The Left Party demands a place in government - but refuses to discuss substantive policy

In all honesty, it was a circus already as it was. The Left Party's vice-chairman Ida Gabrielsson has toured on television and written long posts on X, all with the message that the Center Party must accept a four-party government together with S, MP - and V.

Her coffee maker is always on, Gabrielsson has declared with the intention of sounding accommodating, ready for Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist to come over for a coffee and talk about... well, what?

Gabrielsson does not want to deal with any policy, whether with Thand Ringqvist, Magdalena Andersson or environmentalist mouthpieces. Not until C has bowed to V's demand to sit in government together.

The left's mandate is needed, she says - the party's voters must be respected. But the Center's mandate is also needed, but their voters, can Ida Gabrielsson sit on it?

It became even more strange when it was revealed that an investigation into electoral fraud had been initiated in connection with a leftist from Borlänge being elected to the Riksdag. And it became clear that V had no idea who he was because – in Ida Gabrielsson's words – everyone who “raises their hand” gets to be on V's lists (ETC 8/9).

Therefore, they must start discussing the substance of the matter. If the left-wing parties don't want to come to those meetings, Magdalena Andersson will have to start without them.

And suddenly it was as if Ida Gabrielsson had been swallowed by the earth. Like Nooshi Dadgostar. Yes, the entire party leadership!

For several days they sat and pushed around the coffee maker, without anyone venturing out.

Magdalena Andersson naturally cannot wait for the Left Party. This week she met Ulf Kristersson (M), presumably to get his pulse on governing together. But she must also start a serious conversation about the political content of a possible agreement with the parties in the opposition.

Because of course S, MP, C and V have something in common - not least when it comes to the climate. But there are also very difficult knots around economic policy.

Therefore, they must start discussing the substance of the matter.

If the left-wing parties don't want to come to those meetings, Magdalena Andersson will have to start without them.

It is possible that it really is V's line that if Ida Gabrielsson and Nooshi Dadgostar do not get a room at Rosenbad with high ceilings and comfortable chairs, the party does not want to be part of it. That politics doesn't matter. In that case, V cannot be part of a government document at all because there are not 175 members of the Riksdag who can imagine giving the party ministerial posts. Gabrielsson and Dadgostar must then stand for that this is what they mean when they say that their voters deserve respect.

But - given that S and M cannot find each other - this government formation will be about coming up with a program that S, C, MP and V think is good enough. It will be about policy. They need to start talking about it.

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