Ebba Busch recalls emotional support from Birgitta Ohlsson during 2015 leadership bid

Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch has described how a show of solidarity from then-Liberal politician Birgitta Ohlsson brought her to tears during her 2015 party leadership campaign, Swedish public broadcaster SVT reports.

Busch, who was pregnant at the time, faced skepticism about her candidacy but received unexpected backing from Ohlsson. “I cried with joy at that sisterhood where Birgitta stepped in,” Busch said in SVT’s Politikbyrån program.

The discussion also revealed that all but one of Sweden’s parliamentary party leaders now identify as feminists, according to the program’s survey. However, fewer young people today use the term to describe themselves.

Ohlsson, now with the Centre Party, shared her own experience of having her pregnancy leaked in an attempt to derail her appointment as EU minister. The episode of Politikbyrån, featuring Busch, Ohlsson, and Left Party feminist icon Gudrun Schyman, airs Tuesday at 22:00 on SVT1 and is available on SVT Play.