Sweden Democrats take key committee chair from Christian Democrats

The Sweden Democrats have taken the chairmanship of Parliament’s social affairs committee from the Christian Democrats, prompting disappointment in the Christian Democrat parliamentary group, SVT reports. The change has also highlighted a contest between the parties over healthcare and welfare policy.

Welfare issues are central to the Christian Democrats, who held the social affairs committee chairmanship during the previous parliamentary term and also had the social affairs minister in government. One Christian Democrat MP told SVT the party had wanted to keep the committee role.

Committee chairmanships are distributed through agreements between parties. After the red-green bloc agreed which committees it wanted to lead, the parties on the right made their choices using a whole-number method. The Moderates chose the defence committee first, followed by the Sweden Democrats, who selected the social affairs committee. Sweden Democrat Linda Lindberg, the party’s outgoing parliamentary group leader, is now its chair.

“We are happy to take responsibility for welfare issues, and we have done so well in the social affairs committee this parliamentary term,” Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch told SVT.

Members of both parties say the Sweden Democrats are seeking a stronger role in welfare policy. Healthcare has traditionally been contested by the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats, and is a recurring focus for the Christian Democrats during election campaigns. A person involved in lobbying in the sector told SVT that the Sweden Democrats had shown interest in healthcare policy for several years.

A senior Sweden Democrat said welfare issues would become more important as the party appears set to remain outside government. The party expects political debate over the coming four years to focus partly on issues such as rising healthcare waiting lists and the working conditions of healthcare staff.

Busch said the Christian Democrats would seek to remain influential on healthcare. She said the party now holds the health minister post and wants to help bring about a “paradigm shift” in elder care, healthcare and schools.