The Liberals' Desperate Strategy to Clear the Electoral Threshold Revealed

A shopping cart, a trampoline, a bus tour—and a former party leader called in to save the party. A new documentary reveals the Liberals’ crisis strategy as their fight to survive in the Riksdag enters its decisive phase.

With less than a month to go before the election, the Liberals are still well below the 4 percent threshold. In TV4's new documentary The Final Journey? The party is now taking several steps to try to reverse this trend before Election Day on September 13.

Seeking attention

Part of the strategy is a bus tour through southern Sweden, where party leader Simona Mohamsson is trying to reach out to voters in much more unusual ways. In the documentary, she drives the Liberal Party leadership Martin Melin in a shopping cart at Willys and jumping on a trampoline.

– If you can guarantee me 4.2 percent, I'll do backflips. Then I'll look like Spider-Man., ", says Mohamsson.

At the same time, the party is resorting to a more traditional crisis move: the former party leader Lars Leijonborg has been called in. He led the then-Liberal Party to 13.4 percent in the 2002 election and will now help Mohamsson in the fight to save their seats in the Riksdag.

Veteran Slams the Stunts

Leijonborg, however, is skeptical of spectacular campaign stunts in particular.

– You can't pull off any unexpected stunts or anything like that. You have to seriously pursue social-liberal policies. That's the only solution we have, and I think it will be enough., he says.

Mohamsson now has to keep fighting all the way until Election Day.

– We can do nothing but try our best. That's the only thing we can do. The rest is beyond our control., she says.

The strategy is therefore clear: maximum visibility, a campaign tour, and help from a veteran election winner. Whether that’s enough to reach four percent is up to the voters.