s climate ministers in Stockholm.

April 26th: The Central Bank to announce its latest decision on the interest rate.

April 28th-29th: Informal meeting of the EU’s finance ministers and central bank bosses in Stockholm.

May 4th-5th: Informal meeting of the EU’s ministers of employment and health in Stockholm.

May 31st-June 3rd: Järva Week, the annual political festival in Stockholm’s northern suburbs.

June 6th: The national day of Sweden and 500 years since Gustav Vasa was elected King of Sweden.

June 11th-13th: Informal meeting of the EU’s agriculture and fishery ministers in Stockholm.

June 14th: Party leader debate in parliament.

June 21st: The last day of parliament before the summer recess.

June 22nd: Informal meeting of EU ministers in Stockholm.

June 27th-July 1st: Sweden’s annual political festival Almedalen Week in Visby.

June 29th-30th: Summit of the EU’s heads of state and government in Brussels.

June 29th: The Central Bank to announce its latest decision on the interest rate.

July 1st: Spain takes over the EU presidency from Sweden.

July 11th-12th: Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

July 31st: The deadline for an ongoing inquiry into potentially introducing labour market testing for work permits.

September 1st: A reform of Sweden’s system of coordination numbers to come into force. Click here to read more about it in The Local’s article.

September 12th: Parliament reopens after the summer recess.

September 15th: 50 years since Carl XVI Gustaf became King of Sweden.

September 20th: The government to present its budget bill.

September 23rd: The Central Bank to announce its latest decision on the interest rate.

September 28th-October 1st: The Centre Party’s conference in Örebro.

October 18th: Party leader debate in parliament.

October 19th-22nd: The Moderates’ party conference in Umeå

October 26th-27th: Summit of the EU’s heads of state and government in Brussels.

November 10th-12nd: The Christian Democrats’ party conference in Helsingborg.

November 15th: The Swedish parliament to debate EU politics.

November 17th-19th: The Green Party’s conference in Örebro. The Liberals will hold their party conference in Linköping on the same dates.

November 23rd: The Central Bank to announce its latest decision on the interest rate.

November 23rd-26th: The Sweden Democrats’ party conference. Location to be announced.

December 14th-15th: Summit of the EU’s heads of state and government in Brussels.

The dates above are based on information provided by Swedish news agency TT, with a couple of extra dates that readers of The Local may be particularly interested in.

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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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