The Centre Party would rather let voters go to the polls again than sit in a government with the Left Party, party leader Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist said in SVT's hearing on Tuesday.
V deputy leader Ida Gabrielsson says the announcement "creates chaos".
I'm surprised that people haven't matured now that we're facing this election - that they can't take reality into account. It would have been terribly easy for me to be just as childish and have a red line against C.
“Don’t think about eating me”
Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist, for her part, has no plans to "take on" the Left Party's frustration.
The Left Party is in a corner and doesn't have many others to collaborate with. So far, it's mostly the Left Party that wants the Left Party in government. I understand that they are frustrated, but I'm not going to take advantage of their frustration, she says.
Gabrielsson says that V has a welcoming attitude towards C, which she has had to work hard internally to get through, and believes that the parties can govern together. Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist, on the other hand, cannot see any situation where government cooperation with V would be constructive.
The Left Party has no other options. We stand in the middle and have several options, we have opened up to everything from the Green Party to the Moderates, she says.
If V receives strong support in the election, Ida Gabrielsson does not believe that Thand Ringqvist will stick to her word.
Annie Lööf said she would eat her right shoe if she had to govern with Löfven. Then she governed with Löfven. If we get strong support, then I think Thand Ringqvist will get to put on her left shoe too.
Andersson not worried
At the same time, the Left Party has a congress decision not to vote yes for or allow a government that it is not itself part of to come forward. Ida Gabrielsson does not intend to back down from that decision and is herself prepared for new elections.
Of course, the consequence will be a snap election, but that's up to Thand Ringqvist in that case. You can't bully yourself into all your politics like the Centre Party does and target red-green voters.
Social Democrats party leader Magdalena Andersson is not worried by C's ultimatum against V.
"I've been in politics for a long time and I've seen ultimatums come and go," she says.
