The cooperation between the bourgeois government and the Sweden Democrats has now reached halfway through the term.
This has been a stable government all the time, no weird scandals, no one has been forced to resign, we win all votes, says Kristersson (M).
But it has not only been peaceful and joyful.
TV4's revelation about SD's troll accounts, SD leader's subsequent attack on the media, and SD top Richard Jomshof's statement about burning Korans when Sweden was waiting for Turkey's approval for NATO membership are just a few examples that have created tensions.
TT: How has the cooperation with SD developed?
In all essentials, it has worked well, roughly as I thought, says Kristersson.
Keeping the tone down
He points out that the Tidö parties have managed to agree on all concrete issues and thinks the coordination office established in the government office "works incredibly well."
There are very few questions that need to go through the entire system and be decided at party leader level, says Kristersson.
There is no question that has gone awry.
Kristersson admits, however, that it sometimes requires some mediation, not least from the Moderate Party's side.
TT: Has the cooperation with SD become less controversial within the bourgeoisie?
Yes, I think the respect for cooperation where you can achieve something, it is growing.
TT: Do you think SD should tone down in the political debate?
Yes, I really do. But I want to be careful and say that it's not just SD that expresses itself like that, but when they have done it, and it has happened quite a few times, then I have spoken out too, says Kristersson.
Bigger problems
Within the Moderate Party, there is a concern that the cooperation with SD will scare off liberal female voters in metropolitan areas.
TT: Is it a problem?
It would have been a much bigger concern if we had formed a government like the one Magdalena Andersson and Stefan Löfven formed. A government that you only form because you want to govern, but can't get anything done. It would have been a much bigger problem.
Kristersson states that it is obvious to him that he will aim for a continuation of the Tidö cooperation even during the term 2026-2030. He thinks the conditions for the cooperation to hold for another six years are good. And Kristersson wants to remain as Prime Minister until at least 2030.
Yes, you usually say that you need a few terms and I am fully committed to continuing to govern after the next election.
But there are difficult obstacles on the way. In addition to the four parties needing to get a majority in the next parliamentary election, which they do not have in opinion polls right now, SD demands a place in the next possible Tidö government. Something that L says no to.
Is SD mature?
TT: Is SD mature enough to sit in government?
I don't think I'll say anything about that, other than that all parties always want to sit in government, says Kristersson.
All respect for that. But that question is not relevant at all right now.
Now Kristersson wants to focus on implementing all points in the Tidö agreement before the 2026 election.
For example, the part about criminal policy includes 48 points. Almost all have been initiated, but only a few have been fully implemented so far. On the question of whether the gangs will be broken by 2030, Kristersson responds:
My absolute conviction is that the big problems that have been built on too much immigration and poor criminal policy, they will not be as big at all in 2030, but we will have other big problems.
Peter Wallberg/TT
Facts: The Tidö Cooperation
TTTT
The Moderate Party (M), The Liberals (L), The Christian Democrats (KD), and The Sweden Democrats (SD) presented the Tidö agreement on 14 October 2022.
This meant that M, L, and KD formed a government that cooperates with SD.
The government took office on 18 October 2022.
The Tidö agreement includes over 200 points to be implemented during the term.
The agreement covers healthcare, climate and energy, crime, migration and integration, education, and household economy.
Additional areas have been added later, such as infrastructure.
The parties also cooperate on the annual state budget.
The Tidö agreement applies from 2022 to 2026.
Source: The Tidö agreement
