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'It's important to prepare for the risk of hard Brexit': Swedish Finance Minister

TT/The Local
TT/The Local - [email protected]
'It's important to prepare for the risk of hard Brexit': Swedish Finance Minister
Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson. Photo: Hossein Salmanzadeh/TT

We must be prepared for the risk of a hard Brexit, Swedish Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson has said.

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The Social Democrat minister was quizzed on a number of issues in an interview with Swedish news agency TT released on Thursday, including talks following Britain's decision to leave the European Union.

"I really hope that these negotiations move forward fast, that would be very good and important," she said. "But at the same time it is important to prepare for the possibility of ending up in a situation where there is a hard Brexit, if you do not agree and move forward. It's important that everyone is prepared for that risk."

Fellow non-euro country Sweden has long seen Britain as one of its closest partners in the union, and concerns have been raised that pressure for Sweden to join will increase when its ally leaves the EU.

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Swedes are by and large supportive of the EU, but are reluctant to replace its kronor with euros. It voted no to the euro in 2003 and Andersson suggested the country is not about to reconsider its choice.

"That question really does not feel relevant in the near future," she said, but added that "it also has a lot to do with how this cooperation (within the eurozone) develops".

Andersson continued that the eurozone "is going through a phase of changes right now", adding that "how it develops will obviously have a significant impact on Sweden's position in the future".

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