”We help you navigate the Swedish Presidency”

The Swedish EU Council Presidency has taken over as of 1st of January. What is at stake?

– As alluded to by the title of our guide to the Presidency, “War Presidency Part III”, the next 6 months will continue to operate under the dark shadow of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Expectations in Brussels have been coloured by these geopolitical realities, but also by the new Swedish government’s reliance on support from the far-right Sweden Democrats, raising concerns about the impact of domestic policy change on Sweden’s EU-level priorities. With many outstanding proposals, there will be little room for manoeuvre as the clock ticks towards the next European elections in 2024.

What influence will the Sweden Democrats have on the Presidency?

– According to the Tidö agreement which formalizes the cooperation between the three government parties and the Sweden Democrats, EU matters affecting certain domestic issues (healthcare, climate and energy, crime, migration, education and the economy) are subject to coordination with the Sweden Democrats. This could prove to be challenging, since the four parties have different views on the EU, on Sweden’s relationship with the EU and on European cooperation in general. How this will affect the outcome of the presidency is uncertain, but the list of potentially affected files is lengthy and requires close monitoring.

What makes this guide to the Swedish EU Council Presidency different?

– Whilst our guide covers Sweden’s priorities and the upcoming files which will be negotiated during the next 6 months, it also goes a step further in looking at the domestic context too. We hope that readers will find the guide’s analysis of the new Swedish government, which represents an important shift in the status quo of Swedish politics, a helpful insight into what this means for Brussels and a peek into the domestic machinations of the Presidency. As an example, the Swedish government will require a mandate from the Swedish parliament before it can act on the EU level – making a two-pronged country and EU level approach essential for those engaging with the Presidency.

Christoph Mielke and Maria Eklöf was interviewed by Jean-Daniel Maurin, CGS at New Republic. ”3 Quick Questions…” is a series of interviews conducted by New Republic.