Former party leaders see high risk of snap election

Former party leaders Anna Kinberg Batra and Mona Sahlin say there is a substantial chance Sweden will hold a snap election, according to SVT.

Speaking on SVT’s political programme Politikbyrån, Kinberg Batra put the likelihood at 60 per cent, while Sahlin estimated it at 50 per cent. SVT political commentator Mats Knutson also took part in the programme.

Sahlin said she was surprised that the Social Democrats had appeared so passive after the election, and was concerned that they had not taken a more public and active role in negotiations.

Kinberg Batra was the Moderates’ parliamentary group leader in 2014, when then-prime minister Stefan Löfven announced he would call a snap election. The party had several problems at the time, including having no leader, she said, but was not afraid of another election.

With the Moderates’ opinion poll numbers rising after the election, Kinberg Batra said she thought the party would not be afraid of a new campaign this time either.