Busch wants meatballs with S, but not a coalition government

Ebba Busch is offering Magdalena Andersson a meatball sandwich, but not a place in government. The Christian Democrat leader says she has no red lines against Sweden’s Social Democrat leader, while ruling out a coalition with her party.

Busch made the offer while campaigning at the Christian Democrats’ election booth at Sergels torg in central Stockholm. The sandwiches refer to a well-known lunch she previously had with Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson, a meeting seen as bringing the Sweden Democrats into the political mainstream.

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If she wants to stop by and have a meatball sandwich now, she is very welcome.

“If she wants to stop by and have a meatball sandwich now, she is very welcome,” Busch said. A Christian Democrat leaflet describes a meatball lunch as a meal that “removes red lines and creates opportunities for cooperation in Sweden’s best interests.”

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We have torn down red lines in Swedish politics. We are not going to start drawing new red lines just because a party suddenly asks us to.

Busch said she wanted to work with the Social Democrats on energy policy, which she considers decisive for Sweden’s competitiveness. “We have torn down red lines in Swedish politics. We are not going to start drawing new red lines just because a party suddenly asks us to,” she said. She added that difficult times require agreements across the political blocs and that she had found a constructive approach in Andersson.

But Busch also said she did not want to see what she called harmful policies under Andersson. She criticized Social Democrat cooperation with the Left Party and the Greens, saying that even a government involving only the Greens would produce a damaging compromise. “We will not cooperate with the Social Democrats in general. We will cooperate with parties for Sweden’s best interests and to resolve difficult issues for Sweden,” Busch said.

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We will not cooperate with the Social Democrats in general. We will cooperate with parties for Sweden’s best interests and to resolve difficult issues for Sweden.