Romina Pourmokhtari Emerges as Leading Candidate for Liberal Party Leadership

On June 24, the Liberal Party (Liberalerna) will convene an extraordinary party congress to elect a successor to Johan Pehrson as party leader. The nomination period closed at midnight on Tuesday, and the nomination committee is now tasked with finalizing its recommendations.

According to Lars Persson Skandevall, the chair of the nomination committee, they will compile all received input to establish a profile of the ideal candidate and match individuals accordingly. A decision is expected to be announced approximately one week before the congress.

About 400 individuals, party affiliations, and regional organizations have submitted nominations. Among the candidates, Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari has emerged as a frontrunner.

Ten regional party organizations, spanning from Blekinge in the south to Västerbotten in the north, have indicated that she is their preferred choice. This sentiment is echoed by the youth organization LUF and the Liberal Students.

The Sörmland regional party organization expressed their support via social media, highlighting her as knowledgeable, charismatic, and a skilled debater who engages in discussions even under challenging circumstances.

Despite facing criticism for her participation in the Kristersson government, particularly regarding her previous opposition to collaboration with the Sweden Democrats, Pourmokhtari's popularity within the party appears largely unaffected. Her ability to inspire enthusiasm among party members is widely recognized, with some insiders even describing her as possessing 'star status.' One source remarked that there is an almost 'revival-like' movement surrounding her in certain circles.

However, those advocating for Pourmokhtari have expressed concerns about her own reservations regarding the candidacy.

Attempts to reach Pourmokhtari for comments have not yet yielded a response.

Another potential candidate, Lotta Edholm, the current Minister of Education, gained immediate attention following Pehrson's announcement of his resignation. Supporters describe her as reliable and experienced, citing her decades of service in Stockholm's municipal government as a strong asset. As the minister responsible for education--an area central to the Liberal Party's platform--her candidacy is viewed favorably.

To date, however, only the Västmanland regional party organization has nominated her, and sources indicate she is not keen on pursuing the leadership role.

Edholm has also not responded to inquiries regarding her candidacy.

Lars Persson Skandevall noted that around a dozen candidates have garnered significant support during the nomination process. Other names mentioned include the newly appointed Minister for Equality, Nina Larsson, and Erik Ullenhag, who previously ran for party leadership against Nyamko Sabuni in 2019. Ullenhag has been absent from the political scene since then, currently serving as Sweden's Consul General in New York.

The decision ultimately lies with the three major regional party organizations of Stockholm, Västsverige, and Skåne, which collectively hold a majority of delegates for the congress. None of these organizations have yet disclosed their nominations.