Dadgostar Confirms Expulsion of Antisemitism-Accused MP Delgado Varas

The decision is that she can no longer represent us in the Riksdag. I assume she respects that, says Dadgostar to reporters in the TV house in Stockholm ahead of tonight's party leader debate.

Lorena Delgado Varas has announced that she has no plans to resign and is supported by several high-ranking individuals within the party.

I understand that this raises emotions in people, but this is a made decision.

She has lacked judgment on repeated occasions in key issues and it has created ambiguity around where Vänsterpartiet stands.

Divided posts

On April 7, Delgado Varas shared a post on social media claiming that "Zionist Jews" control the world through control over politics and banks. That parts of the party have still backed the colleague does not mean that the party has problems with anti-Semitism, says Nooshi Dadgostar.

There is an ongoing genocide in Gaza. We have members and people around the world and throughout Sweden who are deeply engaged in stopping Israel's abuses. It's not why Lorena Delgado Varas can no longer represent us.

Asked what the party will do if Delgado Varas continues to refuse to leave her seat, Dadgostar responds that she expects the decision to be followed "once this has landed more properly".

In one way or another, it will be implemented.

Not afraid of split

Are you afraid that the party will split?

No.

Why?

We are a party with high ceilings. I understand that there are those who have feelings around this, but the decision is made.

The Social Democrats' party leader Magdalena Andersson thinks V has acted correctly.

I think that's important. I can note that we have a government that instead gives fine platforms to people who have this type of rhetoric, she says.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (The Moderate Party) is less impressed:

I'm quite surprised by this. That there has been terrorist romanticism in Vänsterpartiet for a long time, I think everyone who has followed them knows. But that there was such tolerance in broad circles for anti-Semitism, I think is quite remarkable, he says.