Swedish Liberals Face Deepening Crisis Amid Leadership Departures and Record Low Polls

The Swedish Liberals party is currently engulfed in a significant crisis marked by multiple high-profile resignations, internal turmoil, and plummeting opinion poll numbers. This critical situation has prompted a weekend crisis meeting of the party board to address the growing challenges ahead of the parliamentary elections in the fall.

Three notable members, including Gulan Avci, the defense policy spokesperson, have declared they will not run for re-election. Avci, who has been a member of the Riksdag since 2018, stated that it feels right to pause and make way for others. Louise Eklund, the party's first deputy group leader and economic policy spokesperson, will also step down after serving since 2022. Additionally, Torkild Strandberg, recently elected to the party board last summer and chairman of the municipal council in Landskrona, is leaving party leadership to focus on local politics. Since the 2022 election, four MPs have left, and six more have announced they will not seek re-election, leaving only six of the original sixteen members standing.

Recent polls from Indikator Opinion/SVT show the Liberals' support has shrunk to a record low 1.4%, the lowest ever for an established party in the Swedish parliament. This alarmingly weak standing has intensified internal criticism of the leadership's inability to halt the decline, with some party members demanding a detailed crisis plan. The party's current approach has been characterized internally as "popcorn-politik," indicating a fragmented and unfocused strategy.

Political scientist Jenny Madestam highlights that the party's identity crisis stems largely from its participation in the Tidö Agreement, which has alienated voters and complicated relations with allies such as the Sweden Democrats. She anticipates that the crisis meeting could unveil bold, unexpected proposals as the party strives to regain clarity and direction. Madestam stresses the urgency for the Liberals to present a coherent vision and strategy to survive politically.

The crisis meeting, held over a two-day period starting Friday, is a critical juncture for the Liberals as they face the risk of failing to clear the parliamentary threshold. With party leadership publicly silent on the meeting's outcomes, the party's future direction remains uncertain but is undoubtedly precarious as it heads into a crucial election year.