Veteran Christian Democrat leaves party in protest against "right-wing turn"
Lawyer and former MP Peter Althin is giving up his Christian Democrat Party membership because, he says, the party is turning increasingly conservative under the leadership of recently appointed party head Ebba Busch Thor.
Althin has been a member of the Christian Democrat Party for nearly 20 years. He is a former member of the party board and he was an MP between 2002 and 2007.
“I believed in my interpretation of the Christian Democrat ideology. Now I feel disappointed by the party – deceived,” Althin wrote in an op-ed published by Tuesday by newspaper Svenska Dagbladet.
No one in the Christian Democrat Party leadership wanted to comment on Althin’s resignation, according to press secretary Marlene W Antonson.
“It is unfortunate that he is leaving the party after having been a member for so long, but the reasons he cites for his resignation are unfortunately wrong. There has been no political change under Ebba (Busch Thor). For instance, the legal policies that he attacks – we share those with the (centre-right) Alliance and she backs them. He is equally wrong with regards to the right to abortion, which he suggests we oppose. There is no new position on freedom of conscience,” Antonsson told news agency TT.
