Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt pledged to end years of tax cuts that polls show alienated voters focused on education spending as he fights for political survival ahead of September elections.
“We could very well consider taking further measures but public finances are superior to all else and that’s our starting point,” Reinfeldt said today at a press conference in Stockholm. “That means that we won’t push through any more tax cuts in 2015 and 2016 and as it looks right now there won’t be any further tax cuts in all of the next mandate period.”
Reinfeldt, who has cut income taxes five times and corporate taxes twice since coming to power in 2006, is now adjusting his policies as his four-party coalition trails the Social Democratic-led opposition in the polls by more than 15 percentage points. Some polls suggest voters are concerned that Reinfeldt’s measures have undercut efforts to improve education, employment and health care.
Read more