What happened
The Sweden Democrats' Member of Parliament Tobias Andersson directs criticism at the party's proposal for a veil ban presented in June. In an interview with SVT, Andersson states that the initiative lacked explanation and arguments, and that it contributed to SD losing young voters. According to SVT's exit poll Valu, the party's support among the youngest voters dropped from 22 to 15 percent. Andersson recently lost the position of chair of the Riksdag's Committee on Industry and Trade and has instead been moved to the Committee on Education. Party leader Jimmie Åkesson has in an opinion piece in Expressen rejected claims that the committee change was an ouster.
Our analysis
Member of Parliament Tobias Andersson and the Sweden Democrats' party leadership are now examining their own setback, but the criticism is about lost votes rather than people's freedom. The loss of seven percentage points among young voters, from 22 to 15 percent, is explained by flawed communication rather than the proposal's actual content. The reporting fails to highlight how the proposal affects the Muslim girls and women among new Swedes whose everyday lives and freedom of religion are threatened by a state ban. For now, the proposal for a veil ban remains the party's official line ahead of upcoming negotiations in the Riksdag. When the party discusses a ban primarily as a tactical liability, it shows how fundamental rights for new Swedes are turned into a matter of electoral tactics.
Explained
Valu: SVT's exit poll where voters on election day answer which party they voted for and which political issues influenced their decision.