Nyamko Sabuni Becomes Sweden's First African Swede Leader Of Established Elite Party

Nyamko Ana Sabuni on June 28, 2019, was elected leader of Sweden's established elite political party, Liberal Party, at the party's special national meeting in Stockholm. A former cabinet minister, Ms Sabuni replaces Jan Björklund who has been the party's leader for over a decade. Her election as new leader of the party was expected after all her rivals conceded defeat at the preliminary stages of the party leadership electoral process.

Ms Sabuni becomes the first leader of a Swedish established elite party, of African descent. She has been described in some quarters as a progressive and liberal politician, as well as a staunch campaigner against racism, and probably a proponent of secularism.

Notwithstanding, however, Ms Sabuni faces formidable challenge ahead, of reviving a political party at the verge of demise. Currently, the Liberal Party commands only 3.6% of the national electoral vote as of the results of a public opinion poll published on June 27, 2019. To be represented in the Swedish Parliament alias Riksdag, a political party requires at least 4% of the national electoral vote.

The decline of the Liberal Party is said to have been exacerbated by the party's ditching of its traditional right wing allies in January 2019, in favor of its arch rival left wing Social Democrats. The rather queer new alliance is believed to have been prompted by the party's desperate attempt to isolate another legitimate political party called Sweden Democrats, from the country's mainstream political arena. Ms Sabuni may probably not have subscribed to that! Sweden Democrats is a right wing nationalist party.

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