Liberal leader: 'I don't like the extremes of either left or right'
The affable new leader of Sweden's Liberal Party claimed in his speech at the Almedalen festival that his party would act "an anchor in the middle" that would protect aid spending, asylum rights, gender equality, LGBT issues, and public service broadcasting in a coming right-wing government.
In just three months as party leader Johan Pehrson has taken poll support for his party from 2.5 percent of the vote to well over the parliament's four percent threshold, which, if the Green Party fails to get over the spar, might be enough to win the right-wing parties September's election.
"I'm a social liberal, an Örebro man, a lawyer, a businessman, a dad, and a bonus-dad (stepdad)," Pehrson said. "I don't like the extremes, either on the right or on the left."
While he spoke about gang crime and segregation just as the Moderates' leader Ulf Kristersson, and the Christian Democrats' Ebba Busch had done, and proposed longer sentences for repeat offenders, in general his picture of what needed to be done came from a much more leftwing position.
He said that criminals needed to be treated with both "steel fist and Lovikka [woolen] mittens", both "forcefully and with warmth".
"All the youth who are at risk of going on a criminal path should be put in the classroom. Away from the grip of the gangs and into the magnetic power of learning".
"The best teachers should be attracted to work in the most socially vulnerable areas," he added. "Make sure social workers are there at the police station. It's not rocket science to know that cooperation needs to be really good when the problems are this big."
Just like Ebba Busch, Pehrson suffered problems with his teleprompter, but while she handled it quite coolly, Pehrson took a more maverick approach, sipping nervously from his water bottle, and mumbling a few disconnected sentences, and then bellowing at the top of his voice, "We will win the battle against social exclusion together! Or not at all! Let's take the fight!"
Detta är 40 magiska sekunder från en hakande monitor, till pratande i vattenflaska till VRÅL??!! Jag kan inte INTE titta pic.twitter.com/2CihCHhbiP
— Henrik Torehammar (@torehammar) July 5, 2022
He also made jokes, greeting applause at one point with the words "more applause, applause for me, please," than
The morning after Pehrson's speech, Svenska Dagbladet reported that the Moderate Party had decided that the Liberals would not be part of their government, citing a source from the Sweden Democrats.
The Expressen newspaper than published a private message to Tobias Billström, the Moderates' group party leader, from Gunnar Strömmer, the party secretary, saying he was going to have words with SD "that they shouldn't bloody well go and put words in our party leader's mouth".
Pehrson on the other hand is clear that he wants to both be in the Moderates' next government, and also for his party to have the education ministry.
"This new government needs a new liberal education minister," he said.
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In just three months as party leader Johan Pehrson has taken poll support for his party from 2.5 percent of the vote to well over the parliament's four percent threshold, which, if the Green Party fails to get over the spar, might be enough to win the right-wing parties September's election.
"I'm a social liberal, an Örebro man, a lawyer, a businessman, a dad, and a bonus-dad (stepdad)," Pehrson said. "I don't like the extremes, either on the right or on the left."
While he spoke about gang crime and segregation just as the Moderates' leader Ulf Kristersson, and the Christian Democrats' Ebba Busch had done, and proposed longer sentences for repeat offenders, in general his picture of what needed to be done came from a much more leftwing position.
He said that criminals needed to be treated with both "steel fist and Lovikka [woolen] mittens", both "forcefully and with warmth".
"All the youth who are at risk of going on a criminal path should be put in the classroom. Away from the grip of the gangs and into the magnetic power of learning".
"The best teachers should be attracted to work in the most socially vulnerable areas," he added. "Make sure social workers are there at the police station. It's not rocket science to know that cooperation needs to be really good when the problems are this big."
Just like Ebba Busch, Pehrson suffered problems with his teleprompter, but while she handled it quite coolly, Pehrson took a more maverick approach, sipping nervously from his water bottle, and mumbling a few disconnected sentences, and then bellowing at the top of his voice, "We will win the battle against social exclusion together! Or not at all! Let's take the fight!"
Detta är 40 magiska sekunder från en hakande monitor, till pratande i vattenflaska till VRÅL??!! Jag kan inte INTE titta pic.twitter.com/2CihCHhbiP
— Henrik Torehammar (@torehammar) July 5, 2022
He also made jokes, greeting applause at one point with the words "more applause, applause for me, please," than
The morning after Pehrson's speech, Svenska Dagbladet reported that the Moderate Party had decided that the Liberals would not be part of their government, citing a source from the Sweden Democrats.
The Expressen newspaper than published a private message to Tobias Billström, the Moderates' group party leader, from Gunnar Strömmer, the party secretary, saying he was going to have words with SD "that they shouldn't bloody well go and put words in our party leader's mouth".
Pehrson on the other hand is clear that he wants to both be in the Moderates' next government, and also for his party to have the education ministry.
"This new government needs a new liberal education minister," he said.
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