Center party's secretary Karin Ernlund invites other parliamentary parties to talks on political conduct ahead of the election campaign. The initiative follows a heated party leader debate in Agenda. Social Democrats' secretary Tobias Baudin welcomes the proposal.
Following a sometimes heated party leader debate in SVT's Agenda on Sunday evening, Center party's secretary Karin Ernlund has initiated talks with the other parliamentary parties' secretaries. The debate was marked by interruptions, and Center's leader Anna-Karin Hatt remarked that it "sounded like a youth home" when Left Party's Nooshi Dadgostar spoke over others. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called the debate "undignified" and "garrulous" after the broadcast.
The talks will focus on guidelines for the debate climate and a code of conduct for social media ahead of the election campaign. Ernlund stresses the need for clear rules: "We need to set clear rules, not just out of respect for each other – but also out of respect for the voters. They should be able to expect political representatives who can debate and do it in a fair and good way."
Discussions on social media were previously started, including during last year's EU election when Sweden Democrats' troll accounts were exposed. Ernlund calls for an agreement: "We need an agreement between the parties that no one uses fake accounts and spews threats, hate, and falsehoods. It is not worthy of Swedish democracy."
Social Democrats' secretary Tobias Baudin welcomes Center's initiative, according to Dagens Nyheter.