The slowdown of inflation
That inflation is now slowing down is good news for the government. After a restrained time with frugal budgets, it was announced this week that the spending pants are being pulled on. Reforms for 16.8 billion are to be presented in the spring budget in just over two weeks, and this creates strong spring feelings among the Tidöparties. According to sources in the government, the so-called table work is already locked and all bets are decided.
As early as next week, press meetings will begin where the various Tidö parties will be able to present different proposals after a carefully negotiated template. This is something politicians love – it raises their profile and brings attention that the minor parties in particular feel they need.
Content-rich shadow budgets
Lower inflation is also good news for the opposition, which has also been forced to hold back on its policy when inflation was high. Now even those parties can put forward proposals that cost money, which means that their so-called shadow budgets will be richer in content than they have been in the past year.
Sharper debates
Good news for the voters may be that in the spring we can expect sharper political debates about how best to use the money and clearer conflicts on the right-left scale, about, for example, what best creates new jobs – important because unemployment continues to rise and is expected to be at a slightly over 8 percent this year.
NATO membership
Even NATO membership now creates feelings of spring, mainly in the government office, but also among the NATO-friendly opposition. Of course, NATO critics such as environmentalists and leftists are a little less vehement on that issue. They have had difficulty making themselves heard in the still quite fast process, but are now sharpening the arguments around the content of NATO membership. Good news for those who want a continued debate about NATO, one might think.
So there is good news, but it is still thinly spread. Sweden is in a recession, healthcare is on its knees and gang violence is still putting Swedish justice to the test. Great then, that at least winter is over.