http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-12/ex-welder-preparing-to-rule-sweden-promises-nordic-welfare-dream.html
Stefan Loefven, a former welder who was raised by foster parents after his mother abandoned him at 10 months, plans to reinstate the traditional pillars of Nordic welfare he says Sweden has lost.
The 57-year-old union boss is closing in on becoming Sweden’s first Social Democratic premier in eight years, according to polls ahead of the Sept. 14 election.
“The reality is working against the government,” said Loefven, who was raised by a lumberjack and a home-care provider after being given up by his biological mother. “There are cracks in the welfare in such a way that people no longer feel safe.”
Perceived as pragmatic and business friendly while heading the IF Metall union, Loefven is now calling for higher payroll taxes and levies on banks to raise unemployment and sickness benefits that were cut by Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. He also plans to outspend Reinfeldt in building railways, housing, improving education and creating public sector jobs to bring down Scandinavia’s highest unemployment rate.
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