For the past few weeks, the government has been holding double cabinet meetings every week, one on Tuesdays and one on Thursdays.
According to Ulf Kristersson, this is to make time for all the legislative proposals that will be put before the Riksdag ahead of the autumn elections.
"This builds on a request that the Riksdag work through the summer, so the Riksdag has time to process all the proposals. Ultimately, the Riksdag must take a position on it, of course, but our demand is quite reasonable," says Kristersson.
Question to the Speaker
The government parties have submitted a request to the Speaker, who will then hold discussions with the parties' group leaders in the Riksdag.
The Riksdag usually closes in mid-June and does not formally open until after the elections on September 13.
If the request is approved, the Tidö parties, according to information provided to TT, envisage that committees will begin work on bills at the end of July and then produce final reports around mid-August, so that the Riksdag can vote during the last week of August.
"We are putting a lot of effort into accelerating reforms that we believe have broad support. We also want the Riksdag to take a slightly shorter summer break," says Kristersson.
He mentions, among other things, criminal justice reform and laws such as "Lex Lilla hjärtat." There are also around 60 bills from the Ministry of Justice to be considered.
Causes some irritation
Members of parliament are often out in their constituencies and campaigning during the summer, especially in an election year.
The Social Democrats' group leader Lena Hallengren says that the Social Democrats are always prepared to work hard, especially in an election year, but she thinks that the government and the Sweden Democrats (SD) have dragged their feet.
"My analysis is that the government is extremely panicked. Why else would they feel it is so important to make a decision a couple of weeks before election day instead of a couple of weeks after election day? It is probably because they have lost the election in the meantime."
During the term, a number of votes have been canceled and committee meetings have been redundant because there have been no policies to decide on, according to Hallengren.
"I have only been a group leader this term, but this has never happened. This is a new practice."
"It actually gives off more desperation than seriousness."
