Ulf Kristersson declined to participate in Dagens Nyheter’s (DN) controversial interview with party leader Edvin Törnblom. Now that the program is premiering, it is instead Carl Bildt who is stepping forward as the Moderates’ public face—even though the party states that it was not involved in the decision.
As DN Kultur’s election series ”Edvin Meets the Parties” gets underway, it is not the Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson who represents the Moderate Party. Instead, the former Minister of State and Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt has been given a spot in the studio, reports DN.
– He is the Moderate Party representative. He speaks on behalf of the Moderate Party, says DN’s deputy culture editor Åsa Beckman.
The change comes after Kristersson had previously declined to participate. The Moderate Party justified the decision by stating that DN had not been sufficiently transparent regarding Edvin Törnblom’s political views.
The Moderates were taken by surprise
However, Carl Bildt's involvement does not appear to have been endorsed by the party leadership. According to The Express says the Moderate Party's press secretary Amos Friedman that the party neither asked Bildt to participate nor approved his participation in advance.
This means that the former party leader will now be the one to represent the Moderates in a series of interviews that the party’s current leadership has chosen to sit out.
The SD is completely absent
The Sweden Democrats have chosen a different path. The party is not participating in the series at all.
– ”We had the SD party lined up, but then they backed out at the last minute. We think it’s a shame that they don’t want to be part of such a fun and original election campaign for young people,” says Åsa Beckman.
The SD has previously explained its decision to withdraw by stating that the party lacks confidence that the interview would be conducted in an objective, fair, and impartial manner.
Controversial initiative continues
Despite the dropouts, DN is sticking with the format. In addition to Carl Bildt and the Christian Democrats’ representative Nike Örbrink featuring, among others Magdalena Andersson, Nooshi Dadgostar and Amanda Lind.
What was supposed to be a new way to reach young voters has thus also become a discussion about trust, impartiality, and the conditions politicians are willing to accept ahead of the election.
They're desperate now.
The whole boil bursts, ha ha ha
Have they dusted off Carl Bildt? If so, that’s bad news.
C B is despicable… I remember C B from Östra Real… he was a know-it-all even back then—and managed to get elected as a student representative in some club… SECO… I think that’s what it was called…
Oh yeah, I'll never forget that 500 % interest rate.
Money that Teflon-Calle gave to his accomplice George Soros in full agreement and cooperation.
Both of those criminals should be locked up for life.
Agree
Kalle Stropp left behind two young children and Gösta Boman’s daughter when he was assigned to Yugoslavia and began having an affair with his current Romanian girlfriend.