Liberal Party leader Simona Mohamsson announced that the party wants to include the Sweden Democrats in a government, reversing a decision made five months ago. This policy shift has provoked significant internal turmoil, with a number of prominent Liberal Party politicians threatening to quit if Mohamsson's Sweden Democrats line goes through, according to reports. The upheaval was underscored this week by the defection of former Liberal Party figure Birgitta Ohlsson to the Center Party, according to multiple reports. These developments have plunged the party into a precarious situation as it grapples with its future direction and electoral viability.
Former party leader and education minister Lars Leijonborg is running as a candidate for the 2026 election, marking a dramatic return to frontline politics. Leijonborg received the request via SMS from Simona Mohamsson on Tuesday. He has had several assignments for independent schools after his political career, according to major media sources. Leijonborg was party leader for the Folkpartiet from 1997 to 2007 and a minister in Fredrik Reinfeldt's government from 2006 to 2009, with a highlight of his career being the 2002 election when the party got 13.4 percent of the votes, multiple reports indicate. His candidacy represents both a stabilizing force and a source of internal tension, given his disagreements with Mohamsson on key policies.
The Liberal Party will vote for its new leader on June 24th during the Almedalen political festival, according to research sources. The chosen candidate will be announced by the party's selection committee about a week ahead of the vote, the same sources confirm. The three biggest districts—Stockholm, Skåne, and Western Sweden—hold nearly 60 percent of the votes and will not reveal their preferred candidate until the day of the vote, while Örebro district is also holding back its candidate preference. This opaque process adds to the uncertainty surrounding the leadership contest, with the outcome likely to hinge on last-minute decisions by these influential blocs.
Romina Pourmokhtari's candidacy has won the public backing of the Liberal Party's youth wing LUF, the party's student organisation, and seven party districts: Västerbotten, Kronoberg, Jämtland, Skaraborg, Södermanland, and Dalarna, research sources report. Pourmokhtari was Sweden's youngest ever minister when made climate minister in 2022, and she grew up in Sundbyberg, Stockholm, as the child of political refugees from Iran. Her broad support base positions her as a frontrunner, though her youth and political record have drawn scrutiny.
Sweden has reported rising emissions under Pourmokhtari's tenure as climate minister, and she has had to defend policies criticized by the OECD and the government's own climate policy watchdog, research indicates. Additionally, Pourmokhtari flipped from opposing cooperation with the Sweden Democrats to serving as a minister in a government supported by them. These controversies have fueled debates about her effectiveness and ideological consistency, potentially impacting her leadership bid. Her candidacy thus embodies the party's struggle to balance principle with political pragmatism in a shifting landscape.
Lotta Edholm, Pourmokhtari's main rival, has received the backing of just one district, Västmanland, according to research sources. This limited support suggests she faces an uphill battle in the leadership race, lacking the broad coalition that Pourmokhtari has assembled. Edholm's candidacy highlights the fragmented nature of the contest, with no clear consensus emerging among party members.
Other leadership contenders include MP Gulan Avci, who wants to take over as leader of the Liberal Party in Stockholm city, according to major media reports. Avci announced in January that she will not run for another term as MP after eight years. Additionally, Cecilia Malmström, who is not a party member or standing for leader, was nominated by Karlskrona, research sources indicate. These lesser-known candidates add complexity to the race, though they are unlikely to challenge the frontrunners without substantial backing.
Several leading Liberal Party politicians have said they will not run in the next election period, and economic-political spokesperson Cecilia Rönn announces she is not running for party leader, according to multiple reports. These withdrawals reflect the deepening crisis within the party, as experienced figures step back amid the turmoil over the Sweden Democrats policy. This exodus of senior talent could weaken the party's electoral prospects and governance capacity.
She is a skillful debater who will help attract new, younger members.
Locally in Ronneby, Marianne Lundkvist and Jan Wikskär will front the party in the election campaign, advocating for more open discussions and cooperation with all parties, multiple reports indicate. Marianne Lundkvist entered the municipal council in 2022 with the help of personal votes. This grassroots approach contrasts with the national leadership's top-down decisions, suggesting a divergence in strategy between local and central party levels.
A core part of the Liberal Party's policy is phasing out profits in schools, a policy also included in the recent agreement with the Sweden Democrats, according to major media sources. This alignment on education policy has been a key concession in the deal. The agreement represents a pragmatic compromise, but it has sparked internal dissent over ideological purity.
Leijonborg's candidacy was announced in a press release from the party, according to major media reports. His return is seen as a bid to stabilize the party, though his disagreements with Mohamsson on issues like school profits could strain unity.
If Pourmokhtari wins the leadership race at age 29, she will not be the youngest-ever party leader in Sweden, research sources confirm. This historical context tempers the novelty of her candidacy, though her youth still represents a generational shift for the party.
The Liberal Party faces severe electoral challenges, with its support hovering near or below the parliamentary threshold in recent polls. Defections like Ohlsson's exacerbate these difficulties, eroding the party's base and credibility. The leadership election thus occurs against a backdrop of existential threat, where the wrong choice could spell electoral oblivion.
Internal party divisions over the Sweden Democrats are stark, with Leijonborg noting that he knows several people personally who are leaving politics due to the Liberal Party's course change. These divisions reflect deeper ideological rifts that the leadership election must address, potentially reshaping the party's identity.
The leadership election's impact on party direction is profound, as it will decide whether the Liberal Party continues its cooperation with the Sweden Democrats or seeks a new path. Leijonborg supports the line Mohamsson launched last week and sees continued Tidö cooperation as a condition for Sweden to continue having a non-socialist government. However, he does not support phasing out profits from Swedish schools, a part of the agreement between the Liberals and Sweden Democrats, indicating potential policy conflicts.
Key unknowns persist, including the exact number of Liberal Party politicians threatening to quit or have already defected over the Sweden Democrats policy shift. The current polling percentage for the Liberal Party and how far below the 4% parliamentary threshold it is remain unspecified, complicating assessments of electoral viability. Other candidates besides Romina Pourmokhtari and Lotta Edholm in the leadership election have not been fully detailed. Specific policy concessions the Liberal Party gained in exchange for allowing the Sweden Democrats into government are not enumerated, leaving the full terms of the agreement opaque.