The Left Party's crisis after allegations of electoral fraud in Borlänge

The more minutes, hours and days passed after the news of suspected election fraud in Borlänge without the Left Leader commenting, the more persistent the headlines became. "Two dolphins and four parrots answer. But where is Nooshi Dadgostar?" asked Aftonbladet.

After the V leader crisis-managed through a rainbow-colored picture of dolphins on social media, she spoke out after 67 hours in the same newspaper. Dadgostar takes the allegations of electoral fraud seriously, but does not believe the criminal investigation will interfere with government negotiations, as relatively few votes are involved.

Above all, two things indicate that both the Left Party and the government negotiations are affected more deeply than that.

First another silence: V's deputy party leader no longer appears on every other television broadcast. In addition, she has abruptly ended her intensive social media campaign. During the election year, Gabrielsson made several posts a day to hammer home that the Left Party has an obvious place in a government and that the party will never back down.

Not even during the last crisis, when Expressen's revelations about anti-Semitism and terror glorification among V candidates were exposed, did she take a break. Since September 21, Ida Gabrielsson's presence echoes on both X and Facebook empty.

Secondly: It is the Social Democrats who are the Left Party's negotiating party. A party that does not shy away from many means in closed rooms. Countless are the testimonies of other parties over the years about regular threats and merciless offers from Sweden's largest party when power is to be distributed.

Already during the election campaign, V had its wings clipped when it was forced to strike out more than 30 candidates because of anti-Semitic and terrorist-celebrating statements. Nooshi Dadgostar's party has a long way to go, stated Magdalena Andersson. Strong forces in the Social Democrats who do not want to see V in the government could watch with satisfaction.

Nevertheless, the balance of power between S and V was certainly not affected. The election results were still to be expected, and hard currency in a government negotiation is ultimately the number of votes a party brings to the table.

The case of Mohamed Abdukardir Ali's personal election campaign may shake it up as well.

Now the light is once again directed at the Left Party's poor control over its lists. But more difficult for Nooshi Dadgostar is the risk that the criminal investigation reveals conditions that require a re-election in Dalarna. At the moment, most things point against it, there are relatively few votes. But the risk exists, which in turn could mean that the national election result is changed with a mandate in favor of the Tidö parties.

Allegations of electoral fraud are extremely serious and can shake citizens' confidence in the democratic system. No party wants to have caused that and at the same time be in a negotiation where government ability is rewarded.

The Social Democrats will also not shy away from pointing out how the Left Party's lack of control over its party risks reducing the opposition's already narrow advantage. S still needs V - but Nooshi Dadgostar's strongest card has lost value.