Swedish Centre Party government talks with Sweden Democrats and climate policy, Digi Mart USA News (Sweden): An editorial in Aftonbladet, an independent Social Democratic newspaper, says the Centre Party (Centerpartiet) is opening the door to governing with Sweden Democrat (SD) parliamentary seats. The writer calls the prospect a nightmare and argues it would contradict the party’s campaign pledge to help “vote out Tidö.”
The editorial notes that the Centre Party has long promised to stand against racism and populism and to hold firm against the SD, a party with neo-Nazi roots. It says the red-green opposition won a majority on a mandate to replace the Tidö government, but that the Centre Party has instead left the door open to a right-wing government with SD support, which it calls “Tidö 2.”
According to the editorial, a decision to take that step would trigger a fierce debate over betrayal and could damage the party as the Liberals were damaged. It argues the party’s political identity would be undermined by yielding to forces it had pledged to keep out of power.
Centre Party voters, the writer notes, ranked climate as the most important election issue, with campaign posters promising “More jobs, lower emissions.”
The editorial cites Centre climate spokesperson Rickard Nordin, who called the Tidö government’s climate policy four lost years, a “climate disaster,” and said it had “slaughtered” functioning climate policy. It also says Sweden is on track to miss all of its 2030 climate targets, citing the OECD’s view that Sweden has moved from exemplary to questioned, and notes that the European Commission has asked Sweden to produce an action plan to meet the EU’s 2030 emissions target.
The writer criticizes the Tidö government for dismantling the Ministry of the Environment early in its term and for Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Åkesson’s remark that the Climate Policy Council is wrong “in principle about everything they say.” The editorial questions whether tax cuts are more important than the green transition, warning that SD would have power to influence or block every vote or budget decision.
It quotes Åkesson saying SD is open to negotiations if the government wants its budget supported.
