The Green Party’s party board is putting its foot down. They do not want the party to change its mouthpiece model.
– We want continued shared leadership, says party board chairman Marcus Friberg.
In normal cases, the 17-person party board does not express itself even now on issues to be raised at the Green Party’s congress, which will be held in November. But next week, an advisory vote among the representatives will be held where the issue will be decided in principle.
– We want continued shared leadership in the Green Party and therefore propose rejection of the motions that want to change the number of mouthpieces, says Marcus Friberg.
– Our mouthpiece model has been around since early in the party’s history and we also think it has served us well.
The party board, which also includes the current spokespersons Märta Stenevi and outgoing Per Bolund, agrees with its answer. Both Bolund and Stenevi stand behind the statement.
Communication
The youth association Grön ungdom, Gröna students and other important representatives such as former member of parliament Lorentz Tovatt and ex-minister of the environment Karolina Skog have spoken out in favor of switching to a mouthpiece.
Today’s model prevents MP from reaching out, they say.
Today, the party revolves around the parliamentary barrier of four percent. Marcus Friberg notes that the party has reached both higher and lower support with the two-spoke model.
– We believe that what is decisive is how our policy is received by the voters, not primarily the number of mouthpieces, he says.
When asked if Friberg does not see a risk in the party board influencing the delegates before the vote, he states that they stick to a customary process.
– There are many questions in the party, and we will go out internally today with this. But before a congress, the party board expresses itself on all motions and now the representatives are forced to take a position even before the congress, and therefore it is important that they have our answer before then.
Over ten people
If the party board were to be overrun next week, Friberg says that he is looking forward to choosing a mouthpiece at the congress.
– In that case, we will prepare it.
More than ten people have said they want to succeed Bolund, including EU parliamentarian Pär Holmgren, police officer Martin Marmgren and municipal councilor Magnus P Wåhlin.
The vast majority have said that they will withdraw their candidacy if the MP changes the mouthpiece model, but one who stands by his candidacy regardless is the former traffic councilor Daniel Helldén.
No woman has yet stepped forward to challenge Märta Stenevi.
FACTS The Environmental Party’s choice of new mouthpieces
On September 13–14, an advisory vote will be held among the 265 representatives to see if the party should have one or two spokespeople. The vote is digital. The result is presented on the 15th.
The issue will be raised at the congress regardless of the outcome of the vote. At the congress, if more than a two-thirds majority says yes to scrapping the two-spoke model, the change applies immediately. If there is a majority but less than a two-thirds majority, then a second decision is needed at the next ordinary congress, which is in 2025.
In September and October, candidate hearings are planned.
On October 17, the National Election Committee must present its proposal to Congress.
Per Bolund’s successor will be chosen at the party’s congress in Örebro on November 17–19.
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