Åkesson: Okay with a Muslim Prime Minister

On Tuesday morning, an interview with Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson was broadcast on national radio’s P3. There, he was asked if he could consider a devout Muslim as prime minister in a future government.

In the wake of Sweden Democrat Richard Jomshof’s statements about Islam, the debate surrounding the religion has once again intensified. Meanwhile, left-wing parties are doing what they can to court immigrant votes ahead of the election with campaigns in Arabic and Somali.

Islam was also discussed in the interview with Jimmie Åkesson on Morgonpasset in P3 on Tuesday morning. During a quick question segment, the SD leader was asked whether it is wrong for someone to be both prime minister and a devout Muslim.

– No, Åkesson replied.

The hosts later returned to the question and asked him to elaborate on his answer. Åkesson then explained that he regards religion as a private matter.

– Faith in Sweden is indeed a private matter, he said, stating that he does not interfere in what people believe.

When the hosts asked if he therefore thinks it’s okay for a devout Muslim to be Sweden’s prime minister, Åkesson answered that it is “completely okay.” However, Åkesson made a clear distinction between religious conviction and political demands.

– What’s interesting is if that is combined with introducing Sharia laws in Sweden. That, on the other hand, I do not think is okay, he said.

Challenging the Social Democrats

The statement comes as the Sweden Democrats are in the middle of the election campaign, seeking further growth. During the interview, Åkesson said that the party aims, in the long term, to challenge the Social Democrats’ position as Sweden’s largest party. He also said he sees a need for a new people’s party that stands on “the working Swede’s side.”

The interview also touched on issues such as migration, permanent residence permits, SD’s proposal for a state-run pedophile register, and the party’s election campaigns. Åkesson also defended the party’s advertising about repatriation, saying it is not a human right to avoid being offended by political messages.

P3 and Jimmie Åkesson, in particular, are an interesting combination. The SD leader has previously directed harsh criticism toward the channel. In connection with an interview on the same program ahead of the 2018 election, he called it a ‘crappy channel’ and said that if he himself were head of Swedish Radio, he would close down P3, whose content he described as ‘left-liberal nonsense through and through.’