Anna-Karin Hatt says that the threats and hatred she has received since she became party leader have been worse than she could have imagined and that it "gets under your skin".
Always feeling that you need to look over your shoulder and not feeling completely safe, not even in your own home.
This is not a price I am willing to pay.
Not just trolls
She says that she encounters threats and hatred "every day, every hour of the day", without wanting to go into exactly what kind of threats they are.
But it's not just about trolls behind a screen, it has come much closer than that, she says.
Hatt states that she has not made any police report.
It's not a single incident that has led to my decision, but it's a comprehensive assessment of a comprehensive situation.
She says that the climate in politics has changed a lot since she was last politically active ten years ago.
I must honestly say that I could not have understood the full implications of what would be directed at me or how it would affect me beforehand.
The decision to resign describes her as the toughest she has made in her professional life.
I feel that I today lead the Center Party with all the strength that the party needs, but I also feel that I in the social climate we operate in will not be able to want to, or feel safe in, being a political leader in the long term.
"Terribly sad"
At the same time, she praises the work of the Security Police.
I am genuinely grateful that there are many people who devote their lives to protecting our important democracy.
They do a fantastic job, you can rely on it and feel safe, she says.
Several Center Party members describe the message as a shock. The Center Party's party secretary Karin Ernlund says that it came as "a total surprise".
I am so genuinely and terribly sad to have to stand here today, she says at the press conference.
Hatt will officially resign at the party's party conference, which takes place in Karlstad on November 13-16. Then, a new Center Party leader will also be elected.
Anna-Karin Hatt succeeded Muharrem Demirok as C leader on May 3 this year. Her predecessor Annie Lööf resigned after the 2022 election and expressed relief at not having been harmed during the election campaign.
