A seemingly insignificant charter issue has led to an internal battle in the Sweden Democrats.
Party secretary Mattias Bäckström Johansson is accused of confronting people who voted “wrong” – the motive is said to be to secure power before the next election.
– Not everyone agrees and questions related to personal selection can arouse some emotions, he replies.
The Sweden Democrats voted at the country days on how many members should sit on the party’s election committee. Some wanted the number to be increased, from 11 to 13. The aim would be to get more people involved in deciding who should sit at the top of the party.
The party board headed by party secretary Mattias Bäckström Johansson wanted to maintain the current number – which was also the outcome.
Two weeks later, an internal battle has flared up over the issue.
– Bäckström Johansson wants absolute control over the party. The election committee that is now elected will present the proposal to the party board that will operate in the next election, says an SD source with transparency.
“Many feel fear”
The current election committee may also propose the Riksdag list – i.e. the top names that the party wants to represent SD in the Riksdag – before the next election.
That the election committee would be expanded by two people may sound insignificant – but according to Aftonbladet’s informant, it is enough for Bäckström Johansson’s alleged control to end.
– He has a majority in this selection committee. It would be thinned out in the event of an expansion because they wanted to bring in two that he does not control, says the SD source.
After the vote, according to Aftonbladet’s sources, Bäckström Johansson will “confront” people who voted to increase the number of members to 13.
– Those who are contacted are told that they cannot be trusted. This is perceived as threatening and many feel fear of how it will affect their future in the party, says an SD source.
Is in the nature of things
Bäckström Johansson is said to have also said that he wants to hold individual meetings with everyone who “voted wrong”.
Aftonbladet has been in contact with people who, according to the sources, should have been contacted, but none of them want to confirm the information.
An SD politician who was in favor of increasing the number to 13 is Niclas Nilsson, group leader in Skåne.
– The country is big, if you want to cover the whole country, more members should be better, he says.
Nilsson says he does not recognize the information about Bäckström Johansson’s “confrontation”, but he admits that the issue of the election committee is important for the balance of power in SD.
– The national election committee is important, if you are looking to control it, it is interesting who sits there. It’s not rocket science. Of course, it may happen that there are those who want to have control over who sits there. There is no one who has openly said anything, but that is in the nature of things, he says.
There is an irritation
According to Aftonbladet’s sources, there is also disappointment in some districts that the representatives voted in a different way than what had been agreed upon before the national days. Party secretary Mattias Bäckström Johansson admits this.
– It is a discussion that exists. It is strange if you are in complete agreement at a meeting, then when you gather before the decision have changed sides. It may have become a discussion.
He answers neither yes nor no to the question of whether he has contacted people who “voted incorrectly”.
– I have spoken to many people about what happens on our national days, he says.
About this particular issue?
– It is an issue raised by several district chairmen, where there is irritation. Not everyone is in agreement and questions related to personal choice can arouse some emotions.
Have you acted?
– No, there is nothing in substance to act on. It is the district chairman’s group that owns the issue.
According to Aftonbladet’s sources, Bäckström Johansson intends to raise the voting issue when the party board meets at the beginning of the week.
– I think most parties have a follow-up to country days, he replies.