Anna-Karin Hatt of the Center Party responds to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's invitation for collaboration with sharp criticism of his government's partnership with the Sweden Democrats. Hatt acknowledges shared economic concerns but opposes the alliance with a party she believes doesn't share Sweden's foundational values.
Anna-Karin Hatt Criticizes Kristersson's SD Collaboration
Anna-Karin Hatt Criticizes Kristersson's SD Collaboration
Anna-Karin Hatt (C) has responded to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's invitation with sharp criticism of the government he leads.
In a speech last Saturday, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) reached out to the Center Party with an invitation to collaborate for growth.
– I will speak with parties this autumn that want to cooperate in the next mandate period to reward entrepreneurship and investment in Sweden, said Kristersson.
The invitation has been interpreted as an attempt to drive a wedge between the red-green parties.
Anna-Karin Hatt has so far only given a brief comment on the proposal, but now a formal response is ready to be sent to the Prime Minister shortly.
Sources within the Center Party emphasize that the letter has been widely anchored internally. The parliamentary group had a special agenda item for this at their meeting on Tuesday afternoon, and the party leadership in the executive committee is also said to have discussed the issue.
Criticizes SD Collaboration
Expressen has read parts of Anna-Karin Hatt's response, which is reportedly to be presented in full at a press conference on Wednesday.
In her response, Hatt begins by thanking for the invitation and noting that she shares the Prime Minister's concern for "the economic development and the very low growth in Sweden."
She asserts that the Center Party shares a value base with the Moderates regarding an open market economy but simultaneously criticizes Ulf Kristersson's collaboration with the Sweden Democrats.
"The government you lead today is based on cooperation with a party that is not bourgeois and cannot be considered to share the value base that has built Sweden strong," writes Hatt.
Anna-Karin Hatt also points out that the Center Party has proposed several measures to increase growth, reduce emissions, and create more jobs in Sweden, but without gaining support from the government.
"It is a shame that you have let the chance to implement necessary reforms pass. Unfortunately, I must state that three years with the Tidö collaboration under your leadership have given Sweden among the EU's lowest growth and highest unemployment," writes Hatt.
Since becoming the leader of the Center Party, Anna-Karin Hatt has not wanted to state whom she wants to see as Prime Minister or which coalition she wants the Center Party to join. However, as she closes the door to being in a government with the Sweden Democrats, her party is seen as part of S-leader Magdalena Andersson's government base.