A CHANCE TO PLAY THE GAME?

In the nationwide debate on lowering the alcohol tax with 40 per cent, which has been suggested by the government ordered report in order to save the monopoly, a good opportunity has arised for the opposition to cause the government some trouble.

In favour of such a change is the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party, while their fellows in the Centre Party and the Christian Democratic Party opposes it. This means that such a change would be difficult to pull through even for a centre-right government. However, the ever ruling Social Democrats are also in favour of this policy change, but their problem is that their supporting parties (the Communists and the Greens) are against, and they need their support to continue to govern. This is were the chance to cause trouble lies. The Conservative party could submit a motion to parliament that suggests lowering the tax with exactly 40 per cent. They'd obviously get the Liberal Party with them, but it would put the government in a difficult position. Either they vote in favour - after all they've claimed to want this change themselves - and thereby risk losing the support of the Communists and the Greens, or they vote against which will make them seem inconsequencial and hungry for power. The worst thing that can happen for the Conservatives is to get the motion through. At best they could force a re-election (though that isn't very likely). And either way the vast differences between the parliament majority parties would be brought out in public.

Will the Conservatives take this chance? I think not, but one could always hope. It would bring some much needed life to Swedish politics.

--