It's not gray in Kristersson's land - it's pitch black

Lena Mellin 

Kristersson's Sweden is not grey According to the prime minister, the situation is night black 

Published: Less than 2 hours ago 

Updated: Less than 40 min ago 

This is a commenting text. Analysis and positions are the writer's. 

COLUMNISTS 

It is not gray in Ulf Kristersson's Sweden. 

It is pitch black. 

The Swedish people must prepare for tough times, he warns. 

After the probate council with the king at the Palace, Ulf Kristersson (M) took over responsibility for the political leadership of the country. 

By his side, he has 23 ministers from the three parties M, KD and L. In addition to Kristersson, only two of them have served in a government before, Foreign Minister Tobias Billström (M) and Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson (M). 

In his government statement, Ulf Kristersson gave his view of the situation in Sweden and what his government will achieve in the next four years. 

One can claim without the slightest exaggeration that reality has undergone a dramatic change according to Ulf Kristersson's description. 

Then the big problem was the incumbent government which not only did the wrong things but also at an almost criminally slow pace. That is no longer the case. 

Not at all actually. The newly elected Prime Minister asked the Swedish people to "prepare for tough times". 

In Kristersson's Sweden, it was easier during the previous government's time - then it was only the one who was at fault. 

 

Ebba Busch, Ulf Kristersson, Johan Pehrson with the other councilors in the background. Photo: Lotte Fernvall 

Throughout the election campaign, Ulf Kristersson said that he, however, wanted to get something done. He didn't say it was time to roll up your sleeves and get going. But that was how he was understood.

Now the prime minister's focus is on intractable crises. 

- Let me therefore speak plainly today. The government that now takes office takes over responsibility for a country that is in several parallel crises. 

Serious crime. 

The coming recession. 

The energy crisis, above all the high prices. 

An environment that is the most insecure since the Second World War. 

The underlying message is crystal clear. The world is nasty. Anything can happen. Therefore, it may not be exactly as we said during the election. The priorities may be different.

The first election promise has already been broken. The money that would cover the worst electricity bills of households and businesses will not be in place on November 1 as the four parties in the government document carelessly promised in the election. This was acknowledged by Minister of Business and Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch the other day. 

The next promise that can be brushed off is the reductions in income tax that the Moderates promised. 

Now Ulf Kristersson's message is that the budget should not be expansive: 

- Fiscal policy (the government's economic policy) must not fuel inflation. 

The tax cuts seem far away. 

What will be introduced, however, is the barrage of repressive measures aimed at criminals, asylum seekers and labor immigrants - except for the highly educated. For them, it will be a little easier. 

All in all, there are few bright spots in Ulf Kristersson's political sky. War, soaring prices, language control of toddlers, rearmament. 

It's not just gray in Kristersson's Sweden. It is pitch black.

In the surveys carried out by Aftonbladet/Demoskop on the most important issues in politics, the moderates have received high marks from the voters for their energy and climate policy. 

It has probably depended more on their compact support behind nuclear power and less on the climate policy the party wanted to implement. 

A series of laws regulating the expansion of nuclear power must now be abolished and credits given to build new nuclear power. Preferably as soon as possible. 

Even in this area setbacks can be expected. The government's new motto is admittedly not "100 percent renewable". It is "100 percent fossil-free". But new nuclear power takes at least ten years, maybe less, to build. Regardless of what you call the energy. 

The government consists of a total of 24 ministers, 13 moderates, six from KD and five from L. For the first time in ages, perhaps the end of the 1990s, there are more men than women in the government, 13 and eleven respectively.

Romina Pourmokhtari. Photo: EMMA WALLSKOG 

The youngest member can have the most difficult job, 26-year-old Romina Pourmokhtari. She entered the Swedish parliament at the election, is the outgoing chairman of the liberals' youth association Luf and the new climate and environment minister. 

Apart from the fact that it is difficult for anyone to become a minister at that age, Pourmokhtari is fighting on two more fronts.The climate huggers' expectations for epoch-making decisions that drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

And the new government's apparently rather low ambitions in the climate area. Today, the issues are handled by a separate ministry. Soon it will be a department within the Ministry of Economy led by Ebba Busch.