Left Party: Better Kristersson Than a Centre-Party Deal
The Left Party's deputy leader says a centre-right prime minister is better than a Social Democrat government forced into right-wing policies, after Magdalena Andersson left her party out of a planned coalition.
SWEDEN - The Left Party's deputy leader says Sweden would be better off with Ulf Kristersson as prime minister than with a Social Democrat government forced into right-wing policies by the Centre Party.
Ida Gabrielsson made the remark on Monday morning, the day after Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson presented a plan to govern with the Centre Party and the Greens while leaving the Left Party outside.
On her way into parliament, Gabrielsson told the news agency TT that the Centre Party had committed a "big betrayal" and opened the door to the Sweden Democrats.
"If you are going to have a right-wing package, it is better that Ulf Kristersson is prime minister," she said.
No talks on the package
Gabrielsson said the Left Party will not negotiate with the Social Democrats over the full package that Centre leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist has demanded by Friday. The party has a congress decision to vote against any government it is not part of, and that decision stands.
"Our door is still open if they want to pursue centre-left policies and if the Centre Party shuts the door on the Sweden Democrats," she said. Having opened that door, she argued, the Centre Party is trying to blackmail the left into carrying out its right-wing agenda.
She compared the offer to the deal former Centre leader Annie Lööf turned down in 2018, with the Left Party kept outside the government.
READ ALSO: Swedish Left Bids for Power - Vows to Keep Sweden Democrats Out
"A failure for all four"
Senior Social Democrat Anders Ygeman answered on public broadcaster SVT. He hopes the Left Party will "take the opportunity to reflect" and said it would be a failure for all four parties if their 176 seats are not turned into political power.
He also warned that a Centre Party switch to a right-wing government depending on the Sweden Democrats would be an "incredible betrayal" of Centre voters.
The tabloid Expressen describes the Centre Party as split. According to anonymous sources, Thand Ringqvist wants to move right towards the Moderates while senior figure Martin Ă…dahl is resisting. Party secretary Hannes Hervieu would only say the party is having "good discussions".
Two failed prime minister votes
Since the 13 September election, the red-green parties plus the Centre Party hold 176 seats and the Tidö parties on the right 173. Andersson lost a prime minister vote on 15 October and Thand Ringqvist lost hers on 3 November.
Speaker Andreas Norlén then gave Kristersson the task of exploring a government and extended it on 6 November without a new deadline.
The same day, Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Ă…kesson dropped his demand for cabinet posts and offered to tolerate a four-party centre-right government. The Centre Party answered by demanding full policy packages from both the Social Democrats and the Moderates by Friday 13 November.
Andersson's Sunday plan was her reply, and it has now split the red-green camp in the open.
Simon Kristoffersson · Responsible Publisher & Senior Editor (Ansvarig utgivare)
Simon Kristoffersson is the Legally Responsible Publisher (Ansvarig utgivare) and Senior Investigative Editor of Samnytt and Samnytt News under Sweden's Constitutional Freedom of the Press Act, specializing in courts, organized crime, municipal governance, and public-sector investigations.
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