Free Republic

Louise Meijer, an MP for Sweden’s centrist Moderate party, apologised to voters for her previous position on open borders. She regrets “making mistakes” by “pleading for openness and refugees [being] welcome”, she says. Meijer says she “changed her mind” over her views, in an opinion piece for Expressen this week. “Now, instead, I am advocating an even stricter migration policy than the one I opposed at the time,” she says. Political sentiments around migration have shifted swiftly in Sweden, with now even leaders of the Social Democrats saying they favour more strict migration policies. Sweden today is a “completely different...

The Swedish municipality of Bengtsfors has petitioned the national government for aid due to massive costs incurred taking in more migrants than the municipality could afford. Local Moderate Party politician Stig Bertilsson said the multi-page letter was clear in identifying the cause of the budget deficit as being related to the large number of “new Swedes” taken in and requested aid to cover the costs, SVT reports. “Costs in municipalities that have received new arrivals have continued to be substantial even when government revenues have stopped. This creates a large negative hole in the municipal cash register,” Bertilsson said. When...

For the third time since elections just over two months ago, an attempt will be made to form a new government this week in Sweden. The leader of the "Right" bloc Ulf Kristersson is set for his second try. His Moderate Party with its 70 seats and the Christian Democrats with their 22 seats are proposing a minority government in the 349 seat Parliament (Riksdag). They are hoping other parties will give their support without joining the government but the "Left" bloc is opposed along with some of "Right" parties, the Liberals and Center, if the Sweden Democrats vote to...

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Centre-right opposition leader Fredrik Reinfeldt, who has pledged to cut taxes and trim the welfare state, formally became Sweden's new prime minister on Thursday after winning a vote in parliament.Reinfeldt got 175 votes in his favor and 169 against in the 349-seat parliament, had been expected after he led a four-party alliance to victory in a September 17 election.Reinfeldt, who leads the Moderate Party, will on Friday formally lay out his government's plans for the next four years and present his cabinet. He will launch a budget on October 16. The coalition includes the Folk Liberal...