The party meeting in Örebro has given a strong mandate to the Center Party’s party leader Muharrem Demirok.
But an issue that dominates Swedish politics right now has echoed with its absence in the congress hall: gang crime.
– I feel very secure in not having to have a program but now work based on more current issues and find solutions, says Muharrem Demirok.
The last item on the agenda at the Center Party’s meeting in Örebro has been discussed.
After three days of debates, seasoned with a banquet where there was dancing on the chairs until the wee hours, the party has now nailed down a long line of new positions.
Before the meeting, party leader Muharrem Demirok had pointed out a number of policy areas that he wanted the party to reconsider. Mainly within schools, climate and energy.
The policy designed by the party board also went through without any major setbacks for the Center leader.
– I am proud that the Center Party has made transfers. But you have to remember that I felt safe with the questions when I approached them. I went to the election as party leader candidate with those questions and received strong support even then, says Muharrem Demirok.
– The members got what they chose. I have received a receipt that I felt my movement very well.
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1 / 2Photo: Magnus Sandberg
Profit in school and nuclear power have been reconsidered
Within school policy, the party will now, among other things, work for a profit freeze for independent schools that do not meet quality requirements, a review of the school year which may mean that the summer vacation is shortened and that the grade F, failing, should be investigated and possibly abolished.
On the climate front, the party has reconsidered its view on nuclear power, with a new energy target that allows continued operation of existing reactors as well as investment in new, and more, nuclear reactors.
– It is an issue that has historical baggage in our movement. But the debate was extremely respectful, extremely forward-looking and largely ended in agreement in the meeting room.
As for wind power, the party wants to investigate the limits at sea for the municipal veto for wind power and to shorten the trial periods for the construction of wind power plants.
Active euthanasia, euros and porn
Party voices also have piquant elements. So also this time.
The Center Party’s youth union and students can see themselves victorious in several issues that reflect the liberal idealists in the party.
Among other things, the Center Party will now work for the euro to be investigated and to see how active euthanasia can be introduced.
But when the party will soon present its shadow budget in the Riksdag, any special investments in euthanasia will not be included, says Muharrem Demirok.
– The party board had a clearly different proposal and stood for a different line, the members thought otherwise. I have full respect for that, but we have to evaluate what the decision means.
The young centrists also succeeded in stopping the party board’s proposal on age verification and an age limit for consumption of pornography on the Internet.
The bloc politics also appear to have settled for the Center, although not with the help of the center parties at the meeting.
Muharrem Demirok made it clear at the start of the weekend that Magdalena Andersson (S) is his prime ministerial candidate.
The choice of S as a partner has aroused strong feelings within the Center, where powerful parts of the party have questioned why the party has already taken a position on the issue.
Gang crime still unanswered
But the political issue that is currently at the top of the agenda was not dealt with within the walls of the congress center in Örebro: gang crime.
When Muharrem Demirok took over as party leader after Annie Lööf in February this year, he singled out security issues as a key part of his new party building.
But no new joists have been installed at the meeting.
Decisions were made in the area of justice – the party is now in favor of camera surveillance in vulnerable areas with high crime and more money should be invested in the Customs Service, but a political program on par with the school area or energy was not developed.
A generous interpretation of that is that serious organized crime requires rapid re-examination of old truths.
A less friendly interpretation is that they have put the powder on something else.
The Center Party, unlike its former alliance partner the Moderates, has no tradition of leading policy development in crime fighting.
Muharrem Demirok says he wants to broaden the issue and points out that it contains more areas.
– When we started the work with various programs, you can say that if we had a security program, it would have had to involve care, social policy, school. It is a very broad program that would have been needed to solve it.
– If we had started work there and then, maybe parts would have already been unusable even now because the development has gone so incredibly fast in terms of the escalating violence.
The party leader says that he has had discussions about crime within the party during the general meeting and he believes that he now has a mandate from the party to develop new policy in the area on his own, without a general meeting program.
– The clearest message I have received from members and political representatives within our movement is: solve the task. We have the mandate to do it, we have a toolbox and we know what needs to be done.
– I feel very secure in not having to have a program but now work based on more current issues and find solutions.