The Finnish model: first government documents, then situational picture

The situation seminar that was arranged on Friday is the first time since the election that the party leaders gathered around the same table.

The initiative for the seminar was taken by Center leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist, not by government prober Magdalena Andersson (S).

Thand Ringqvist had gotten the idea from Finland, where the first hours of both the government negotiations and the annual budget negotiations are used for expert assessments of the economic situation and the economic room for action.

In Finland, the seminar is not the first step

Åbo Akademi's professor of political science Kimmo Grönlund points out, however, that there is a significant difference compared to Finland.

- When the government negotiations in Finland have reached such a stage that people gather in the House of Representatives, the government prober has already presented a series of questions to the parties. They have answered them, and based on the answers, the prober has tried to form a future government basis, or at least a likely one, says Grönlund.

The first prober always comes from the largest party in the Riksdag.

The hardest part remains

In Sweden, the basis for the government is still unclear because the Center Party believes that the Left Party should not be allowed to form part of the government. At the same time, the Left Party threatens to withdraw its support if the party does not get ministerial posts.

Sweden has already nailed down the issue of the government's foundation, even though the most important phase according to Grönlund still remains: the negotiations on the government's program.

- In that respect, the Swedes could take after Finland. Agreeing on the government program is the most important thing. It is in those negotiations that you go through the real conflict issues.

According to Grönlund, the biggest challenge for Magdalena Andersson lies in which tax, social and business policy the government should pursue. He assesses that other issues, such as migration, will hardly cause as big a problem.

- It is very difficult to see how Nooshi Dadgostar and Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist can support the same government program. It's certainly not impossible, but it sure looks difficult.