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The scandal surrounding parliament member Jamal El Haj has officially left the Social Democratic party one vote down. Party leader Magdalena Andersson then met nearly universal critique when she suggested a popular YouTuber was perhaps being bankrolled by dodgy actors. The two events have made people wonder what is going on in Sweden’s biggest party.
Two too much
Two events preceded El Haj’s fall. Last week, Aftonbladet reported that in 2017, El Haj called the Swedish Migration Agency. In his call, he pled for a favorable immigration decision for an imam who was seeking permanent resident status. In so doing, El Haj inappropriately used his position to try to influence a government agency in its work. It was later revealed that the Social Democratic party knew about this at the time but didn’t act on it.
El Haj was already living dangerously. In 2023, El Haj spoke at a conference where the event chair had ties to terrorist organization Hamas. The party expressly asked him not to attend the event, but he went anyway.
Together, these events proved too much for the Social Democratic party. El Haj was asked to leave and he agreed. However, he won’t leave his seat in parliament. This leaves the Social Democratic party one man less as well as in an unusually awkward position. El Haj is the first ever Social Democratic party member to become a parliamentary free radical. (For more on vildingar see this post.)
“I’m just wondering who’s financing him”
Later in a separate interview, party leader Andersson was asked about Russian influence peddling. In her remarks, Andersson implied that a popular, right-leaning YouTuber was perhaps being funded by some questionable sources. Naming someone specifically in this context, while offering no proof, was, for many, over the line. Almost Trumpian. Her innuendo was met with critique from both right and left commentators.
The Social Democratic party has lately fallen from its previously high approval ratings. These gaffes won’t help.