'Plenty of space in Sweden for refugees'

In an interview with the Danish Politiken daily, Reinfeldt once again categorically rejected any active cooperation with the Sweden Democrats.

 

"There is no place for the Sweden Democrats on the 'borgerlig' (liberal/conservative) side of Swedish politics," he said.

 

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Reinfeldt furthermore rejected the notion that Sweden offers a safe haven for more refugees than the country can cope with, saying that there is plenty of room in the Nordic countries for more human beings fleeing oppression and war.

 

"What does the word "enough" mean? Sweden is full? The Nordic region is full? Are we too many people? We are 25 million people living in the North. I often fly over the Swedish countryside and I would advise others to do. There are endless fields and forests. There's more space than you might imagine. Those who claim that the country is full, they should demonstrate where it is full."

 

Reinfeldt resigned his post as party leader and conceded power to the red-greens on election night and since then he has been largely absent from the political scene during what has become a turbulent autumn.

 

IN PICTURES: Sweden's political crisis

 

He stands to be replaced as leader of the Moderates in March, with Anna Kinberg Batra strongly tipped to replace him. Batra could then be in line to become the first female Swedish prime minister dependent on outcome of an extra election which has been called for the same month.

 

 

Sitting Prime Minister Stefan Löfven opted to call an extra election after failing to gather sufficient support for the government's budget proposition in parliament last Wednesday. The Sweden Democrats opted to cast their votes with the opposition Alliance, warning that they would use their votes to sink any budget presented by a government proposing unchanged levels of immigration.