Dadgostar rejects Andersson’s criticism, says they stay in touch

Left Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar has dismissed Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson’s criticism of her party, telling SVT that the two speak regularly.

Andersson has said the Left Party has a “long journey” ahead before it can join a government. Dadgostar said this was typical of the Social Democrats and argued that the issue was political rather than connected to recent reports about extremism within the Left Party.

“We have contact and talk to each other all the time,” Dadgostar said.

She has repeatedly argued during the election campaign that the Left Party must join the government to ensure its policies are implemented.

“They do not really happen when we are not part of it. That is what we have noticed,” she said.

Dadgostar said she believed a government could include all of the current opposition parties: the Social Democrats, the Green Party, the Left Party and the Centre Party. The Centre Party has rejected that prospect, while Andersson has so far not appeared willing to include the Left Party.

In the spring and summer, the Left Party removed several politicians from its election lists after it emerged that some had expressed antisemitic views and praised terrorism. In an SVT interview, Andersson said she believed the party still had “a long journey” ahead and that little time remained before the election.

Dadgostar rejected the suggestion that Andersson’s statement was related to the reports about extremism.

“The Social Democrats have said this before, and they have a party leadership that leans to the right. So everyone understands now that the issue is the political content,” she said.

Despite the criticism, Dadgostar remained convinced that Andersson would change her position. She said some discussions were not visible during the election campaign.

Asked whether she was also in contact with Centre Party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist, Dadgostar said she spoke with many party leaders but that negotiations were not conducted through the media.

She confirmed that the leaders had also discussed what could happen after the election.