Two years ago, Muharrem Demirok was elected as the new Center Party leader. Before the election of a new party leader, several candidates were discussed.
Here are some hot successors who can take over.
Emil Källström:
The former economic-political spokesperson is often mentioned as an internal favorite. However, he left politics in 2021 and declined firmly the last time.
It's so simple that I took over as CEO of a green chemical company a few weeks ago. The situation is not right. I can also state that there are very many other skilled candidates for the party. The next Center Party leader will be a strong name, he said in an interview with DN then.
Karl Gemfeldt, a municipal politician in Kristianstad, says that various names are being mentioned, but he has his clear favorite.
It's Emil Källström, of course. He's a super-talented guy, he says.
Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist:
A member of parliament who was one of three candidates remaining when the election committee had spoken before the party leadership election in 2022. She was the favorite candidate of the Youth Association CUF and the Center Students.
Thand Ringqvist entered parliament after the 2022 election and is vice chairman of the Industry Committee. Previously, she has been, among other things, CEO of Företagarna.
Daniel Bäckström:
Bäckström, who is the Center Party's group leader in parliament, was also one of three final candidates for the party leadership election last time.
Bäckström received criticism from, among others, CUF for not being able to answer the question of whether he would be willing to marry same-sex couples in an internal hearing. He later wrote in a social media post that he "defends the right to love whoever you want."
Has been a member of parliament since 2014 and is a member of the Defense Committee.
Emma Wiesner:
Was eager to take over the leadership already in 2022. EU parliamentarian Emma Wiesner has since then had a successful election to the EU parliament behind her.
Now she writes to TT:
"I and most others in the party need to land in Murre's message and the election committee needs to get calm and quiet to start and bring forward a suitable process to find a replacement."
Helena Lindahl:
A member of parliament who was nominated by the district in Västerbotten last time. She eventually backed Daniel Bäckström as the new party leader ahead of Muharrem Demirok and Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist. Lindahl wants the party to move more to the right and has made herself known for criticizing the Center Party's cooperation with the previous red-green government.
Martin Ådahl:
The party's economic-political spokesperson who has been a member of parliament since 2018. He was mentioned in the speculation before the last party leadership election, but declined to run then.
I had a long discussion with my family about this issue and landed on the fact that it's not the right time now, he said to DN in October 2022.
Anna-Karin Hatt:
Currently the CEO of the Federation of Swedish Farmers (LRF) and previously, among other things, IT minister in Fredrik Reinfeldt's government. She lost the party leadership battle against Annie Lööf in 2011 and declined to run for the role as Lööf's successor.
