Anna-Karin Hatt was the candidate who received the most nominations within the party, according to the election committee's chairman Anders Åkesson.
She is a political heavyweight with long experience from both politics and business, he says.
Wants to unite the party
If she is elected at the extraordinary meeting on May 3, she will take over after an unusually turbulent period. Muharrem Demirok is leaving due to internal discontent, which is both about poor opinion polls and anger over the perception that he tried to get the party to back S-leader Magdalena Andersson as prime ministerial candidate.
Anna-Karin Hatt has stayed out of the discussions and does not want to give a clear answer about who she thinks the party should cooperate with going forward. But she promises to give a clear answer in good time before the next election.
There is a strong desire to unite behind a common clear direction and work forward. There is a clear desire for revenge, that energy and force I look forward to taking care of, she says.
Where the party lands will depend on how much impact C can get for its politics. So far, C has been a clear opponent to all cooperation with the Sweden Democrats. When asked if that can change, Hatt responds:
So far, I haven't met a single Center Party member who has advocated for us to open up for organized cooperation with SD. But I haven't heard anyone who wants it to be the most important issue for us going forward, says Hatt.
No became yes
As recently as a week ago, Hatt dismissed the idea of becoming party leader.
This is a very big decision, a big step to take for anyone, she says.
When the process could continue for a while and could land in both my brain, heart, and gut, I felt that this is important.
Today, voters do not think that the Center Party has the best policy on any issue, according to various opinion polls. What issues Hatt wants to focus on, she will return to when she has been elected.
But Swedish climate policy is cracking, it's one of our time's biggest challenges, she says.
And we are in a situation with economic uncertainty where unemployment is increasing, bankruptcies are increasing. I want to pursue a policy that ensures it gets better both for those who work and for the companies that create jobs, she says.
Anna-Karin Hatt is currently CEO of the Swedish Federation of Farmers (LRF). But she has a long background in C and has, among other things, been IT and energy minister in Fredrik Reinfeldt's Alliance government.
She also ran for party leader in 2011 but lost to Annie Lööf.
Johanna Ekström/TT
Maria Davidsson/TT
Facts: Anna-Karin Hatt
TT
52 years old.
Grew up in Halland's Hylte, where she was a municipal politician.
CEO of the Swedish Federation of Farmers (LRF) and previously, among other things, IT and energy minister in Fredrik Reinfeldt's Alliance government. Has also been CEO of the employer organization Almega.
Lost the party leadership election in the Center Party to Annie Lööf in 2011.
