Sweden has a new government after weeks of political horse-trading following the the election in September. Ulf Kristersson’s Moderates will lead a centre-right coalition with the Christian Democrats and the Liberals. But it will govern with support from the Sweden Democrats, who won a fifth of votes in recent polls.
Under the leadership of Jimmie Åkesson, the Sweden Democrats has managed to move away from its racist and violent image and gained no less than 20.5% of the popular vote. And, as expected given the Sweden Democrats’ policy platform, immigration, law and order and the Swedish penal system are high on the new government’s agenda.
According to a statement of government policy published on October 18, the “possibility of renting prison places abroad will be investigated”.
