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On Monday, the country’s Liberals can start nominating their favorite candidates for the European Parliament elections, which will take place in June next year. The party’s current EU parliamentarian – Karin Karlsbro – was the first name in the previous election in 2019 and has announced that she would like to remain in office for another term. But according to information to Ekot, a number of high-ranking Liberals want the list to be topped by another name. It is about Erik Ullenhag, who is currently ambassador to Israel, but previously was, among other things, party secretary and minister of state. He was also one of the candidates for the post of party leader after Jan Björklund.
According to several people that Ekot spoke to, Erik Ullenhag would be a draw for the Liberals in the EU election campaign. In the last election, the party received only 4 percent of the vote, barely passing the threshold. Right now, persistent attempts are being made from various quarters to get Erik Ullenhag to stand.
He is said to have not yet announced whether he intends to run for office or not.
At the same time, there are objections against Karin Karlsbro, which are not connected to her efforts as an EU parliamentarian, but rather the criticism she repeatedly brings forward against the Sweden Democrats, both internally and externally. From a central point of view, she is perceived as “difficult”, says one person.
None of the Liberals that Ekot has been in contact with wants to be interviewed on tape.
In mid-October, the Liberals’ nomination committee will present the proposal for the ballot – and at the national meeting in November, the list will be hammered out.
Ekot has searched for Erik Ullenhag without success.