Liberals and Sweden Democrats eyeing a coalition
Simona Mohamsson, leader of the Swedish Liberals, and Jimmie Åkesson, leader of the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD), have announced their intention to form a coalition government. This shift in policy ahead of September's general elections is a bone of contention within the Liberal Party.
Attempted blackmail
Dagens Nyheter considers Simona Mohamsson's actions disrespectful:
“A few years ago she considered any cooperation with the Sweden Democrats (SD) completely out of the question; just a few weeks ago, the Liberals were the guarantors of a right-wing government without any SD ministers. Now Mohamsson is trying to blackmail her party into being the first to promise Jimmie Åkesson ministerial posts. What will she think after election day? It's impossible to say. But if she treats her friends and colleagues this way, why should voters assume she'll show them any more respect?”
Not how things are done
The Liberals are set to vote on the future of their leader Mohamsson, who is also the minister of education and integration, at a special party convention this weekend. Aftonbladet criticizes:
“All Liberal cabinet members have announced their resignation should Mohamsson be voted out. They are so aware of the lack of support for their stance toward the Sweden Democrats that they are willing to risk a government crisis. And that at a time when the international situation is fraught with difficulty. This is not how serious politicians behave. ... The Liberals are currently governed by a small, corrupt, and unscrupulous clique that pulls the strings behind the scenes. To save their own skins they're willing to drag the entire government down with them.”