Left Party Faces Turmoil Amid Expulsions of Lorena Delgado Varas and Daniel Riazat

The Swedish Left Party (Vänsterpartiet) is currently engulfed in controversy following its expulsion of Lorena Delgado Varas, a member implicated in antisemitic remarks, and the initiation of expulsion proceedings against MP Daniel Riazat, who protested the decision. Delgado Varas announced her expulsion on social media after being given just 24 hours to resign from all party positions due to her earlier statements regarding 'Zionist Jews' controlling politics and banks, which the party deemed unacceptable. Maria Forsberg, the party secretary, criticized her actions as demonstrating a lack of judgment, making her unfit to represent the party in parliament.

Riazat publicly condemned the expulsion as a scandal, asserting that it undermined democratic principles within the party. He claimed he was blindsided by the exclusion proceedings, receiving no formal documentation. In retaliation for his vocal support of Delgado Varas, the party has now put Riazat under scrutiny for allegedly inappropriate conduct, which has further deepened the rift within party ranks. Tensions escalated following the rejection of an investigation into Delgado Varas's comments by authorities, pushing party dynamics into a turbulent phase, as both figures face potential expulsion amidst claims of undermining party integrity.