Analysis: "V may have already lost the battle for market rents"

In recent days, the Left Party has raised the tone about the proposal for market rents in new production that was presented on Friday.

Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar has warned of sharp rent increases in the entire housing stock if free rent is introduced in new production.

For a long time, the Left Party has also threatened a declaration of no confidence in the government.

The threat remains, Nooshi Dadgostar confirms today, but after Friday's press conference where the inquiry proposal on market rents was presented, it seems less and less likely that a declaration of no confidence can gather a majority in the Riksdag.

The Moderates are skeptical and say they are unwilling to act as "useful idiots" to help the Left Party stop a government proposal that the Moderates basically think is a good change.

The Christian Democrats are even more open in that they do not intend to support the Left Party's demand for a declaration of no confidence.

On the one hand, they do not believe that it will lead to a change of government, which is their goal, and on the other hand, it is too close in time to the regular parliamentary elections next year.

Thus, most things suggest that the Left Party's weapon rattle will not be so much more than just rattle.

May be an election issue for V

In that case, the issue of market rents could become an important issue for the Left Party in the coming election campaign.

Nooshi Dadgostar has already spoken about the investigation proposal on free renting in new production as a "disaster" for the country's tenants.

She also demands talks with Prime Minister Stefan Löfven on the issue, but it is highly uncertain whether he will accept it, given the January agreement's writings that the Left Party should be excluded from all political influence.

At the same time, the issue is complicated for the Social Democrats.

The party has for a long time gone to the polls to criticize market rents.

Now they are about to participate in just such a proposal, which arouses a lot of internal criticism.

Minister of Justice Morgan Johansson (SocDem) therefore did his best on Friday to tone down the significance of this bill.

It will only affect a very small part of the rental stock, was his overall message.

In addition, the Social Democrats want to change the investigation proposal on some important points, among other things to limit the impact on the rent of the residential areas' changed attractiveness.

Painful trial for S

This could create a new political battle between the January parties.

Neither the Center Party nor the Liberals are interested in any changes to the investigation proposal.

On the contrary, they believe that the issue has been negotiated, in that the investigator has complied with the directives that the January parties have previously agreed on.

The Social Democrats, on the other hand, who have always opposed market rents, however, feel a strong need to modify the investigation proposal, not least to be able to respond to criticism from the Left Party, the Tenants' Association and parts of their own party.

Regardless of what changes take place in this proposal, it thus looks like it will be able to pass the Riksdag.

But for the Social Democrats, just as in the las issue, it will be another painful ordeal, which risks tormenting the party in next year's election campaign.