Stockholm, Brussels Sweden takes over the EU Council Presidency for six months – and unrest is growing in Brussels. What worries the EU is the strong position of the Sweden Democrats. Since last autumn’s parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s new centre-right government has depended on support from the far-right. And this party, which emerged from the neo-Nazi scene, is on a collision course with the goals of the EU, especially on the issues of migration and the rule of law.
The Sweden Democrats, who got 20 percent of the votes in the elections and thus became the second strongest political force in the country, are not part of the government. However, together with the coalition of Conservatives, Liberals and Christian Democrats, you have drawn up a joint government program.
Not a good starting point for the planned asylum and migration pact, which is to be negotiated with the EU partners in the coming months. The leader of the Sweden Democrats, Jimmie Akesson, speaks of “destructive migration policies” and “mass immigration” that his country has allowed for a long time. That must be ended because it has only led to “segregation, parallel societies and cultural strain”.
He also has a solution ready: “One crucial measure is to stop asylum immigration from countries that are not close to us.” If this attitude prevails, Kristersson would have a problem. Because his coalition partner, the Liberals, is vehemently opposed to tightening the asylum rules.
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Prime Minister Kristersson tries to dispel all concerns. “We are a pro-European government, a pro-Nato government, a pro-transatlantic government. We are a pro-quite-a-many-things government,” he underlined in December. Until a few years ago, the Sweden Democrats actually demanded exit from the EU. Today they are critical of the EU, but no longer against membership.
The fact that the EU will agree on a functioning common migration policy in this six-month period is considered unrealistic. But the discussions about it have started, and the Swedes have clear ideas about it, especially with regard to cooperation with the countries of origin and transit: The EU rewards cooperation, but does not rely enough on coercion, said Sweden’s EU ambassador Lars Danielsson recently in Brussels. Literally he spoke of “carrots and sticks”, of “carrot and stick”.
Sweden took over the EU Council Presidency from the Czech Republic at the turn of the year.
(Photo: dpa)
The Swedes want to threaten other countries more and thus achieve cooperation on migration issues. Danielsson mentioned the conditions for issuing visas and trade facilitation, which simplify exports to the EU for developing countries, as leverage. If these trade facilitations are abolished, it could mean an economic setback for the countries affected. The aim is to ensure that more countries prevent people from leaving the EU and cooperate with deportations.
Migration policy is not the only area where Sweden could put the brakes on EU projects. How does the EU react to the fact that the USA is pumping massive subsidies into future technologies? A relaxation of the EU rules would be possible. However, EU Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni wants to go further and set up a new fund at EU level that will use its own debt to finance investments in the economy.
“This six-month period will decide how strongly the EU will support its economy in the race for future technologies,” says Fabian Zuleeg, head of the European Policy Centre. “Sweden usually tends to reject such initiatives.”
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The country is part of a group of four that are particularly pushing for fiscal discipline within the EU. Together with Denmark, Austria and the Netherlands, Sweden resisted joint borrowing even during the corona crisis. “When it comes to new spending, Sweden is always one of the most frugal EU countries.
That could also be relevant when it comes to money for the reconstruction of Ukraine, for example,” says Zuleeg. So far, however, there have been no signs of a reduction in aid to Ukraine in Sweden. All parties agree on this point.
The Swedish Prime Minister determines the agenda in the EU until the end of July.
(Photo: IMAGO/TT)
And then there is the desired NATO membership. So far it has been blocked by Turkey because Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Sweden and Finland are not doing enough to fight terrorism. Among other things, Turkey is demanding the extradition of members of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, PKK, who have fled to Sweden.
Sweden’s Prime Minister Kristersson admitted last Sunday almost resignedly that Turkey “wants to have things that we cannot or do not want to give”. And: “We are convinced that Turkey will decide on ratification, we just don’t know when.”
So it’s going to be a turbulent six-month period in Europe for Sweden, which begins this Thursday and Friday with a meeting in the Arctic Circle: the entire EU Commission with representatives from 27 countries, the Swedish government and the royal couple are meeting in the frosty northern Swedish town of Kiruna. In fact, the Scandinavian country has an important leadership and mediator role in Brussels thanks to its EU Council Presidency.
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