Kristersson will begin the election year on Monday with a three-day bus tour. He will depart from the Moderate Party's office on Blasieholmen in Stockholm, then go on to Uppsala and Västerås, where meetings with local representatives, business and voters await.
With him are the two M-veterans, Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer and Minister of Finance Elisabeth Svantesson, whose images adorn the outside of the bus.
“Effort should pay off. Crime should be punished. For a fairer Sweden,” is the message.
“Very strong support”
The Moderates were overtaken by the Sweden Democrats for the first time in the 2022 election, and in polls ahead of the autumn election, the party is still a couple of percentage points behind the SD.
Despite this, Kristersson has a good, if somewhat serious, outlook on the election.
We have embarked on a course that I feel confident has very strong support, and we are far from finished.
Recently, Jimmie Åkesson said on SVT's Agenda that he felt confident that M and KD would allow SD into the government if the right-wing party wins the election. He also said that he is prepared to take on the role of prime minister, assuming a good election result.
But Kristersson does not believe that Åkesson can become prime minister and sees himself as the natural candidate for the right wing.
You must be able to bring together parties that are willing to act together, and also be the center in a political sense.
The Moderates have shown that, Kristersson continues.
With all due respect, the Liberals would not be able to bring together four parties. KD would not be able to do it and SD would not be able to do it.
I can do it, and everyone else knows it too.
“It's that simple”
Then all parties will answer yes to the question of whether they are prepared to take on the post of prime minister, according to Kristersson. But then they are not realistic.
You can't claim the post of prime minister if you don't have an alternative government. It's that simple.
He believes that the dominant issues in the election will be internal and external security and the economy, so that people will have more money in their wallets. Kristersson repeats the election promise that the Moderates made four years ago about a "stop to tax increases."
"I can promise that we will not make any tax increases on savings, income or entrepreneurship," he says.
This includes the tax on ISK savings, employer contributions and the 3:12 rules for small businesses.
In the polls, the Tidö parties are also well behind the opposition, while the Liberals are not able to pass the parliamentary barrier. It is a steep uphill climb for a new Moderate-led government, he agrees.
This is not an easy thing, but it is entirely possible.
Niklas Svahn/TT
Facts: Quotes during the bus tour
TT
About the Liberals' public support:
That they are having a tough time is quite obvious. I am not going to give any advice to the Liberals, and I don't think they need it either. I can only say that our cooperation is working well. They are a constructive party in our work. I wish them well, says Ulf Kristersson.
On when he can govern with the Social Democrats:
I have said it directly to the parties: if Sweden were to find itself in a situation where we have war in our immediate vicinity, Article 5 is activated, and everything is about saving the country from, or through, a war, then I would not hesitate for a moment; I would invite all parties to form a coalition government.
