Swedish PM rules out dissolving ruling coalition despite clear divisions

6 months ago 19

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has no plans to suspend the ruling coalition’s cooperation with the far-right Sweden Democrats in the wake of heated parliamentary debates over the far-right troll farms scandal.

The debate between party leaders initially devoted to the European elections gave way on Wednesday to a heated exchange over recent revelations about a troll farm allegedly used by the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) to spread social media content favourable to their views, even at the expense of its coalition allies.

Although not formally part of the ruling coalition of centre-right Moderates (EPP), Christian Democrats (EPP), and Liberals (Renew Europe), the country’s second-largest party is key to keeping the government afloat. It backs the latter in return for a tougher immigration policy.

“If the question really is: Do you want to stop working together to solve Sweden’s major problems because I have strong objections to smearing in Swedish politics, then the answer is no,” Kristersson said at a press conference after the debate.

The Swedish prime minister pointed out, however, that he has expressed his views both publicly and in private conversations with SD party leader Jimmie Åkesson.

“That I dislike smears, that they have to answer legitimate questions asked by the media, political opponents and (co-operation) partners. That I dislike anonymous accounts,” said Kristersson.

At the same time, the prime minister called on the opposition Social Democratic Party of former prime minister Magdalena Andersson to tone down its rhetoric after a heated exchange in parliament in which she referred to internal forces that “want to divide Europe”, citing the Sweden Democrats and their use of anonymous accounts.

“It is a way of working that brings to mind Russia,” she said, while Centre Party leader Muharrem Demirok described the far-right party as a “Trojan horse” within Swedish democracy and called on the prime minister to do something about anonymous accounts ahead of the EU elections.

“It would be completely out of place for me to interfere in how free media works in a free democracy,” Kristersson said but denied that the whole affair was a cabal “domestic influence operation by the left-liberal establishment”, as SD had called it.

(Charles Szumski | Euractiv.com)