Martin Liby Troein: Whether Jimmie Åkesson meant to lift or sink the Liberals does not matter

Jimmie Åkesson had kept a relatively low profile during Sweden’s election campaign. The Sweden Democrats leader hosted visitors on his boat along the Göta Canal, including Tidö party figures such as Migration Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, but largely allowed Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson to lead the campaign.

The strategy was meant to keep the Tidö parties together and avoid frightening moderate voters. It was not working. The governing parties trailed the opposition, while the Liberals had slipped well below Sweden’s 4 percent threshold and represented roughly 2 percent in potentially wasted right-wing votes.

Åkesson then shook up the campaign. On the morning of Aug. 23, before a scheduled interview on public broadcaster SVT, he declared on social media that the Liberals were political opponents whom Sweden Democrat voters should not support strategically. He issued an ultimatum: if the Liberals had not reached 3.5 percent in polls 10 days before the election, he would tell Moderate and Christian Democrat voters not to help Simona Mohamsson’s party either.

Åkesson repeated the message in prime time, effectively directing Tidö voters. He said a Tidö victory and Sweden Democrat dominance in government would be desirable, but added that losing the election and becoming opposition leader was also attractive. The editorial says the question of whether he wanted to save or sink the Liberals misses the point. The maneuver primarily demonstrated who holds power on Kristersson’s side of politics. If the Liberals leave parliament, the Sweden Democrats gain weight within the right-wing bloc. If the Liberals survive, Åkesson still controls the question of whether their voters receive support from conservative allies.

“

A Tidö victory and Sweden Democrat dominance in the cabinet is desirable. But losing the election and the role of opposition leader? That is also attractive.