Liberals Race Against Time: Leadership Bid Intensifies

The deadline is approaching for the Liberal Party's selection committee in their search for a new leader. Desperation is mounting after Romina Pourmokhtari's refusal, and today, they are not ruling out the possibility of pausing the process. Meanwhile, new names are being discussed.

"Romina can probably be persuaded, but we need to significantly increase our offer to her," says a source within the Liberals.

On Thursday, Expressen revealed that Romina Pourmokhtari, Erik Ullenhag, and Lotta Edholm have all declined to succeed Johan Pehrson as the Liberal Party leader. The day before, Pourmokhtari clarified in an interview with Expressen that she cannot envision being in a government with the Sweden Democrats after the 2026 election.

"I will not be part of that," she said.

At the same time, it is clear that Romina Pourmokhtari is the preferred choice among many Liberals. The Climate and Environment Minister has received substantial support across the country, and party sources believe she is the only one who could elevate the Liberals to numbers well above the four percent threshold.

Pushing for a Mandate

Many in the party believe that Pourmokhtari is currently testing the selection committee. She knows she has the necessary support and now wants to ensure she receives a strong mandate that gives her significant power to act as party leader, they argue.

Sources describe the role as "a kamikaze mission" and point out that Pourmokhtari has closely observed how Johan Pehrson struggled to meet the party's demands and decisions from the National Meeting. Pourmokhtari does not want to end up in such a situation, it is emphasized.

At the same time, several compare it to the recent process in the Center Party, where Anna-Karin Hatt's initial refusal eventually turned into acceptance. The wealthy Center Party could offer her a salary that now amounts to 223,000 kronor per month.

The Liberals do not have such financial resources, and sources suggest they must instead entice with other offers. This could include giving Romina Pourmokhtari the ability to fully control who she has around her in leadership or the direction the party should take.

Meanwhile, several point out that the selection committee's time to act is running out. They have promised to present their proposal by Tuesday at the latest, partly because documents for the extraordinary national meeting on June 24, where the new leader will be chosen, must be distributed a week in advance.

The time pressure also means that people within the Liberals believe the selection committee is now also investigating other options.

"If they fail with Romina, they must find another solution," says one of them.

Expanding the Circle

This involves convincing another party representative to take on the role. Among those most frequently mentioned are Equality Minister Nina Larsson, school policy spokesperson Fredrik Malm, and EU parliamentarian Karin Karlsbro.

The third option is to pause the ongoing process, sources suggest. This could involve convincing Johan Pehrson to stay a few more months to extend the selection committee's opportunities to find a new leader.

In such a scenario, it may involve expanding the circle of potential candidates. Two names mentioned are Axel Darvik from Gothenburg and Jan Jönsson from Stockholm, both of whom are on the party board.

The selection committee's chairman, Lars Persson Skandevall, says the plan is still to present a candidate about a week before the extraordinary national meeting, that is, early next week.

"It is, of course, important that the name we present is well-grounded and has strong support within the party. Once that is clear, the election proposal will be presented," he says.

When asked who has declined, he does not wish to answer.

Romina Pourmokhtari declines to comment.