Far-right in Sweden voting "tactically" in favor of the EU-level decisions

Since the Sweden Democrats became a supporting party to Ulf Kristersson's center-right government in 2022, the party's opposition in the parliament to Sweden's EU policy has drastically decreased. Europaportalen's (Swedish-speaking EU-politics website) review of the EU Committee's protocols shows this.

In an interview with the daily center-right Svenska Dagbladet on Saturday, Jimmie Aokesson (SD) commented on Europaportalens' review, showing that the Sweden Democrats have essentially dropped their opposition to the EU in the parliament.

The review revealed that SD supported all 286 EU decisions in the first year with the Tidoe government, except for 12 decisions where they voted no. In his explanation, Aokesson described the dropped EU opposition as a tactical issue.

Svenska Dagbladet notes that the Sweden Democrats supported the government regarding the recent EU migration pact and the climate agreement within the union, where Sweden committed to achieving specific goals to limit climate emissions.

– "Of course, one could always use their 'veto.' What happens then is that the government seeks a majority elsewhere, as this was an issue where we had no organized cooperation. Then it would probably have been worse," says Jimmie Aokesson.

The government's, and thus Sweden's, EU policy is set in the Riksdag's EU Committee. Here, parties can debate and shape Sweden's line in Brussels. Members of parliament can – if they oppose the majority's line – submit so-called dissenting opinions, a formal objection. Europaportalen has reviewed how the parties have acted in the EU Committee since 2007, when the possibility to submit dissenting opinions was introduced.

In the latest review, which spans the change of government from 2022 to October this year, the biggest change is the Sweden Democrats' drastic reduction in protesting against the Riksdag's EU policy.

From the peak level during the first center-left government from 2014 to 2018, when the Sweden Democrats submitted dissenting opinions in 39 percent of the cases, through the previous mandate period's 23 percent, to only objecting in 4 percent of the cases in the past year, equivalent to twelve issues.

Most of the Sweden Democrats' objections concern issues where the EU today has minimal powers and is of little or no real significance. For example, this is what Member of Parliament Leonid Yurkovskiy (SD) said in the EU Committee on November 25, 2022, when a question about youth policy was discussed.

"It is not because we think everything in the draft Council conclusions is negative, but ... we see a risk that national youth policy will be undermined with this proposal. The member states' unique approach to youth policy disappears in favor of an EU-wide youth policy," Yurkovskiy said.

However, the party has also objected to granting Bosnia-Herzegovina candidate status to the EU and establishing an operational military capability in the EU. Compared to previous mandate periods, there are several issues where the Sweden Democrats, as a supporting party, no longer object to the EU Committee.

Among these are the ongoing Article 7.1 proceedings against Hungary and Poland for deficiencies in their democracy. Previously, SD defended Hungary and Poland and considered the process "futile." This criticism was not present when the issue was raised last autumn.
Previously, the Swedish Democrats had also submitted dissenting opinions in the so-called European Semester against including social policy. When the European Semester was again debated in the EU Committee in February, SD did not object.

At the same time, the socialist Left Party has surpassed the Sweden Democrats as the parliamentary party submitting the most dissenting opinions, with the Green Party closely following. The Social Democrats are closer to the government in their EU policy and have only made such objections in 13 percent of the cases. The Centre Party submits dissenting opinions in one out of ten issues.

The 12 issues where the Sweden Democrats did not align with the government's line were:
Resolution on the EU's work plan for culture 2023–2026

Conclusions on developing an intergenerational dimension in the youth field to promote dialogue and social cohesion

Conclusions on sustainable and accessible sports infrastructure

Conclusions on enlargement and the stabilization and association process on Bosnia-Herzegovina candidate status

Regulation on packaging and packaging waste, amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and Directive (EU) 2019/904 and repealing Directive 94/62/EC

The Strategic Compass (security policy): implementation

Conclusions on the social dimension of a sustainable Europe for youth

Resolution on the outcome of the 9th cycle of the EU Youth Dialogue

Resolution on the work plan for the EU Youth Strategy (2022–2024) Ensuring youth participation in community life in the EU: focus on young Ukrainians' participation

Conclusions on at-risk and displaced artists Directive on equal treatment (Article 19)
 
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