Published: Less than 30 min ago
A big row about the government issue has flared up within the Sweden Democrats.
Party secretary Richard Jomshof is critical of the fact that SD is about to drop the government’s demand – and has ended up in a clinch with vice-chairman Henrik Vinge, according to Aftonbladet’s information.
– Jomshof talks quite a lot. Period, says the party’s chief of staff Linus Bylund.
On Monday morning, Aftonbladet was on site when Jimmie Åkesson arrived at the Moderates’ office to have lunch.
But who he would eat with and what would be discussed, he did not want to reveal.
According to Aftonbladet’s information, however, talks between the parties have already been ongoing, where the government issue has been on the table. A headache for Prime Minister candidate Ulf Kristersson is that the Liberals have repeatedly stated that they do not intend to support a government that includes SD.
“Does not require ministerial posts”
Within SD’s party summit, the differences of opinion on the government question must be large. In one ring corner is deputy party chairman Henrik Vinge, in the other party secretary Richard Jomshof.
– Many state that Vinge, in a conversation with the Moderates’ group leader Tobias Billström, announced early on that the SD does not demand seats in a government, says an SD source to Aftonbladet.
This must have caused Richard Jomshof to go to the roof. As recently as Monday morning, Richard Jomshof raised the issue again in an interview with SVT.
– It is clear that we must be able to discuss ministerial positions. It is clear that we must be able to talk about the position of prime minister, speaker and presidium positions in the various Riksdag committees, he said in SVT’s morning studio.
According to Aftonbladet’s information, Henrik Vinge is supported by deputy party secretaries Mattias Bäckström Johansson and Josef Fransson, among others, while Jomshof’s harder line is supported by party leader Björn Söder and legal policy spokesman Tobias Andersson, among others.
Criticized by the Chief of Staff
Before Jimmie Åkesson arrived at the Moderates’ office, Aftonbladet met chief of staff Linus Bylund. He was anything but happy with Jomshof’s new outing.
– If so, you can quote me as follows: “Jomshof talks quite a lot. Period,” says Linus Bylund.
But according to Linus Bylund, the party has not officially released any demands for ministerial positions.
– We have said all along that our starting point was to be part of the government. Of course, that attitude has not changed.
In the interview with SVT, Richard Jomshof stated that the party is now in a completely new negotiating position when, by all accounts, it succeeded in becoming the largest party on the right.
– I don’t want to comment on that. I think those words should stand for him, there is a point in us becoming so big. But I mean that you don’t have to be so drastic, says Linus Bylund.
Do you think he went a bit far?
– I think there is no reason for us to communicate that kind of thing outwardly in this situation.
SD’s chief of staff does not want to go into detail about what demands the party is bringing into the negotiations that have begun with the Moderates.
– Now we have had a few months where we have danced after you in the media’s pipe and attended your debates at your times with your debate order, questions and lineups. Now we drive the other way around for a while. Now we are the ones who decide when we talk to the media about different things.
Richard Jomshof does not want to comment on how the discussion went internally about the government issue.
“I have just spoken with Linus Bylund and we completely agree that a large measure of humility is in order. We also agree that the primary thing is to bring about a political change that is good for Sweden. However, it is up to those who manage these negotiations to do what they can to get as much of our policy through as possible,” he writes in a comment to Aftonbladet.