Despite the fact that the state subsidies are at stake, Muf has shrunk its program of measures.
Among other things, the youth association has scrapped the idea that Douglas Thor alone should lead the cultural change work around the soup he himself created, writes TV4 Nyhetern’s Jens B Nordström.
The most important thing in an answer is what it contains. But sometimes what has been removed also says a lot. Within the next few days, the Authority for Youth and Civil Society Affairs is expected to make a decision on whether the Moderate Youth Association will lose its state grants. Muf has 2.7 million reasons to argue against this, and at the beginning of the summer started a real barrage of objections. However, when the MUCF requested clarifications, several views and actions have been removed, compared to the initial response Muf submitted this summer.
Two big strikeouts
Here are the two biggest strikeouts:
1. Muf has removed references to the culture and values work that would be done to prevent a new Operation Jämtland – the group chat where Muf chairman Douglas Thor tried to influence the election of the district chairman in Jämtland. In the Moderates’ investigation, Muf was asked to improve its internal culture. Many expected some kind of working group. But instead, Douglas Thor decided to take on that task himself. In this summer’s response to MUCF, it was written:
“Regarding the values and culture change work, the union chairman leads it personally.”
Several people within Muf have emphasized the inappropriateness of Douglas Thor taking that job when it basically involves criticism of himself.
“It is Douglas who has lost his way. He is the problem. Then he should not be in charge of the culture change work,” says a source within Muf.
It is possible that the criticism has reached Muf’s chairman. In this week’s response to MUCF, all statements about Douglas Thor leading the culture change work have disappeared.
2. Summer’s response from Muf also contains criticism directed at TV4 Nyheterna’s reporting. Douglas Thor argues that he indeed urged his aides to pay membership fees for new members – but that TV4 News’ reporting on vote buying is incorrect, because the new members were allowed to vote as they wanted.
Nor is this line of argument included in Muf’s latest response. One possible reason is that MUCF saw the argument already this summer, with the words that the group chat Operation Jämtland was difficult to see as anything other than “a non-democratic attempt to influence”.
More confrontational
Muf’s initial barrage of arguments has thus shrunk considerably. In contrast, the latest response is more confrontational, and more focused on prejudicial judgments. A possible explanation is that the youth association hired the law firm Engström and Hellman as advisers.
“I think Douglas has already thought that he can appeal to the administrative court if the state subsidies expire. But then we get at least one more year of headlines, even though everyone just wants this farce to end,” says a source within Muf.
SEK 2.7 million is at stake for Muf. But the question is how much patience is there within the youth association to extend the process? Not to mention the parent party. MUCF’s decision is expected shortly.