Former S-leader Juholt: Åkesson most skilled party leader

His time as the leader of the Social Democratic Party lasted only a few months. Now, just over a decade later, he believes that the Sweden Democrats’ Jimmie Åkesson is the most rhetorically gifted party leader.

From March 25, 2011, to January 21, 2012. That was the extent of Håkan Juholts time as S-leader. Between 1994 and 2016, he was a member of parliament and later the Swedish ambassador to Iceland and South Africa.

In 2012, Juholt coined the term “klägget” to describe the clique of politicians, journalists, and opinion makers who fraternize and move in the same rosé-soaked circles in Stockholm’s city center with the same opinions and a common disdain for the common people who do not understand what is best for them.

“It’s a smear of those in power within the media and politics who socialize privately. They exchange positions with each other. It’s a clique, they scratch each other’s backs and grow together,” Juholt said in an interview with state radio in 2012.

After the broadcast, he elaborated on his thoughts.

“The Social Democrats are a fantastic movement, but also a power apparatus. Of course, there are people who want power and people close to those who want power. I have a totally undramatic attitude towards it, I might even think it should be that way. It’s like that in all parties – I judge no one. But I wasn’t part of the ‘klägget.’ I didn’t have that network, so it probably went downhill for me faster in the end,” he said.

Åkesson on top

Over a decade has passed since Juholts time at the top of the Social Democratic Party, and today the political landscape looks completely different.

A few days ago, Juholt participated in the Framgångspodden podcast.

Juholt criticizes the fact that Swedish politics has become narrowly focused on punishment, migration, and crime, while the long-term important issues of education, welfare, and infrastructure are being sidelined. He returns to the growing divides in society – which he believes is one of our greatest threats – and emphasizes that investments in equality and education must be at the center for Sweden to be strengthened.

We also discuss school segregation, which Juholt describes as “one of our biggest political failures,” and about gang crime, which he believes can still be turned around but where, according to him, politics is acting too slowly. When the conversation turns to his time as party leader, he is open and self-critical: he trusted the wrong people and should have been tougher – but at the same time, he is proud that he continued to stand on his own without advisors and staff.

When asked who is the most rhetorically skilled party leader today, the answer came quickly:

Full interview: