"Now the election campaign begins in earnest"

On Saturday afternoon, SD leader Jimmie Åkesson traditionally gave his summer speech in his hometown of Sölvesborg.

On Sunday, it was time for first Ulf Kristersson (M) and then Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson (S) to step into the rostrum in Strängnäs and Gothenburg respectively in the sweltering summer heat.

With only four weeks left until election day, the election campaign is thus starting in earnest.

Based on this weekend's summer speech, conclusions can also be drawn about how the major parties want to run the election campaign.

Both which areas of conflict you are looking for and which you want to avoid, both how you want to win new voters and how you want to keep the ones you already have.

"Linking crime to immigration"

SD leader Jimmie Åkesson did not unexpectedly raise crime in yesterday's summer speech.

The Sweden Democrats link crime to immigration, which they accuse other parties of having mismanaged.

In the election campaign, the party will push demands for tougher penalties, more deportations and that convicts should be able to serve their sentences abroad.

At the same time, both SD and the Moderates criticize the government for having failed to break the negative trend.

The government's measures against crime have been insufficient, they believe.

The hope is to win over voters who are worried about social development and who believe that a new government is better placed to solve the problems.

"Problematic issue for the Social Democrats"

And crime is a problematic issue for the Social Democrats, who have been in power since 2014. Therefore, Magdalena Andersson makes crime a main issue for the party in the election campaign.

Her summer speech on Sunday largely revolved around gang crime and shootings.

A number of different measures were presented, for example double punishment for weapons offenses and the possibility for the police to search houses without concrete criminal suspicion.

The purpose of these proposals is to show the voters that, even with an S-led government, action will be taken against the crimes.

In this way, the Social Democrats hope to be able to neutralize their political opponents in the election campaign.

Whether it succeeds remains to be seen.

Ulf Kristersson of course has the opposite interest.

Therefore, he already calls the Social Democrats' proposals insufficient and believes that only with moderate politics can the gangs be broken.

In Kristersson's speech, however, it was not only about crime and shootings.

He also raised questions about integration policy and dependency on subsidies.

A main point was also the economic policy, where Kristersson promised reduced taxes with an M-led government.

"Can be difficult to implement"

But both Andersson's and Kristersson's promises may be difficult to implement in the event of an election victory.

Should Andersson build a government with the support of the Green Party and the Left Party, it is not a given that, for example, proposals for tougher penalties and house searches without concrete criminal suspicion will gain acceptance.

The same applies to Ulf Kristersson's tax cuts, which according to the Moderates are to be financed with reduced aid and reduced A-kassa as well as stricter rules in health insurance.

The Sweden Democrats would certainly like to see a reduction in aid, but certainly not a reduction in A-kassa or health insurance.

And neither the Christian Democrats nor the Liberals want to reduce aid.

So even if the first sharp election promises have now been fired, it is still unclear to what extent they will survive a possible government formation.