[ad_1]
The leader of the Christian Democracy Party, Ebba Busch, is part of the dispute over the purchase of a house, which has received media attention since October after Expressen first reported on it. The dispute is over a property that the KD leader believes he has purchased. At the same time, the owner of the house, a man in his 80s, says he has repented.
The course of events unfolded last week when Busch’s attorney filed a lawsuit against the man in Uppsala District Court on Wednesday. Two days later, the man made a police report for vandalism, claiming that Busch “illegally cut down a large number of trees,” a claim that the KD leader disputes.
Leif Lewin is a political scientist at Uppsala University, and believes that the conflict may affect KD’s reputation.
– I think this is a big problem for Ebba Busch, because the party has been profiled on issues of older people. The consequences may be that KD falls in public opinion and that its credibility is weakened. As a public relations officer, he’s very inconsiderate, says Lewin.
When Christian Democrats list their top issues on their website, they include the elderly. Lewin believes that the party leader plays an important role for the voters and that the dispute is therefore risky.
The political scientist Leif Lewin.
Photo: Martin Cejie
– Opinion can fluctuate rapidly. So you have to remember that a story can disappear as quickly as it arises, if a problem arises that knocks it down in the media, he says.
In September, confidence in Ebba Busch was 29 percent, according to a Novus poll. Only three party leaders finished in higher positions: Jonas Sjöstedt (V), who has now resigned, Stefan Löfven (S) and Ulf Kristersson (M). Additionally, KD had 5 percent voter support in the last DN / Ipsos poll in November.
This kind of attention can hurt both her and the party. Whether you are right in the dispute or not.
– Now it is important for her to be honest and come out quickly with a clarification. Or even to withdraw the purchase. I think it’s very remarkable and surprising that it persists, says Lewin.
Marja Lemne, Senior Lecturer in Political Science at the University of Södertörn, is also surprised by the actions of the KD leader.
– There is a risk as the leader of a party to go against individual citizens. Rather infamous than unknown, it is sometimes said, but receiving this kind of attention can hurt both her and the group. Whether you are right in the dispute or not. It may seem like you lack empathy, Lemne says.
Ebba Busch has previously said Express that you should not complete the purchase if the owner does not want to sell and if he cannot make his own decisions.
“Is it reasonable that just because he is a public figure he is considered a criminal?” Ebba Busch wonders.
Photo: Janerik Henriksson / TT
However, opinions differ between the parties on the circumstances of the conflict. The owner’s attorney has previously told DN that the man has memory problems and has clearly stated that he wants to cancel the deal. Busch believes that the message comes after external pressure. Furthermore, he says the man has been absent from various meetings.
“When several of the circumstances have not been resolved and all contact attempts are rejected, we have reached the end of the road. That is not what I want, but now the legal path is the only alternative left, ”writes Ebba Busch in an email to DN.
“I have considered this carefully and as a public person, there is always a media perspective, also when it comes to my private life. But is it reasonable that just because he is a public figure he is considered a criminal? I have worked hard to get this right. We have made a deal by agreement. “
Read more:
Ebba Busch in a dispute over the purchase of a house: has filed a lawsuit
Ebba Busch denounces police for cutting down trees
