Why so much is at stake in this weekend’s party leader debate

Hej,

Sweden’s Agenda news programme regularly organises party leader debates where the leaders of the eight parties go head to head on key issues.

The next one is set to take place on Sunday. It’s in Swedish, but if you understand Swedish you can watch it on SVT2 at 8pm or via SVT Play.

It’s an important one, at least for the party leaders themselves, as we’ve got just over a year to go until the next election – and several of the parties are hovering below or just above the four-percent parliamentary threshold.

The latest opinion poll from this week by public radio broadcaster Sveriges radio and pollsters Indikator put the Liberals and Christian Democrats (both members of the right-wing government) at 2.8 and 3.0 percent, respectively.

The Centre Party (whose allegiance is sort of centre-left at the moment, but if their relationship with the Social Democrats – the leading party of the centre-left opposition – were a Facebook status, it would read “it’s complicated”) got 4.1 percent in the same poll, which puts it above the threshold but is hardly reassuring, especially at such a tumultuous time for the party.

The topics to be discussed are the economy, crime, the climate and a new world order (with the latter presumably focusing on Donald Trump).

Anna-Karin Hatt, who is expected to officially take over as Centre Party leader from Muharrem Demirok today, will be thrown straight into the deep end – which may work in her favour, as she’ll have at least a decent excuse for not yet having an answer to those questions the Centre Party doesn’t really want to answer about who it is going to side with after the next election.

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Liberal leader Johan Pehrson, who will formally step down next month, will this time around be replaced by the party’s second deputy chair, Fredrik Malm.

I try not to write too much about “the political game” as I believe focusing on the issues that affect our readers is a better use of my time, but in this case it will be interesting to see who makes the biggest impression in the debate.

In other news

New puzzles are out! This week our crossword will be looking at the week just been, plus a helpful dose of general knowledge, and our word search will be on something many high school students are thinking about this time of the year.

Sweden has a “relatively weak brand” in India, and to the extent that it is known at all, the country is not associated with having a stable economy or being a good place to study, visit, invest or do business, a new report has found.

Two senior Swedish ministers have been out in the press this week trying to boost the country’s reputation among international talent.

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Trade minister Benjamin Dousa called for Sweden to strengthen its image as an “open and freedom-loving country” which welcomes foreigners who want to start businesses or develop their careers, throwing out a welcome mat to victims of Hungary’s Pride ban.

And Migration Minister Johan Forsell told the Expressen tabloid that the government is planning to step up its efforts to make the country more attractive to highly skilled labour migrants if it wins the next election.

Swedish-Finnish humour trio KAJ’s Bara Bada Bastu has emerged as an unexpected favourite to win the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest.The Local has done a line-by-line translation of the lyrics, so that you know what you’re singing about when it’s stuck in your head (which will inevitably happen).

Speaking of bastu, Richard spoke to an expert to find out more about proper sauna etiquette in Sweden (should you or shouldn’t you be naked?).

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend,

Emma Löfgren

Editor, The Local Sweden 

Inside Sweden is our weekly newsletter for members which gives you news, analysis and, sometimes, takes you behind the scenes at The Local. It’s published each Saturday and with Membership+ you can also receive it directly to your inbox.