In the end, it was unclear how the vote on the government’s spring budget would go. The political savage Amineh Kakabaveh had the decision in her hand and gave no message before she entered the Riksdag plenary hall on Wednesday afternoon.
But when the votes were counted, it was clear that Amineh Kakabaveh put her vote on the government’s proposal, which was also supported by MPs, C and V. With the votes 174-173, the government could thus get through the last budget of the term.
– To say no to this would be very, very difficult for me in principle. I am a socialist, I want poor people to also receive increased pensions, says Amineh Kakabaveh.
She says she does not has received some new promises from S before the decision. Earlier, she demanded that the government promise not to export arms to Turkey.
– I have to trust that this with arms exports is not just an issue for the Social Democrats, but an issue for the Swedish people’s soul. That we do not want our weapons to kill civilians in other countries.
The fact that it was Kakabaveh who decided on the budget issue is due to the extremely even parliamentary situation that has characterized this entire term of office. Kakabaveh has been politically wild since 2019 when she was threatened with exclusion from her then party, the Left Party. Since the Liberals left the January collaboration last summer, she thus became the leader between the right-wing opposition and the parties that support an S-led government.
Minister of Finance Mikael Damberg says the government has not made any concessions to Amineh Kakabaveh but believes she chose to vote according to her convictions. He is pleased that the government has now got its budget through.
– This was the pensioners’ day in the end. This is especially important when food prices have risen sharply recently, says Mikael Damberg.
The key issue in recent rounds about the budget has been pensions. Against the government’s proposal was an alternative solution from the Moderates, the Christian Democrats, the Liberals and the Sweden Democrats. The outcome of the budget vote means that the guarantee pension will now be increased by SEK 1,000 from August and that the housing supplement will be increased by SEK 100.
– It is a necessary reform to strengthen the economy for pensioners with low incomes, says Mikael Damberg.
At the same time, he admits that the recent turmoil over the budget may have damaged the credibility of the political system. Last week, the opposition stopped the Social Democrats from submitting their proposal to the Riksdag’s Finance Committee. The odd solution was that the parties that support the government then voted against their own proposal and that the entire budget vote was postponed by one week.
– It is clear that this is not good and that people are shaking their heads. But this vote showed that there was a majority in favor of the government’s proposal to increase pensions. It would have been even more strange if that proposal had not become a reality.
After the pension proposal from S, V, MP and C won the vote in the Riksdag, left-wing party members voted in applause outside the House – something very unusual.
– This is a fantastic day, we have been fighting for this for months and now we are finally here. This is the biggest thing I have done in the Riksdag, and the biggest increase in the guarantee pension ever made, says party leader Nooshi Dadgostar.
The background is to heal The discussion about the pension increase began with a demand from the Left Party in the autumn, as a condition for Magdalena Andersson to be supported as Prime Minister by V.
M-leader Ulf Kristersson believes that the vote on pensions and the amending budget was symptomatic of the parliamentary instability of the term of office.
– The government has used silver tape to bring together the Left Party, the Center Party and a political savage and then manages to win with one vote. My side had a serious process while the government clings on with the help of a political savage, says Ulf Kristersson.
He regrets that the proposal from M, SD, KD and L fell, a proposal that according to Kristersson stuck to the line of work, unlike the government.
Facts: The pension part
The pension part of the spring amendment budget that has now been voted through by the Riksdag is a combination of the Government’s, C, V, and MP’s pension proposals
In short, the proposal means that the guarantee pension will be increased by SEK 1,000 (800 after tax) in the month from August. The first payment may take some time.
The minimum guarantee pension for single people would thus be approximately SEK 9,800 a month.
Consumption support in the housing supplement will be increased by SEK 100 from October.
It is proposed that the strengthened employment tax deduction for people over the age of 65 be increased in 2023.
A “gas” in the pension system that increases pensions in good economic times must be investigated.
Source: TT
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Facts: More from the spring budget
A short summary of some of the previously known proposals that are in the spring amendment budget:
Increased pension for those with low pension: SEK 4.2 billion (billion)
Temporarily increased housing allowance, families with children: SEK 0.5 billion
Extended electricity price support: SEK 0.9 billion
Money for more care places: 0.5 billion
Refugee reception: 10.3 billion
Other measures, refugees: SEK 0.2 billion
Money for covid vaccination: 1.2 billion
Money for more freight transport by rail: SEK 0.7 billion
Increased allocation climate bonus for electric cars: SEK 3.9 billion
Compensation to companies for sick pay costs: SEK 5.8 billion
Higher costs, temporary parental benefit / pregnancy benefit: SEK 1.1 billion
Tax reduction, diesel in agriculture: 0.8 billion
Support, pig and poultry farmers, greenhouses: SEK 0.3 billion
Source: Ministry of Finance. TT.
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