They just shared cat pictures with each other after the finance committee meeting. The Left Party's economic policy spokesperson Ida Gabrielsson and the Center Party's counterpart Martin Ådahl have cats of the same breed.
- Neva Masquerade - he knew that name. I call it Siberian forest cat. They are white, furry and have blue eyes, says Ida Gabrielsson in an armchair in the Riksdag's chamber foyer.
The night before, they both made it clear that their red lines remain: The Left Party demands to sit in a government that they support - while C does not want to support a government with V ministers. Then the counterparts of the two parties met in a debate on SVT's Aktuellt - for the sake of the unusual. Otherwise, since the election, Ida Gabrielsson has mostly been seen in television studios without anyone from C on site.
- It feels a bit anxious, I think. We have a lot of cooperation, but it feels a bit like C thinks they will be infected if they come on TV at the same time as V. Like they might then end up in government with us, she says.
On Friday, party leaders and spokespeople for the parties that want to see Magdalena Andersson as prime minister will meet at Högberga farm in Lidingö. It is the Center Party's Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist who invited to the meeting where party leaders, together with other top positions in the parties, will get a common picture of the situation in Sweden from invited speakers.
Ida Gabrielsson will be there. She thinks it is good that they can at least be seen in the same room with the aim of getting a description of the situation.
- After all, we had really hoped that we would have come further by now.
For what?
- Yes, that we could have started with government negotiations. For us, it has actually been quite obvious that we need to have several options. If S, V and MP do not get a majority, we will have to cooperate with C. That is why we have done a job before to get our members to accept it. It seems to be more locked from the Center Party.
What will you bring to Friday's conversation?
- All thoughts that C might have about V's politics can be discussed. It is only when you sit down and have a conversation that you can do it that way. But you may have to decide a bit about what you want - or what you can accept.
On Thursday, Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist was pictured together with KD leader Ebba Busch after basting in the Stockholm area. The Center Party's press secretary has commented on the meeting that "the Center Party will continue to hold broad constructive talks to get a government in place".
Ida Gabrielsson says that of course you can hang out with whoever you want.
- But I think that she may have probed clearly when she has been and basted with Ebba Busch and seen that there was no one there in the "middle" who wants to join and have Magdalena Andersson as prime minister. It's just the four of us.
She pauses.
- Tough shit, but you have to chew it. It's not like the leftists think C is the best party either.
Ida Gabrielsson says that she herself thought about inviting the other parties to her wood-burning sauna in Åmot.
- It runs on wood, not electricity as they seem to have had here in Stockholm. It gets a bit crowded because it's not that big, but then it can feel a bit for Martin Ådahl like in the hot tub there at Maud Olofsson's. It was also wood-burning.
Do you think that is what is needed for you to be able to form a government?
- My experience is that it is still easier to understand each other if you meet more. But if you just want to show off a triumph or a scalp - that the Left Party was not allowed to participate and therefore we have made a bourgeois effort anyway. Then it will be difficult.
What is the next step after Friday's meeting?
- I don't believe in any magic wand situation where it will be absolutely fantastic and then everything will be resolved after Friday. I strongly believe that it is hard work. It can be tough, but we want to start negotiating with the government as soon as possible.
Ida Gabrielsson does not believe that Magdalena Andersson (S) will pass a prime ministerial vote next week.
- I think that will be very difficult. I have not been involved in electing a prime minister in the present without an agreement being made. I think it will be difficult for us to agree that all four should be part of the government and have completed some of the negotiations.
But she is absolutely sure that Magdalena Andersson is the right person to take the negotiations to a conclusion.
- We really want her to be elected. We feel great enthusiasm for that, says Ida Gabrielsson.
