Some of the questions debated in Wednesday's debate on SVT between Jimmie Åkesson (SD) and Magdalena Andersson (S). The S leader was pressed by Åkesson regarding Dagens Nyheter's revelation about S-owned Kombispel's lottery sales.
We want to get rid of this type of fraud that I think S engages in when selling lottery tickets to people who do not know what they are buying, said Åkesson, who is against party lotteries.
According to Andersson, S has taken necessary measures after the irregularities were revealed. Among other things, the agreement with the telemarketing company was terminated and the CEO resigned on the same day.
Now we have given the new chairman of the board and CEO the task of cleaning up and ensuring that our operations are conducted in accordance with the values that our movement is based on, she said.
"Individual Responsibility"
One question where the two party leaders were closer to each other was the Swedes who are in Lebanon.
It is good that the government has emphasized individual responsibility regarding travel to Lebanon, Andersson thought.
But I can state that many countries have helped their citizens get home. Ukraine, for example – a country at war – has helped its citizens get home. Then it is reasonable that Sweden ensures that at least the children who are Swedish citizens get the opportunity to return to Sweden, and do not watch as Swedish children are now at risk of being killed in Lebanon.
However, it is not solely up to the state, according to Jimmie Åkesson.
You can actually still leave the country on your own, it is not necessarily the case that you need help to do so, you have your own responsibility, he replied.
Conflicting Opinions
Even when it came to the government's budget, where, among other things, 27 billion kronor will be used to finance lower taxes, the party leaders had conflicting opinions.
What is happening is that Jimmie Åkesson and SD are positioning themselves farthest to the right in economic policy. Jimmie Åkesson's project to present SD as the best party for ordinary wage earners, it does not seem to hold true when you come to power, said Magdalena Andersson.
The SD leader, however, emphasized that the budget benefits everyone.
Everyone who works gets lower taxes, ordinary people with ordinary incomes, I think that is good politics, said Åkesson.
This is good prioritization. We need a budget that focuses on growth and gets the Swedish economy moving.