Vänsterpartiet removes eight candidates over controversial posts

Vänsterpartiet has removed eight local candidates from its election lists after posts expressing support for Hamas and Vladimir Putin, as well as antisemitic conspiracy theories, were revealed by Expressen, SVT reported. Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar said the individuals could no longer represent the party.

One post shared by a candidate claimed that a Jewish man had admitted that “we take our enemies’ children, who are the white race, and bring them to the basement where we drain them of blood”.

In another post, a Vänsterpartiet politician praised Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who has been identified as the mastermind behind the attacks of October 7, 2023. The politician described Sinwar’s death as “a heroic end befitting honourable men who defended their holy places and their country”.

Earlier this year, 25 people were also removed from the party’s lists after Expressen reported that they had expressed support for terrorism, homophobia or antisemitism. Dadgostar subsequently said she felt confident about the candidates remaining on the lists.

Asked whether the same problem had now occurred again, Dadgostar said the removed candidates had not been in positions likely to secure election. She repeatedly stressed that they had already been placed low on the lists.

“We have removed these people. They are no longer with us,” Dadgostar said when asked about the content of the posts. She declined to comment further on the material, saying that the important thing was that the individuals were no longer members of the lists.

The revelations have drawn criticism from government representatives and potential coalition partners. Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist of the Centre Party said it was “extremely serious” that Vänsterpartiet had once again listed candidates who made antisemitic, pro-terrorism and pro-Putin comments.

She said the reports pointed to a leadership problem and an inability to identify what the party’s candidates actually stood for.

Social Democratic Party secretary Tobias Baudin told Dagens ETC that Vänsterpartiet was “very, very far” from taking part in a government led by the Social Democrats. He called the reported statements “appalling” and said they should not exist in any political party.