Andersson offers broad cooperation after coalition concerns

Social Democratic leader Magdalena Andersson says she is prepared to cooperate broadly in Swedish politics, SVT reports, as concerns grow on the left about possible cooperation between the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats.

Jonas Sjöstedt, a Left Party parliamentarian and the party’s former leader, said he was seriously worried that Andersson could turn to the right and work with the Christian Democrats instead of the Left Party.

“I fear that. There is a great deal of flirting, not only with the Centre Party but also with the Christian Democrats,” Sjöstedt said.

Andersson has not said which parties she wants to work with after a possible election victory. Speaking to SVT on Monday, she said she was ready to cooperate broadly and that this could be done in many different ways.

“We do not have a two-party system in Sweden,” Andersson said.

The issue has also caused tensions among the parties currently cooperating under the Tidö agreement. Sweden Democrats leader Jimmie Åkesson warned over the weekend about Christian Democrat leader Ebba Busch’s “flirting” with the left ahead of a possible government formation.

“It is obvious that there has been a strategy of flirting to the left,” Åkesson said on Saturday.

Busch has said she would be willing to allow Andersson to become prime minister in an “exceptional situation”, but has not explained in detail what that would mean.

She said on Sunday that people should know that, in an exceptional situation such as a crisis or war, she could set short-term party tactics aside for the good of Sweden.