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POLITICS

Sweden assumes EU Presidency: Top priorities for the next six months

As the country holding the EU presidency, Sweden's most important task will be keeping the European Union (EU) united. But many issues divide EU countries – such as migration, energy, and new sanctions against Russia.

Published: 31 December 2022 14:29 CET
Updated: 3 January 2023 14:25 CET
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On January 1st, Sweden will assume the EU Presidency. Photo by ALEXANDRE LALLEMAND / Unsplash

Sweden took over the EU Presidency on January 1st. Swedish ministers and civil servants will lead negotiations on upwards of 300 issues during approximately 2,000 meetings, mainly in Brussels and Luxembourg.

Sweden will have the difficult job of finding compromises between the EU countries and building consensus in European institutions.

1. Migration

Migration is an issue that continuously creates tension between EU countries. This may also be the case during the Swedish EU presidency this spring.

The Netherlands and Austria have pushed for an extraordinary summit in February, which will be devoted to migration issues.

“They are now experiencing waves of migration that are getting close to what we saw in 2015. For them, this is an urgent problem, and they are now demanding that Europe act,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said after the last EU summit.

During the Swedish presidency, work will continue on a series of legislative proposals that lay the foundation for a new migration system in the EU. But urgent refugee issues may need to be resolved in the spring.

2. Climate

The large climate package “Fit for 55” previously looked like it would be one of the heaviest things for Sweden to work through.

The package contains several measures aimed at helping the EU to reach the goal of 55 percent lower emissions by 2030.

EU states still need to agree on multiple energy and transport issues, including energy efficiency, energy taxation, renewable energy sources, and new rules for aviation fuel.

3. Restoring natural areas

Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari will have to deal with the sensitive question of restoring natural areas.

Sweden has a number of critical points of view and worries about the consequences of measures to restore forests and land when it comes to everything – from forestry and mining to park planning and military training fields.

4. Concerns about American competitiveness advantage

At the last summit in December, EU leaders spent hours discussing the EU’s deteriorating competitiveness and the US’s large aid package to mitigate the effects of inflation.

The package contains major investments in the green transition, which are certainly welcomed by EU countries, but at the same time, make Europe worry that the subsidies will give American companies a competitive advantage.

As usual, Member States have different views on how to solve competition problems. Some call for state support and move in a protectionist direction; other, more free trade-oriented countries, such as Sweden, are more hesitant about such solutions.

In January, the EU Commission will present an analysis of how to proceed.

5. War

The war in Ukraine will likely leave the most significant mark on the Swedish EU Presidency.

The EU countries may have to agree on new support packages for Ukraine and new sanctions against Russia.

So far, the EU countries have managed to stick together. However, the relationship becomes increasingly strained with each new sanctions package against Russia.

The war against Ukraine has led to energy issues becoming acute in the EU.

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POLITICS

Swedish PM won’t end Sweden Democrats collaboration over ‘troll factory’

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has no plans to break off the government's collaboration with the Sweden Democrats, he told a press conference, after an undercover investigation revealed that the party had been running a so-called "troll factory".

Published: 22 May 2024 17:24 CEST
Swedish PM won't end Sweden Democrats collaboration over 'troll factory'

During a press conference following a party leader debate in parliament, Kristersson, from the Moderates, was asked whether he, as prime minister, would put any pressure on the Sweden Democrats to stop using the anonymous accounts, which had been used to spread content of benefit to the party and degrade its political opponents.

He replied saying that he cannot make demands or take responsibility for the actions of the Sweden Democrats’ communications department.

“If your real question is: ‘Do you want to stop working together to solve Sweden’s major problems because I have strong objections to smear campaigns in Swedish politics’, then the answer is no,” he said.

He did, however, say that he had discussed the issue with Åkesson both in public and in private.

“[I’ve told him] that I dislike smear campaigns, that they need to answer legitimate questions put to them by the media, political opponents and coalition partners. And that I dislike anonymous accounts.”

He added that the Sweden Democrats should “moderate their tone”.

The Sweden Democrats had not only been using the accounts to smear opposition parties, but also the governing coalition of the Liberals, Moderates and Christian Democrats, which the party provides its support to under the Tidö Agreement, named after the castle where it was drawn up.

The Tidö Agreement includes a clause requiring all four parties to “speak respectfully” about each other.

In one clip from the Kalla Fakta documentary revealing the existence of the troll factory, Sweden Democrat communications head Joakim Wallerstein tells the group of troll factory workers to “find shit” on the Christian Democrats’ top candidate for the EU parliament, Alice Teodorescu Måwe, while others make fun of Liberal leader Johan Pehrson.

In another, one of the employees in the troll factory discusses what type of music to use when he should “shit on” the Moderates.

Anti-racism magazine Expo also reported that the Sweden Democrats had used their anonymous accounts to share white power material.

Since Kalla Fakta’s documentary was released, Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson has responded by claiming that Swedish media are carrying out their own campaign against his party, calling the documentary part of a “domestic smear campaign from the left-liberal establishment”.

LISTEN: Uncovering a Sweden Democrat troll factory

Kristersson did not wish to comment on Åkesson’s response, but he disagreed that Swedish media and political parties are carrying out a smear or influence campaign.

“I definitely perceive influence operations from other countries, and we often feed back to you [the media] and tell you what we know about those things. I obviously do not perceive any influence operations from parties, media or anyone else in Sweden.”

As far as Åkesson’s claims that Kalla Fakta had “infiltrated” the Sweden Democrats, Kristersson said that it would be “completely foreign to me to interfere with how free media operate in a free democracy”.

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