SV appoints well-known socialist and anti-racist Ali Esbati as special advisor to the parliamentary group.

Swedish-Iranian politician Ali Esbati has been appointed special advisor to SV. Party leader Kirsti Bergstø describes him as “one of Scandinavia’s sharpest minds” to the online newspaper Altinget, which first reported the news.

Esbati has caused controversy in Norway by calling our country racist. In 2007, he said it was “extreme” to be anti-racist in Norway and that it was impossible to discuss “structural racism” without being marginalised.

In 2016, Esbati accused NRK of having racist intentions when the state broadcaster made a report from immigrant-dense Rinkeby. As a result, artist Thomas Knarvik created a cartoon in which he ridiculed Esbati for calling all opponents racist.

Esbati responded by pointing out that this was an example of racism, in that he was drawn as a monkey.

Knarvik responded to the criticism as follows:

“It is marvellous what explosive power lies in the recycling of old clichés, and what ability they have to awaken the power of indignation in people who are completely convinced that they are for the good and against the evil in the world.”

Esbati will start her new job as special advisor to the SV parliamentary group in June.

Esbati sat in the Riksdag for the Left Party for ten years, until he announced last autumn that he was leaving top-level Swedish politics. He is now returning to Norway, where he has previously been a debate editor at Klassekampen and head of Manifest Analyse.

He was married to journalist Marte Michelet and lived in Oslo from 2008 to 2014.

Esbati is the former leader of Ung Vänster.

– A lot is at stake in this autumn’s election. The right-wing parties can put major financial resources behind policies that threaten workers’ rights and welfare, and that will weaken Norway in the face of dramatic changes in the world. SV has an important role to play in the fight for a more dynamic and fairer economy,” says Esbati in the press release.

SV leader Kirsti Bergstø says she is delighted to have Esbati on the team, emphasising his experience and analytical skills.

“I’m really looking forward to having Ali on the team. His long experience, professional expertise and analytical skills will contribute greatly to SV’s efforts to reduce economic disparities in society,” says Bergstø in a press release.