Ebba Busch was pregnant with her first child when she was elected party leader at the Christian Democrats' extraordinary national meeting in Västerås ten years ago.
It's both a day and a whole life in one, she summarizes the years that have passed.
Parenting and party leadership have involved some interesting work arrangements, such as having to put the children to bed five minutes before the Aktuellt broadcast begins.
It's been exhausting years, challenging complex years, but fantastic years. I'm very glad for them, she says.
Broke new political ground
In July 2019, Ebba Busch invited SD leader Jimmie Åkesson to the famous meatball lunch that broke new ground in Swedish politics. Then, the Christian Democrats shifted the continental plates, she says.
We changed the entire parliamentary situation by saying that we can negotiate with both the Left Party and the Sweden Democrats. Thus, we also made possible a bourgeois government now in 2022.
In January this year, the Christian Democrats' party congress decided to take a new step in the government issue by deleting a paragraph that ruled out government cooperation with SD and V.
That means we clearly do not have any ultimatum, says Busch. It's SD that has set up ultimatums, and perhaps above all The Liberals. I think we need to have more solutions, not fewer solutions.
Ebba Busch is otherwise known for sharp statements and a sharp debate style, which has gotten her into trouble several times. The party as a whole has also struggled in opinion polls and often hovers around 3 percent.
I'm really not satisfied with the situation. I've concluded that we need to enter a new period where we can build momentum.
The Christian Democrats need to drive issues like values, family policy, healthcare, and energy harder ahead of the 2026 election, she believes.
We're the ones who have paved the way or been a trailblazer in many issues before, and I think there's a need for the Christian Democrats to take on that role again.
Ten more years?
On Ebba Busch's forearm is a tattoo: "Did the water become a little deeper or did I stop swimming?". It's a reminder to herself to stay the course, no matter where she is in life.
On the question of how long she can bear to sit as party leader, she answers:
If you look at the reforms I want to make now, are they enough to carry me for ten more years? That's where I have my time horizon.
... does it require a party leader change for the Christian Democrats to rise in opinion polls?
Do you think so? I don't think it depends on a single person, just like it wasn't just my merit that we were at 13 percent in the spring of 2019. I think it's a matter of momentum and deliveries and marking what you get with the Christian Democrats that you don't get with the ordinary basic package of law and order politics that you get with the cooperation parties. And I think I'm the right person to communicate that.
... the exposure as party leader.
I remember when I thought it was toughest around the house affair and knowing that I haven't done anything wrong here, but I'm being portrayed in the worst possible way. Then I remember that I had a conversation with a friend: "Remember, it can never be pitiful for a party leader." She's so right. It's never pitiful for me. But then I'm also a human being. And all human beings go through tough times. You have the need to cry on someone's shoulder.
... threats and hate against politicians.
The threshold for representative democracy becomes very high when you see threats and hate, death threats against me, against my children. That's what I'm very worried about. I've learned to live with it. I want more people to feel that they want to do military service, civil service, like political service.
... how voters will judge the Christian Democrats on issues like healthcare and nuclear power.
We have three cooperation parties that we respect and really like. They're quite uninterested and bad in healthcare issues. I think we unfortunately need to take more tone and we need to show more of our uniqueness in those issues. As for nuclear power, everything necessary is now happening on Väröhalvön for Vattenfall to be able to build new reactors on site. And they've announced that they'll submit an application this fall, so we're keeping to the timeline.
Name: Ebba Elisabeth Busch
Age: 38 years
Family: Children Birger, soon 10, and Elise, 8.
Salary: 187,200 kronor per month.
Occupation: Christian Democrats' party leader since April 25, 2015, energy and business minister, and deputy prime minister since October 2022.
Background: Member of Parliament 2018–2022, municipal councilor in Uppsala, vice chairman of the youth association KDU. Worked as a PR consultant and outdoor painter.
Education: Studies in peace and conflict science at Uppsala University, IB program at Katedralskolan Uppsala, Livets Ord Christian elementary school grades 1–9.
