STOCKHOLM (AP) — A right-wing populist who won the second-most votes in Sweden’s general election last month won the chairmanship of 4 parliamentary committees Saturday, giving him the ability to exert more influence on mainstream Swedish politics.
The positions to be held by the Swedish Democratic lawmakers include chairing the Riksdag’s Justice, Foreign Affairs, Trade Affairs and Labour Market committees.
“This is for us a milestone in the history of the party,” Swedish public broadcaster SVT said lawmaker Richard Jomshof, a Swedish Democrat who will be the next chairman of the justice committee. that we are the biggest party at the moment in Sweden. “
In addition to the 4 presidencies, the party has the right to appoint the vice-chairmen of the parliamentary committees on civil affairs, traffic, defense and taxation.
The nationalist and anti-immigration Sweden Democrats rooted in the neo-Nazi movement are part of the right-wing bloc that won a narrow majority in the Riksdag in the September 11 elections.
Decisions on the posts were announced on Friday jointly through the 4 center-right parties that are in talks to form a coalition government. The Sweden Democrats, who are among the 4, announced their nominees on Saturday.
Ulf Kristersson, the leader of the center-right moderates, the third-placed component, was tasked with forming a government that could have the Sweden Democrats as part of a governing coalition or at least the component to secure a majority in parliament.
Kristersson has until Oct. 12 to communicate the effects of his party talks to Parliament Speaker Andreas Norlen.