Christian Democrat leader praises Liberal Party’s shift on far-right coalition

Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch has called the Liberal Party’s decision to drop its opposition to governing with the Sweden Democrats a “stroke of genius,” Swedish public broadcaster SVT reports.

Liberal Party leader Simona Mohamsson announced on Sunday that her party would no longer rule out forming a government with the far-right Sweden Democrats if their centre-right alliance wins the 2026 election. The move removes a long-standing “red line” against cooperation with the anti-immigration party.

Busch, whose own party has previously engaged with the Sweden Democrats, praised the Liberal Party’s shift but stopped short of making similar commitments for her own party. “I don’t think we should start handing out ministerial posts now,” she told SVT’s Agenda programme.

The Christian Democrats have maintained their support for the Tidö cooperation—the centre-right alliance that includes the Sweden Democrats—but have not explicitly ruled out any potential coalition partners. Busch’s party was the first in Sweden to publicly engage with the Sweden Democrats when she invited their leader, Jimmie Åkesson, to a widely publicised lunch in 2019.

Despite her reluctance to make firm promises, Busch described Mohamsson’s decision as a “brilliant political move.” The Liberal Party’s shift follows Mohamsson’s re-election as leader on Sunday, solidifying the party’s position ahead of the 2026 vote.