Malin Sjöberg Högrell and Jennie Claesson of Uppsala's Liberals will not seek re-election and are stepping down from leadership roles after the party opened to cooperation with the Sweden Democrats. The moves come after an extraordinary congress where Simona Mohamsson retained her position as party leader.
At Sunday's extraordinary congress, a majority of the Liberals' delegates voted to keep Simona Mohamsson as party leader, with 95 in favor, 80 against, and eight abstentions. This followed her statement opening the door to government cooperation with the Sweden Democrats, which stirred strong emotions in the party. Malin Sjöberg Högrell (L), chair of Liberal Women and a regional councilor in Uppsala, had warned before the vote that she would not run again if the party pursued that path. She is now resigning as county chair for Uppsala but will remain a regional councilor until the end of the term. “I cannot ask voters for trust in a direction I do not believe in myself,” she wrote on social media. Jennie Claesson (L), a municipal councilor, is stepping down as chair of Uppsala Liberals but staying on as councilor until the election. “This is a decision I would not have made myself. It goes against my values and I cannot stand behind it,” she said. Claesson noted ongoing work to create new party lists, with a deadline in two weeks. Former L figure Mohamad Hassan has previously asked to be removed from all ballots.
