There were happy faces on the steps outside the university building on Monday morning when Philip Sandberg (L) took the floor to announce that the Environmental Party had joined the newly formed constellation “Mitteninitiativet”.
– We become the largest constellation in that we also have an electoral cooperation with the Left Party, says Philip Sandberg.
The electoral cooperation means that the Left Party votes for the constellation in exchange for a number of positions and assignments within the municipality.
Together, the Liberals, FörNyaLund, the Center Party and the Green Party collect 25 mandates out of the 33 required for a majority. With the Left Party’s votes in the vote on new governance at Tuesday’s municipal council, there will be 32 mandates – which they hope will be enough to get the most votes.
– If S, M and KD are to govern, it requires active support from SD. That would mean that Anders Almgren would become Sweden’s first social democratic municipal board chairman who governs with the active support of SD, and that could probably make even Magdalena Andersson put the coffee down her throat, says Philip Sandberg.
M, S and KD need SD
Last Friday, the Social Democrats announced that they planned to govern together with the Moderates and the Christian Democrats. Together, the parties gather 27 seats out of the 33 required to govern. As recently as Friday, it was unclear how they would get enough votes in the municipal council.
After today’s announcement that the Green Party and the Left Party support the Mitteninitiative, only the Sweden Democrats’ six mandates remain, which would give a majority in the municipal council.
From the Sweden Democrats’ side, they are open to that solution, but must decide at a members’ meeting on Monday evening.
– If the Social Democrats change their mind so that they can negotiate with us, maybe we can support that side, says the party’s group leader Magnus Liljeroth (SD).
Moves press conference
The Social Democrats, Moderates and Christian Democrats had originally called a press conference on Monday to present their proposal for a new government, but announced after Mitteninitiativet’s announcement that the press conference would be moved to Tuesday.
SVT Nyheter Skåne is looking for the Social Democrats in Lund.