The five-party government of social democrats, the Centre Party, the Greens, the Left Alliance, and the Swedish People’s Party was hit by the worst crisis of its tenure on Tuesday, now risking collapse.
The government has moved from one argument to another but the latest broke out on Tuesday morning when the Centre Party joined ranks with the opposition.
At the centre of the feud is the reform of nature conservation legislation which aims to protect biological diversity better than before. Together with the opposition, the Centre Party voted against two clauses in the parliament’s environment committee and called for better protection of private property.
The move infuriated other cabinet parties which accused the Centre of treason. In retaliation, negotiations for a €100 million farming subsidy were halted.
Part of the reason behind the Centre Party’s decisions is its low 10% ratings just five months ahead of the elections. The parliamentary groups were holding talks during the day and the situation was evolving in the evening. Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who is on a trip to New Zealand, has yet to comment.
(Pekka Vanttinen | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
