#publisher alternate (BUTTON) Close Skip to main content sign in * Saved for later * Comment activity * Edit profile * Email preferences * Change password * Sign out subscribe search dating more from the guardian: * dating * jobs change edition: * switch to the UK edition switch to the US edition switch to the AU edition International * switch to the UK edition * switch to the US edition * switch to the Australia edition The Guardian * home * › world * › europe * US * americas * asia * australia * africa * middle east * cities * development * home * UK * world selected * sport * football * opinion * culture * business * lifestyle * fashion * environment * tech * travel browse all sections close Sweden Anti-immigrant party pushes Sweden to brink of political chaos Sweden’s election authority says it is getting ready for snap elections as far right prepares to vote with opposition, potentially forcing centre-left government to fall Sweden's prime minister Stefan Löfven Sweden’s prime minister Stefan Löfven faces pressure over immigration from the far right. Photograph: Tt News Agency/Reuters David Crouch in Gothenburg Wednesday 3 December 2014 12.44 GMT Last modified on Wednesday 3 December 2014 16.24 GMT * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share via Email * Share on Pinterest * Share on LinkedIn * Share on Google+ * Share on WhatsApp This article is 1 year old Sweden is on the brink of political chaos after the far right said it would exploit its kingmaker role in parliament to stop the centre-left coalition from passing a budget, potentially forcing the government to fall. The worst fears of Social Democrats and Greens were realised on Tuesday night when the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats announced they would vote with the centre-right bloc to kill off the government’s financial plans on Wednesday. Even with the votes of the Left party of former communists, the red-green coalition does not command a majority in parliament, making it vulnerable to the far right’s break with tradition to vote with the opposition. “There is an option to try again, there is an option to resign, and there is an option to call new elections,” the prime minister, Stefan Löfven, told Swedish news agency TT after talks with the centre-right broke down. Swedish politics faced a new situation in which the Sweden Democrats believe they can prevent all policies that do not lead to lower immigration, he said, calling the party’s behaviour “exceptionally irresponsible”. The Alliance bloc of four centre-right parties has turned down frequent overtures from Löfven to break rank and strike deals with the government. Many believe they should seize this moment to destroy the red-green government and force Löfven to rule without the Greens or call new elections. A government of Social Democrats alone would be even weaker than the current coalition and would be forced to horse-trade with the centre-right. But the Alliance risks being seen by voters to be relying on the far right to bring down the government. The Sweden Democrats are treated as pariahs by the mainstream parties and the media, but they more than doubled their vote in September elections to almost 13% on the back of rising hostility to immigration. Parliament could return the budget to the finance committee for further deliberation and to buy time, but such a move only makes sense if there is a possibility that Alliance will agree to collaborate. Alliance party leaders have made clear they have no intention of doing so. “It is not the opposition’s responsibility to get the government’s budget through parliament … There are significant differences between our budgets,” Anna Kinberg Batra, interim leader of the Moderate party, the largest in the Alliance, said on Tuesday night. Liberal daily Dagens Nyheter said the prospect for lasting and stable majorities in parliament appeared minimal. “The mainstream parties do not seem to understand each other, and hardly even themselves,” it said. “The Sweden Democrats will act to try to stop any government that chooses to pursue a growth in immigration and gives the Green party a decisive influence on Swedish migration policy,” said Mattias Karlsson, Sweden Democrats’ leader in parliament, at a press conference on Wednesday. “It is reasonable to speak to us and hear what our more than 800,000 voters think.” Newspapers and television channels interrupted live transmission of the Sweden Democrats’ press conference in a mark of mainstream outrage that the far right should exploit the situation to push its demand to slash immigration by 90% from its current high levels as refugees flee conflict in Syria, Somalia and Iraq. One tabloid called it “a PR coup” by the Sweden Democrats. Parliament begins voting on the different parties’ budget proposals at 3pm GMT. Sweden’s election authority said it was preparing for snap elections and had put in an order for 6m ballot envelopes. Sweden has a long history of minority governments because the opposition has traditionally opted not to unite behind a common alternative budget, enabling the Social Democrats for long periods to reign in the minority. “A government without a budget is no government, and Stefan Löfven has already made it clear that he would rather resign than rule with the Alliance’s budget,” wrote commentator Göran Eriksson in Svenska Dagbladet, a rightwing daily. As the sense of crisis surrounding the government grew over the past weeks, the paper repeatedly called on the government to quit. __________________________________________________________________ More news Topics * Sweden * Europe __________________________________________________________________ * Share on Facebook * Share on Twitter * Share via Email * Share on Pinterest * Share on LinkedIn * Share on Google+ * Share on WhatsApp * Reuse this content View all comments > comments Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion. This discussion is closed for comments. We’re doing some maintenance right now. You can still read comments, but please come back later to add your own. Commenting has been disabled for this account (why?) 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But they hope to win 18% of the vote next time, and in their Kristianstad stronghold their past is no obstacle to success Published: 14 Dec 2014 (BUTTON) The rise of the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats: ‘We don’t feel at home any more, and it’s their fault’ * Can Swedish politicians avert a meltdown on immigration? Andrew Brown Andrew Brown: Sweden’s historical openness to immigrants is under threat and its fragile coalition set to break up after nationalists fail to agree budget Published: 3 Dec 2014 (BUTTON) Can Swedish politicians avert a meltdown on immigration? * A brief history of immigration in Sweden Sweden faces a snap election for the first time since 1958. The far-right Sweden Democrats refuse to cooperate with anyone that doesn’t slash immigration. We took a closer look at the figures behind the furore Published: 11 Dec 2014 (BUTTON) A brief history of immigration in Sweden popular The Guardian back to top * home * UK * world selected * sport * football * opinion * culture * business * lifestyle * fashion * environment * tech * travel all sections close * home * UK + education + media + society + law + scotland + wales + northern ireland * world selected + europe + US + americas + asia + australia + africa + middle east + cities + development * sport + football + cricket + rugby union + F1 + tennis + golf + cycling + boxing + racing + rugby league * football + live scores + tables + competitions + results + fixtures + clubs * opinion + columnists * culture + film + tv & radio + music + games + books + art & design + stage + classical * business + economics + banking + retail + markets + eurozone * lifestyle + food + health & fitness + love & sex + family + women + home & garden * fashion * environment + climate change + wildlife + energy + pollution * tech * travel + UK + europe + US + skiing * money + property + savings + pensions + borrowing + careers * science * professional networks * the observer * today's paper + editorials & letters + obituaries + g2 + weekend + the guide + saturday review * sunday's paper + comment + the new review + observer magazine * membership * crosswords + blog + editor + quick + cryptic + prize + quiptic + genius + speedy + everyman + azed * video * World * › Sweden IFRAME: /email/form/footer/37 * Facebook * Twitter * Facebook * Twitter * all topics * all contributors * solve technical issue * complaints & corrections * terms & conditions * privacy policy * cookie policy * securedrop © 2016 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 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