The Swedish Liberal Party is dealing with record-low poll numbers, sparking talks on crisis strategies at an upcoming board meeting. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson refuses to urge voters to support the party despite its place in the government coalition. Party member Martin Melin calls the figures shaky.
The Liberal Party (L) finds itself in a tough spot following Wednesday's opinion poll showing rock-bottom figures. The party board convenes this weekend to discuss election strategy, but the poor results could take center stage. Several within the party hope for concrete crisis measures, as reported by SVT. Martin Melin, a top figure and board member, will attend the meeting and tells SVT: “Shaky figures, bad figures, serious figures.” He expresses hope for outcomes: “Hopefully we'll come away with concrete actions.” A key issue concerns the party's stance on the Sweden Democrats (SD). At the autumn congress, L decided not to allow a government with SD ministers. Following January's weak SVT/Verian poll, criticism emerged to drop the red lines, as first reported by Ekot. Melin expects the topic to arise but sees no immediate shift: “But at the moment, I see no change in that question.” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) declines to call for support votes for L, despite its role in the government base. To TV4 News, he states: “I will never urge anyone to vote for any other party than the Moderates, I believe that applies to all parties in both my government base and on the other side.” Expressen has sought comment from the Liberals.
