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Politics

Liberals open to Green support to block far-right

Published: 23 Oct 09 08:36 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/22826/20091023/

Liberal party leader Jan Björklund has opened up the possibility of cooperatiing with the Green party if the far-right Sweden Democrats garnered enough votes to hold the balance of power after the 2010 election.

"Whichever government alternative that emerges that does not have its own majority will be forced into compromises with other parties," Björklund told Sveriges Radio's Ekot news programme.

"We will not cooperate with the Sweden Democrats," he declared.

That Björklund names the Green party as a prospective government partner is due to the fact that it "is not a socialist party."

Green party spokesperson Maria Wetterstrand said during the week that the party would consider cooperating with the centre-right Alliance coalition parties if the anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats gained parliamentary seats.

"If we are bigger than the others then it is logical that the Centre party and the Liberal party open up to the possibility of discussions with us," she told Aftonbladet.

The Sweden Democrats have gained ground in the opinion polls lately and currently enjoy the support of slightly more than the 4 percent required to claim parliamentary seats.

The party suffered a setback on Thursday however as the head of its local chapter in Falkenberg, Lars-Erik Persson, quit the party after the publication of an opinion article by party leader Jimmie Åkesson in which he described Islam as "the greatest threat to Sweden since World War 11."

"I don’t like that he went after Muslims as a group. I have several Muslim employees at my job and I think they’re really talented and well-mannered. You can’t just lump everyone together," Persson told TV4’s local affiliate in Halland.

Åkesson's opinion piece led to him being reported to the Chancellor of Justice (Justitiekanslern - JK) for agitation against an ethnic group (hets mot folkgrupp).

TT/Peter Vinthagen Simpson
news@thelocal.se

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13:11 October 23, 2009 by Beynch
At this point the liberals are probably too late. Swedes are so truly fed up with decades long destruction caused by the socialdemocrats, that SD will invariably get a seat at the table. Swedes will go to the polls screaming "enough!" Even those of us who never voted for SD before, will see to it that the pathetic, corrupt, know-it-all, ruling elite in Stockholm gets taught a lesson and actually responds to the will of the people. And to introduce `hets` in the discussion is laughable. Why don't you liberals counter with fact instead of grabbing for nebulous, leftist, invective.
14:30 October 23, 2009 by rumcajs
Beynch mate, I think you are seriously sick. You're all the time talking about left and right like radical f**ed up terrorist are talking all the time about west and east. The are good and "not-so-good" people in every place, religion and country. The SD are recist and don't tell me you don't think so cos you aint got to be a genious to see it. Thinking the way you and SD think, can you imagine the kind of person you'd be if you had been born in a muslim country and family??? You'd be one of those that make you "dislike" all of them, so don't hate them cos you are one of them... just the same kind of people but with different backgrounds.
17:08 October 23, 2009 by Beynch
@rumcajs. Personally I strongly beleive that Sweden needs a heavy dose of immigration in order to sustain her future. That's not in debate here. It's just that the way it was done by decades worth of inferior, lollygag, fumbling, Swedish governements - throw them a key to an apartment in Rosengård, shovel tax money at them and hope for the best - has not worked. It needs to be done in a considerably more structured way. I believe SD recognizes this too. In either case, SD has done us all a favor by opening our eyes to the sordid fiasco that passes for "immigration policy", as conducted by a succession of failed, infantile, social democratic governments. Comments in this and other forums are proof positive. It will take decades to remedy, and SD will probably be a useful player in the matter.
17:29 October 23, 2009 by gerillataktik
"....in which he described Islam as "the greatest threat to Sweden since World War 11."

There's been eleven of them?
19:12 October 23, 2009 by Playmaker
that is funny about world war 11. . since when is a religion a race? muslims are not a race
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