In Expressen Debatt, Jessica Stegrud maintains that it is "telling" that S and M are represented by people with an immigrant background in cultural issues.
For a long time, it was only Sweden Democrats and "intellectual immigrants" who talked about Swedish culture, writes Stegrud.
"The debate about Swedishness and Swedish culture has long been so infected that it has usually only been conducted by either us Sweden Democrats or by intellectuals, prominent people with an immigrant background. That - in turn - is a bad grade," writes Stegrud.
She writes that she did not mean to offend or belittle anyone.
Liljestrand: "Strange"
Stegrud wrote on Tuesday on X that it was "telling" that "a Swedish-born Kurd and a Persian" debated the cultural canon in Aktuellt, referring to S's cultural policy spokesperson Lawen Redar and Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand (The Moderate Party).
The Culture Minister writes in a comment to TT that "it is welcome that Jessica Stegrud has clarified what was the intention behind her tweet".
"I still think it's strange to focus on ethnicity rather than the issues we debated. For me as a moderate, it will always be more important where you're going than where you come from," writes Parisa Liljestrand.
Wave of criticism
Stegrud's statement led to a wave of criticism from several ministers in the government. At a press conference a few days later, the atmosphere was tense between Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (The Moderate Party) and SD leader Jimmie Åkesson. Kristersson did not think he had received any explanation, while Åkesson thought the matter was settled.
On Saturday, the debate continued when Development Minister Benjamin Dousa (The Moderate Party) criticized Stegrud's post in DN.
"It was like being rejected from something I myself, and relatives before me, have worked hard to belong to," he wrote.
