Swedish political reactions to Jimmie Åkesson’s government announcement, Digi Mart USA News (Sölvesborg, Sweden): Politicians reacted on Friday to the Sweden Democrats’ new position on forming a government. Speaking at a press conference in Sölvesborg, party leader Jimmie Åkesson announced that the party no longer demands to be part of a future government.
Social Democrat figure Anders Ygeman said the announcement “changes nothing.” He told Aftonbladet that a government led by Ulf Kristersson would remain entirely dependent on Jimmie Åkesson and the Sweden Democrats.
Ulf Kristersson, who is currently exploring the possibility of forming a government, said Åkesson’s announcement does not fundamentally change his work. He wrote that he has held constructive talks with several parties, that all solutions are currently unlikely, and that this has not changed.
Kristersson described the Sweden Democrats’ announcement as responsible and welcome, saying it could possibly make a very difficult task somewhat easier. He added that the talks will continue.
Simona Mohamsson also commented on the announcement. Despite Magdalena Andersson celebrating her election victory with a cake, she wrote on X, the openings for a government to the right are growing.
She called for hard work ahead for Kristersson as prime minister and for center-right policy, and argued that if the will exists in parliament, Sweden could be protected from Social Democratic rule, a mortgage tax, and left-wing party members at the Foreign Ministry.
Left Party deputy leader Ida Gabrielsson wrote on X that the announcement contained no real news and was merely political theater, renaming a Sweden Democrat-dependent government as “opposition.” She argued that a Kristersson government would depend on the Sweden Democrats in every vote, noting that the former alliance parties together are fewer than the Social Democrats, Left Party and Green Party, and that no decision could pass parliament without the Sweden Democrats.
Gabrielsson added that the arithmetic remains fixed: supporting Kristersson without also accepting a government dependent on the Sweden Democrats is not possible, and that Åkesson therefore found today’s announcement not particularly difficult to make.
The Christian Democrats also described the Sweden Democrats’ announcement as a welcome display of responsibility in a difficult situation. The party said Kristersson continues his exploratory mission in a complicated process and is a constructive partner in seeking opportunities to build on the center-right majority present in the Riksdag.
