Since Norlin was appointed party secretary at the end of April, things have been bubbling within the Christian Democrats. And like The Express today was the first to report the election of the party board is called into question.
– Liza-Maria is a person who has been very active in the battles over migration policy and the relationship with the Sweden Democrats. Choosing her when there could be other candidates felt like a hard blow, says a Christian Democrat to SVT.
The criticism is said to have been made to Ebba Busch and is heard from the right in the party. A group that has been driving the increasingly restrictive refugee and criminal policy and that has traditionally supported Busch.
Felicia Ferreira, editor-in-chief at Dagen, believes that the appointment of a recurring critic has made many question the future.
– Those who have bought into the clear right-wing party with harsher punishments and stricter migration policy feel confused and ask themselves: how will the profile be going forward?
Softer profile
She sees it as a signal that the party is now looking for a softer profile after an election result that did not live up to expectations.
The election analysis determined that KD showed too little on traditional issues such as health care and that the harder profile pushed away free-church voters. Already at the KD days in Örebro, just before Norlin’s appointment, a shift to the softer side could be sensed.
In his speech, the party leader attached importance to the family and the concept of “closeness” coined by Alf Svensson. At SVT Agenda’s party leader debate, Busch was absent and replaced by deputy party leader Jakob Forssmed, an intervention that was appreciated by those who are internally called the left in the party.
– Jakob is fantastically good at highlighting the soft perspective, see the person. Ebba also does that, but she is also good at highlighting the need for, for example, energy so that Sweden works, says Riksdag member Magnus Jacobsson.
Battle to wait
But despite criticism, neither people from the left nor the right in the party seem to believe that Ebba Busch would sit loose as party leader.
– However, there will be a tough party leadership battle on the day Ebba ends and people are preparing for that, says a Christian Democrat.
Ebba Busch has declined to comment.
