Politics in Sweden: What's the latest on the climate, Nato and the financial winter?
Here's the roundup of the week in Swedish politics, in the latest edition of The Local's Politics in Sweden column.
Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson and Centre Party leader Muharrem Demirok on Monday morning held their first joint press conference since the latter took over the reins of his party from Annie Lööf earlier this year.
They urged the government to take action to reach Sweden’s climate targets.
Last week the body set up to judge Sweden’s climate policies condemned the “striking and serious” changes to climate policy brought in by Ulf Kristersson’s new right-wing government, warning that they will lead to emissions rising for the first time in 20 years.
“The government and the Sweden Democrats’ climate policies are not good for our country,” said Andersson, taking every chance she gets to mention the government and its climate change sceptic Sweden Democrat allies in the same breath.
The joint press conference was perhaps also a sign that the Centre Party has chosen its path under its new leader and will keep siding with the left-of-centre bloc. Lööf was famously opposed to joining anyone who collaborated with the Sweden Democrats.
Swedish Climate Minister Romina Pourmokhtari last week called the news about increasing emissions “very unfortunate” but blamed it mainly on the financial crisis and pandemic, promising that the government would put forward an action plan.
What’s next for Sweden’s future in Nato?
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billström has in two weeks gone from being “utterly convinced” to “hopeful” that Sweden will join Nato in time for the alliance’s Vilnius summit in July – a date which has been mentioned time and time again as the goal.
“I have noted that these things that have been put forward in recent days, particularly by Hungary, mean that there’s always reason to moderate one’s words,” he said.
Hungary and Turkey are the only two remaining Nato states who have yet to ratify Sweden’s application to join the transatlantic military alliance. The latter was long seen as the main obstacle, with everyone assuming that the former would fall in line.
That assumption may have been premature, it turns out, as Hungary seems to have decided it is certainly not going to lose out on a chance to, well, stick it to Sweden.
In a blog post on its website, the Hungarian government lists the reasons behind its reluctance to ratify Sweden, including what it describes as Sweden’s “moral superiority” and “lack of care and respect” in its approach to its relationship with Hungary.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s political director in a recent interview said that his country is waiting for assurances from Sweden that there will be no more political debate between the countries, reported Swedish news agency TT.
Billström said Sweden, which has alongside other EU countries, including Finland, long criticised the state of democracy in Hungary, would not give any such assurances.
“We seen no reason why we should not be ratified. These reasons have nothing to do with the Swedish Nato application, it’s something completely different. It’s to do with what opinions the EU has had about Hungary,” TT quoted Billström as saying.
Swedish parties go head to head on ‘financial winter’
Sweden’s lawmakers on Friday held a special debate in parliament to argue about rising prices on food, electricity and everything else that’s putting pressure on households.
“The government is not taking the situation seriously,” said the Social Democrats’ Mikael Damberg, speaking of single mothers who can’t put food on the table despite earning a normal salary, and pensioners who can’t afford to visit their grandchildren.
Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson countered that the rate of inflation is at a 30-year high, and said the government had already taken measures such as energy and housing subsidies.
"It's a financial winter and things are going to be tough for a little while longer," she said.
Politics in Sweden is a weekly column by Editor Emma Löfgren looking at the big talking points and issues in Swedish politics. Members of The Local Sweden can sign up to receive an email alert when the column is published. Just click on this “newsletters” option or visit the menu bar.
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Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson and Centre Party leader Muharrem Demirok on Monday morning held their first joint press conference since the latter took over the reins of his party from Annie Lööf earlier this year.
They urged the government to take action to reach Sweden’s climate targets.
Last week the body set up to judge Sweden’s climate policies condemned the “striking and serious” changes to climate policy brought in by Ulf Kristersson’s new right-wing government, warning that they will lead to emissions rising for the first time in 20 years.
“The government and the Sweden Democrats’ climate policies are not good for our country,” said Andersson, taking every chance she gets to mention the government and its climate change sceptic Sweden Democrat allies in the same breath.
The joint press conference was perhaps also a sign that the Centre Party has chosen its path under its new leader and will keep siding with the left-of-centre bloc. Lööf was famously opposed to joining anyone who collaborated with the Sweden Democrats.
Swedish Climate Minister Romina Pourmokhtari last week called the news about increasing emissions “very unfortunate” but blamed it mainly on the financial crisis and pandemic, promising that the government would put forward an action plan.
What’s next for Sweden’s future in Nato?
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billström has in two weeks gone from being “utterly convinced” to “hopeful” that Sweden will join Nato in time for the alliance’s Vilnius summit in July – a date which has been mentioned time and time again as the goal.
“I have noted that these things that have been put forward in recent days, particularly by Hungary, mean that there’s always reason to moderate one’s words,” he said.
Hungary and Turkey are the only two remaining Nato states who have yet to ratify Sweden’s application to join the transatlantic military alliance. The latter was long seen as the main obstacle, with everyone assuming that the former would fall in line.
That assumption may have been premature, it turns out, as Hungary seems to have decided it is certainly not going to lose out on a chance to, well, stick it to Sweden.
In a blog post on its website, the Hungarian government lists the reasons behind its reluctance to ratify Sweden, including what it describes as Sweden’s “moral superiority” and “lack of care and respect” in its approach to its relationship with Hungary.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s political director in a recent interview said that his country is waiting for assurances from Sweden that there will be no more political debate between the countries, reported Swedish news agency TT.
Billström said Sweden, which has alongside other EU countries, including Finland, long criticised the state of democracy in Hungary, would not give any such assurances.
“We seen no reason why we should not be ratified. These reasons have nothing to do with the Swedish Nato application, it’s something completely different. It’s to do with what opinions the EU has had about Hungary,” TT quoted Billström as saying.
Swedish parties go head to head on ‘financial winter’
Sweden’s lawmakers on Friday held a special debate in parliament to argue about rising prices on food, electricity and everything else that’s putting pressure on households.
“The government is not taking the situation seriously,” said the Social Democrats’ Mikael Damberg, speaking of single mothers who can’t put food on the table despite earning a normal salary, and pensioners who can’t afford to visit their grandchildren.
Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson countered that the rate of inflation is at a 30-year high, and said the government had already taken measures such as energy and housing subsidies.
"It's a financial winter and things are going to be tough for a little while longer," she said.
Politics in Sweden is a weekly column by Editor Emma Löfgren looking at the big talking points and issues in Swedish politics. Members of The Local Sweden can sign up to receive an email alert when the column is published. Just click on this “newsletters” option or visit the menu bar.
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