Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson and Sweden's Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch stood side-by-side at a press conference for the four-party right-wing Tidö bloc in Stockholm on Wednesday, after Åkesson caused a spat by arguing in a speech on Saturday that he was not sure of Busch's loyalty.
At the press conference, Busch said that when she said she would only support Andersson as prime minister "in an exceptional situation", she was talking about a war or an extreme national crisis, rather than a parliamentary deadlock post election.
"I am not afraid of a new election and I am ready to take part in a new election," she said. "On the other hand, I'm not sure a new election is something that the Swedish people want to have."
Åkesson said he accepted Busch's answer.
"If by exceptional circumstances you mean crisis or war, there is no doubt that we need to take responsibility, that applies to all parties, although I am not sure that it means that it would be responsible to let Magdalena Andersson be prime minister in a war or crisis," he said.
After Åkesson devoted several minutes of his speech on Saturday to criticising Busch's flirtation with Andersson and the Social Democrats, Busch diverted her tour bus, travelling down to Sölvesborg for a fika with Åkesson, bringing a sockerkaka from Småland, where she had been campaigning.
At the press conference, the four parties announced their plans to criminalise participation in gangs and other criminal organisations if parliament votes to change the constitutional protection for free association to allow this.
The parties said that the new law, if enacted would make participation in a criminal gang punishable with four years in prison, with gang leaders liable for a life sentence.
If the Tidö parties win the election, the new law would come into force in April, 2027.
Changing one of Sweden's constitutional laws requires two votes in parliament, one before and one after a general election.
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