Swedish Finance Minister Andersson Clinches Key Deal for PM Bid
Swedish Finance Minister Andersson Clinches Key Deal for PM Bid
(Bloomberg) -- Sweden’s Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson sealed a last-minute deal with an ex-communist party that threatened to block her from becoming the largest Nordic nation’s prime minister.
The agreement with the Left Party late Tuesday entails a plan to raise pensions for the retirees who receive the lowest level of payouts, according to website statements. It also outlines how Andersson’s minority government will work with the opposition party.
Barring any surprises, the deal paves the way for the 54-year old Andersson to become Sweden’s first female prime minister, 100 years after women in the Nordic nation were able to exercise full voting rights.
In exchange for the concessions from the government, the Left won’t seek to block the Social Democrat leader in the voting that is scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Andersson, who has been finance minister since 2014, still faces an uncertain budget vote in parliament on Wednesday afternoon. Her government only controls about a third of the seats and as her spending proposal for next year will be pitted against an opposition bill, the cabinet will need active support from the Left as well as a center-right party to prevail.
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