Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson can soon put a busy 2023 behind him, but it’s not over yet. TV4’s political commentator believes that the prime minister will find it difficult to find any Christmas peace this year, given the dramatic turn of events both in Sweden and in the world.
– There probably won’t be much “hitting the glass” for him anyway. We live in times of crisis, says Ulf Kristofferson in Efter fem.
There are mainly three areas that could lead to major problems for the Prime Minister this Christmas, says Kristofferson. The NATO process, the gang war and the relationship with the Sweden Democrats after Jimmie Åkesson’s suggestion that mosques should be demolished.
“Reduces credibility”
When it comes to NATO, an overly protracted process risks lowering trust in the Tidö parties and the government, believes Kristofferson.
– Tobias Billström (M) is beginning to appear as the incurable optimist who is repeatedly wrong. And even if the government is not to blame for the delay, it lowers credibility, he says.
The relationship with Turkey, which is also of great importance when it comes to the NATO process, is also not at its best. This is despite the fact that Sweden has been accommodating towards Turkey in terms of tougher measures against the terrorist-branded PKK.
– It wasn’t enough. And now Sweden has become a pawn in a negotiation game about Turkey being allowed to buy fighter jets from the US, says Kristofferson.
On top of all this, Jimmie Åkesson’s mosque performance came as a pacifier for the prime minister, says Kristofferson.
– I think he took a deep breath and counted to ten. Here he has tried to dampen the image that Sweden is a Muslim-hostile country, and then Åkesson comes and says this.
At the same time, opinion polls show that SD is bigger than M, KD and L combined.
– It’s not just a headache for Kristersson, it’s a migraine, says Ulf Kristofferson.
The gang war
To top off the headache comes the ongoing gang war. On Saturday, three young men were shot in Södertälje, in a gang war that seems to have no end. At the same time, no one knows what happens to Foxtrot network leader Rawa Majid.
– We do not know if he is sitting abroad and ordering murders, shootings and explosions or if he is in prison. It is macabre that no one knows what happened to him, says Ulf Kristofferson in Efter fem, and adds:
– Crime was the main issue in this election campaign. It takes time to change the legislation, but before the next election, in 2026, Kristersson must be able to point to a downward trend in the longer term. Otherwise, I think he will find it very difficult to keep the position as prime minister.
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