PM calls crisis talks as budget poised to fail / Sweden’s Prime Minister calls fresh election

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven invited the four centre-right opposition parties to emergency late-night talks on the 2 December 2014 after the nationalist Sweden Democrats' said it would support the centre-right opposition shadow budget bill, and not the government's proposed 2015 budget. The decision rocked Swedish politics and could trigger an election.

It is tradition in Swedish politics that the main opposition party or parties put forward a shadow budget to rival the government's own proposition.

On the 3 December 2014 Sweden's coalition government failed to get its budget through parliament amid a political crisis. Prime Minister Stefan Löfven announced fresh elections, just three months after voters last went to the polls.

• Primary Source

Blog: Open Europe, 02.12.14: Trouble in (the Guardian's) Paradise: anti-immigration party could bring Swedish government down http://www.openeuropeblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/crisis-alert-in-sweden-as-anti.html

ESO: Background information: Swedish general election, 2014 http://www.europeansources.info/record/swedish-general-election-2014/

ESO: Background information: Sweden election: Social Democrats rule out far-right pact http://www.europeansources.info/record/sweden-election-social-democrats-rule-out-far-right-pact/

BBC News, 03.12.14: Sweden heads for polls after Lofven's parliament defeat http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30306992

Euronews, 02.12.14: Swedish government faces budget defeat as PM threatens to resign http://www.euronews.com/2014/12/02/swedish-government-faces-budget-defeat-as-pm-threatens-to-resign/

Deutsche Welle, 03.12.14: Anti-immigration party threatens to topple Swedish government http://dw.de/p/1DyS1

The Local.se, 03.12.14: Sweden's Prime Minister calls fresh election http://www.thelocal.se/20141203/crisis-in-sweden-as-coalition-budget-fails

Deutsche Welle, 03.12.14: Snap election sparked by Swedish government collapse http://dw.de/p/1Dyu5

EurActiv, 03.12.14: Swedish centre-left government collapses http://www.euractiv.com/sections/global-europe/swedish-centre-left-government-collapses-310567

EUObserver, 04.12.14: Far-right party helps to bring down Swedish government http://euobserver.com/political/126789

The Local.se, 04.12.14: Majority of Swedes back snap election in 2015 http://www.thelocal.se/20141204/voters-back-snap-election-as-kesson-mulls-return

Euronews, 03.12.14: Snap election in Sweden after new government’s first budget is defeated http://www.euronews.com/2014/12/03/snap-election-in-sweden-after-new-government-s-first-budget-is-defeated/

The Guardian, 03.12.14: Swedish PM calls first snap vote in 50 years after far-right force budget defeat http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/03/sweden-far-right-democrats-immigration-vote-government

Sputnik International, 03.12.14: Swedish Parliament Rejects Government’s Budget: Reports http://sputniknews.com/politics/20141203/1015461450.html

The Guardian, 03.12.14: Anti-immigrant party pushes Sweden to brink of political chaos http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/03/sweden-coalition-far-right-threatens-block-budget-immigration

Euro|Topics: Main Focus, 04.12.14: Government in Sweden collapses http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/archiv_dossier/DOSSIER154792-Government-in-Sweden-collapses

Upsala Nya Tidning, 05.12.14: Sweden's Social Democrats trip over arrogance (via Euro|Topics) http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/aehnliche/archiv_article/ARTICLE154825-Sweden-s-Social-Democrats-trip-over-arrogance

The Local.se, 05.12.14: Swedish PM: New election isn't my fault http://www.thelocal.se/20141205/swedish-pm-election-crisis-not-my-fault

The Conversation, 04.12.14: Snap election in Sweden proves power of anti-immigration party http://theconversation.com/snap-election-in-sweden-proves-power-of-anti-immigration-party-35050

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