The Local columnist suggests Åkesson’s media game with right-wing parties
In Sweden, a columnist for The Local Sweden suggested that the public disputes between Swedish Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson and his partners in the right-wing bloc could have been a carefully planned media strategy ahead of the election. The author stresses that this is his assessment, not an established fact.
According to his observations, in the final days of the campaign, polls shifted in favour of the right-wing bloc. The Christian Democrats are attracting Social Democratic voters, while more and more people are prepared to vote tactically for the Liberals in order to keep the party in parliament. In one poll this week, the Liberals had 3.5% support — half a percentage point below the electoral threshold.
Dispute with Ebba Busch
On August 29, Åkesson spent several minutes criticising Christian Democrats leader Ebba Busch during his summer speech. After that, Busch changed the route of her campaign bus to meet him in his hometown of Sölvesborg. She brought a sokkerkaka, a sponge cake from Småland.
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The columnist described this episode as resembling a political staging. He noted that the media actively covered the story amid a campaign in which tax cuts and sick pay were being discussed. In the author’s view, Åkesson’s accusations that Busch allegedly planned to form a centrist government with the Social Democrats may have convinced some voters that a vote for the Christian Democrats would not necessarily mean a government involving ministers from the Swedish Democrats.
Statement on the Liberals
As another example, the columnist cited Åkesson’s statement that the Liberals should be given ten days to exceed the 3.5% mark before calls for tactical voting for the party should cease. The author called this deadline arbitrary and noted that Åkesson changed his position after it expired. Swedish media, including The Local, described the situation as disagreements within the Tidö bloc.
In the columnist’s view, the public threat to abandon tactical support for the Liberals may have reminded right-wing voters of the possible consequences if the party failed to enter parliament: in that case, Magdalena Andersson could become prime minister. The author noted that support for the Liberals in polls rose after this episode, but did not rule out that such an effect could have been either accidental or part of Åkesson’s political plan.
