Busch courts Centre as Greens block possible coalition

Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch invited the Centre Party to join a potential centrist government during a debate with Centre leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist on SVT’s Aktuellt on Wednesday. But Busch said the Centre Party’s ties to the Green Party could prevent cooperation.

The two leaders began by congratulating each other on their parties’ positive showing in the latest opinion poll.

Thand Ringqvist said that the Social Democrats, Centre Party, Christian Democrats and Green Party could in some polls secure their own majority in parliament. She added that Busch would be welcome to join a centrist alternative if the Tidö parties failed to win a majority of their own.

“It is completely fine if we are the second choice,” Thand Ringqvist said.

Busch said she saw good opportunities for cooperation with the Centre Party and listed several areas where the parties agree.

But she said the Centre Party had also expressed a willingness to work with the Green Party.

“But then you come with the Green Party, and they want to take Sweden in a completely different direction. Suddenly migration is supposed to increase, and there is a very uncompromising, polemical position on nuclear power,” Busch said.

Asked whether the two parties could support the same government after the next election, Busch expressed uncertainty.

“Yes, I hope so. Come along, come along! But as things sound today, no,” she said.