In November, there was a full-blown storm in the Center Party. Anonymous sources vented their discontent with a pressured party leader in the media. But since then, it has been calm, outwardly.
Now, around 600 Center Party members from all over the country are gathering in Linköping. They will discuss new proposals for, among other things, justice policy, schools, and rural areas. Policies that the party will go to the election with in 2026.
But in the coffee breaks, another question will be discussed – which path should the Center Party choose in the government issue? It splits the party much more than the policy issues, and that's where the trust in Muharrem Demirok will be put to the test.
Karl Gemfeldt, group leader for the Center Party in Kristianstad, demanded the party leader's resignation last autumn, but is now toning down that demand. The opinion polls ahead will decide.
We still don't have the opportunity to get a decent influence after the next election, neither nationally, in regions, nor in municipalities. That's the concern I hear, he says.
Support for S
The triggering factor last autumn was a party board meeting where it was perceived that Demirok surprisingly tried to get a decision to support S-leader Magdalena Andersson as a prime ministerial candidate.
It had an explosive effect.
Demirok's leadership style was criticized, and mostly anonymous voices protested against committing to the red-green team already now. They want to wait for the election results to have more room for maneuver in potential government negotiations.
But Demirok also got support for his line. That faction claims that the critics are a minority who have difficulty accepting the current political playing field. If the Center Party is to stand firm against the Sweden Democrats, there is no other alternative than red-green cooperation, they argue.
Not lifting off
But the discontent with Demirok is also rooted in frustration that the opinion polls are not improving, and that he still – nearly two years after taking over after Annie Lööf – ends up at the bottom of the party leader confidence ratings.
Several people TT talks to mention the opinion polls as a crucial factor for Demirok's future. Now the party is focusing on policy issues, but ahead of the party congress this autumn, the split over the government issue may flare up again.
