As a politician, you also have to open the window and look out sometimes, not only scrutinise your inner ideological reasoning but also look at the problems we have in Sweden, says Minister for Climate and the Environment Romina Pourmokhtari.
With only days left until election day, she is knocking on doors with local Liberals in a residential area in Enebyberg in Danderyd municipality. Here, the Moderates received 40 percent in the last election and the Liberals 12 percent.
At the national level, things look bleaker for the Liberals. The party seems to have gained some ground in the final sprint but is far from certain to remain in parliament.
"Everything stands and falls with us," says Pourmokhtari as she encourages the campaign workers.
She introduces herself as the "Minister of the Environment" when doors are knocked on and then holds out a brochure with the text "Without us, the reds go to hell."
Still has her opinions
The Liberal profile made herself known as one of the Sweden Democrats' harshest critics, writing in 2018 that the SD consists of "racist nuts with Nazi roots." The SD builds hatred and xenophobia, she said as the then chairwoman of the Liberal Youth League in 2021. The following year she became a minister.
"I have not changed my opinions, I think the same things I always have about the Sweden Democrats," says Pourmokhtari.
Despite her views, she is now going to the polls to form a government together with the Sweden Democrats.
I'm not a Sweden Democrat, I'm a Liberal. We have different opinions on a lot of things, but we can sit down, look at what Sweden needs and agree on it.
She believes, among other things, that the Liberals have succeeded in influencing the Sweden Democrats on climate policy and got them to agree to a 10 percent reduction obligation instead of 6 percent, and that it is an example of when the Liberals act as a brake on the Sweden Democrats.
The Liberal profile also does not rule out becoming a minister again.
"I'm not going around waiting," she says with a smile. "But for us, the total focus is on more Swedes understanding that the Liberals are absolutely crucial."
Don't want to see Jomshof
One person she does not want to see as a minister, however, is the Sweden Democrats' Richard Jomshof.
What does Magdalena Andersson usually say about the Left Party? They have a very long journey to go. I think Jomshof has a very long journey to go.
When the Liberals swung and opened up to sitting in government with the Sweden Democrats, it was perhaps the hug that Simona Mohamsson gave Jimmie Åkesson that received the most attention.
"So I'm not that huggable," Pourmokhtari replies when asked if she could have done the same thing.
At the same time, the Liberals have probably been helped by Åkesson's deadline for the party and the attention it has generated, she admits. The question is whether it will be enough all the way.
