Somalis to Swedish Radio: "We Somalis stick together and vote for what we think is best"

The Left Party received between 50 and 60 percent of the votes in large parts of Rinkeby in this autumn’s parliamentary election. Now, residents of the area tell Swedish Radio how the Somali group mobilized to vote for the party. At the same time, a woman testifies to social pressure to vote for a Somali Left Party candidate, and a social worker reports that the party downplays issues of gender equality and LGBTQI in the area.

In a new report from Rinkeby, Swedish Radio examines the background to the Left Party’s remarkable election success in the immigrant-dense Stockholm suburb. The party nearly doubled its voter support and received between 50 and 60 percent of the votes in most of the area’s electoral districts.

One of those interviewed is Hassan, who himself has encouraged other Somalis to vote for the Left Party. He describes how the Somali group sticks together politically.

– Of course we Somalis stick together and vote for what we think is best, he tells Swedish Radio.

The report shows how political mobilization occurs through personal networks, associations, and religious settings. The sense of community within the group is described as an important reason why so many voters have come together behind the same party.

Testimonies about social pressure

But not everyone appreciates the collective mobilization. A woman named Sarah, who lives in the Järva area, tells Swedish Radio that she has experienced social pressure from local leaders to vote for a Somali candidate from the Left Party.

She instead chose to vote for the Social Democrats.

– Being forced is not good, you should be able to choose yourself, she says.

The information has fueled the ongoing debate about the Left Party’s election campaign in immigrant-heavy residential areas. Previously, the Moderates in Rinkeby have accused the party of running an aggressive campaign and intimidating voters. The Left Party’s parliamentary candidate Ilyas Hassan has dismissed the accusations.

The controversies have also had legal consequences. The City of Stockholm has reported suspicions of undue influence in the election to the police following information about the campaign in Järva. The police have launched a preliminary investigation, but the suspicions do not mean that any crime has been established.

Downplaying gender equality and LGBTQI

Another point in Swedish Radio’s report concerns how the Left Party adapts its political message to the voters in the area.

Social worker Mathilda Nejman, who works in Rinkeby-Tensta, feels that the party locally avoids highlighting certain issues that otherwise play a prominent role in its national politics. This involves, among other things, gender equality and LGBTQI issues, which the Left Party likes to profile itself with elsewhere.

Her description raises questions about whether the party is consciously downplaying parts of its ideological profile to win support among more socially conservative voter groups. However, this is Nejman’s assessment of the local campaign, not something the party itself confirms in the report.

Moderate politician: “It’s not a right-wing conspiracy”

The report has sparked reactions. Daniel Johansson, Moderate politician from Tyresö, praises Swedish Radio’s investigation and believes it confirms problems that have previously been dismissed in political debate. In a Facebook post, he writes:

“It’s not a right-wing conspiracy on X. It’s Ekot.”

Johansson especially objects to comparisons between the strong support for the Left Party in Rinkeby and how affluent areas like Djursholm tend to vote for the center-right bloc.

“That comparison doesn’t hold. That high-income earners in Djursholm usually vote for the center-right is a pattern based on income, education, and politics.”

He believes there is a vital difference between voters who share political views and mobilization where local leaders urge people to vote as a group.

Johansson also criticizes what he perceives as the left’s changing attitude towards information about bloc voting and social pressure.

“The left’s three-phase strategy has looked the same all the way. First: it doesn’t happen. Then: it happens, but it’s exaggerated. Now: it happens, but they vote for us, so stop complaining.”