The party leadership must now focus on handling an internal conflict and defending itself against allegations of anti-Semitism instead of developing and promoting its policies, continues Bjereld, professor of political science at the University of Gothenburg.
Lorena Delgado Varas is accused of anti-Semitism after sharing a post on social media claiming that "Zionist Jews" control the world.
The party executive has urged her to resign, but Delgado Varas refuses – and is supported by prominent left-wing party members. Several of them, such as former party leader Lars Ohly and former MP Rossana Dinamarca, no longer hold significant positions in the party, says Bjereld.
The party executive appears to have been relatively united in its decision.
Tough opposition
What does the split say about the situation in the Left Party?
The party whip has been weakened, but the opposition within the party is tough. The opposition is provoked by the debate being led in the direction of form, what posts to spread on the internet, instead of substance – that Israel's warfare has killed 50,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians.
Party leader Nooshi Dadgostar has distanced herself from Delgado Varas' post, but has otherwise kept a low profile. Simply because she wants to avoid being associated with the issue, believes Bjereld.
It is common in all parties that the party secretary handles this type of issue, since these issues are formally organizational issues and one wants to protect the party leader.
Must keep clean
Since Hamas' terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, the starting point for the current war, several Left Party representatives have been exposed for expressing themselves anti-Semitically and praising terrorist-classified organizations.
The party, says Ulf Bjereld, must in a credible way be able to show that it keeps clean from anti-Semitic ideas and rhetoric.
Otherwise, the likelihood decreases that the party can get a place in a Social Democratic-led government.
That Delgado Varas as a potential political wild card would get any influence is, considering the balance of power in the Riksdag.
From that perspective, she is not a major problem for the Left Party.
On April 8, the Jewish Central Council reported Left Party member Lorena Delgado Varas, MP and member of the party executive, for incitement against an ethnic group since she shared a post on social media claiming that "Zionist Jews" control countries through control over politics and banks.
Delgado Varas took a break from her political assignments during the investigation.
On April 22, the prosecutor in the case announced that the investigation would be dropped. He accepted Delgado Varas' explanation that she had missed the anti-Semitic message in the image text when she shared the image, which contained criticism of the USA.
According to the newspaper Världen idag, Delgado Varas has also "liked" both anti-Semitic comments and hateful comments directed at Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M).
After a meeting with the Left Party's executive, Delgado Varas was urged on May 2 to leave her political assignments. According to the party secretary, Delgado Varas failed in her judgment on several occasions.
On Saturday, Lorena Delgado Varas announced that she refuses to leave the Riksdag.
