Sweden will support Denmark in the EU Court of Justice to have the minimum wage directive annulled.
The decision is the result of the Government risking a majority with Social Democrats and Swedish Democrats against it in the Riksdag.
"We have now received the Danish submission and have done a first analysis. Our preliminary assessment is that Sweden should be able to join Denmark's action. It is in Sweden's interest as a Member State to very clearly defend the Swedish model", writes Deputy Minister of Labor Paulina Brandberg in a comment to TT.
She adds:
"We will inform the parties of the Riksdag as soon as our final analysis is completed.".
Both the Swedish Democrats and the Social Democrats have demanded that the government back up Denmark's action against the directive in the EU court. Labor Minister Johan Pehrson (Liberals) stated yesterday that it changes the playing field and that it may force the government to intervene in the court to support Denmark.
The previous line was that the government would investigate how the directive could best be implemented in Swedish legislation, but not combat it.
Magnus Persson, Chairman (Swedish Democrats) of Parliament's Labor Market Committee, says to TT that he made it clear to the government that Swedish Democrats were ready to support an initiative from Social Democrats in the Riksdag. After long discussions yesterday, the government changed its mind and decided to take part in Denmark in the EU Court, according to Persson.
"I explained to the government that we would support an initiative from Social Democrats", says Magnus Persson and notes that the government then concluded that they would lose in the matter in the Riksdag.
The government has a Social Democrat-initiative with today's announcement.