The experts answer your questions about the world in the Swedish election

What effect has the reduction in global aid had? 

DThe largest aid donors, led by the United States, were responsible for a massive dismantling of international aid in 2025. The decline had partly begun as early as 2024 and is expected to continue in 2026. The reductions are also greater in the most vulnerable countries, which according to the organization reinforces global inequalities. This is stated by CONCORD Sweden, a member organization that brings together 75 organizations with an interest in aid policy, including FUF. 

– For the first time in 25 years, child mortality is increasing, and 3,3 million people are at risk of contracting HIV – cases that could otherwise have been prevented, they write in his/herwhere to FUF. 

Goran Holmqvist, Secretary General of the aid organization ForumCiv, also points out that global aid has decreased by almost a third over the past couple of years. At the same time, he believes that an increasingly smaller portion of aid is going to the countries and areas where the needs are greatest. 

In the short term, the consequences are visible, among other things, in reduced food rations in refugee camps and the withdrawal of support for vital medicines, says Holmqvist. In the longer term, he worries about the preventive role of aid. 

– In a broader perspective, it is the world's ability to solve common problems that is at risk, especially climate finance. It is difficult to see how the rich countries will live up to their climate commitments, since the bottom line is, after all, the rich countries' aid budgets, he says.   

Sweden is such a small country – what role does our aid play? 

CONCORD Sweden highlights that Sweden is the world's third largest aid donor calculated as a share of GNI, and the world's ninth largest in terms of money. Thanks to the high quality of Swedish aid, Sweden also has great influence, including in the EU, which is the world's largest aid donor. 

Sweden has also had a strong profile in areas such as democracy and human rights, gender equality, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. 

– In the area of ​​aid in particular, Sweden has actually not been such a small country. We have been important and a major financier of the humanitarian system and an important actor in many conflicts around the world, says Göran Holmqvist. 

At the same time, he notes that Sweden has recently withdrawn much of its involvement in the most vulnerable countries. Eight such countries have been phased out of Swedish aid, which has consequences. 

As a current example, he mentions the glacier collapse in Nepal, where Sweden has been an important financier of a monitoring system that could predict disasters in the area. 

“That aid had also been withdrawn,” he says. Which Dagens Nyheter has previously reported on.  

Which parties want to return to the 1% target, and which parties prioritize increased aid the most? 

The followers also asked which parties want to return to the goal of Sweden allocating one percent of its GNI to aid.  

According to CONCORD Sweden, six of the parliamentary parties want to return to the one percent target. The Moderates and the Sweden Democrats do not want that. 

– The Center Party and the Green Party are the only ones who have budgeted for one percent in their shadow budgets, while the Social Democrats and the Left Party advocate a gradual return over several years, they write. 

FUF has also asked the parties themselves about the one percent target and the future of development aid in a series of party hearings ahead of the election. You can find all the video interviews here and a summary here. 

How should the Tidö parties improve their climate policy? 

Kristina Ostman is head of the climate and legal department at The Swedish Society for Nature ConservationShe is clear in its assessment: a major restructuring is required. 

"The last four years have been a major setback for climate policy. We have broken the trend we previously had of slow emissions reductions, and emissions have instead increased," she says. 

Östman believes that it is completely unacceptable and that Sweden is now further from achieving climate goals than before. 

She highlights, among other things, lowered reduction obligations and lowered gasoline and diesel taxes as examples of how functioning climate policy has been actively dismantled during the mandate period. 

According to Östman, to reverse the trend, the Tidö parties need to use several types of policy instruments. 

– For example, they can do it through taxes, bans and subsidies, but emissions must be reduced here and now, she says. 

Different views on cooperation with Israel

One of the questions was about how the parties view cooperation with Israel. 

In its response, Diakonia refers to the International Court of Justice's opinion from 2024 and to a survey of the parties' positions. According to the organization, this survey reveals differences between the government parties and the opposition parties. 

The opposition wants, among other things, to introduce a Swedish law against financial trade with Israel's illegal settlements in the West Bank and for the EU to suspend the free trade agreement with Israel. The government parties do not want to introduce such measures. 

What's coming? to happen with Swedish aid if Tidö wins the election? 

While the Christian Democrats and the Liberals want to return to the one percent target, both the Moderates and the Sweden Democrats want to see flocalized reductions of the aid framework. In a negotiation situation, theIt is likely that M and SD gets more say because they The negotiations will probably begin with a significantly larger number of parliamentary seats.  

CONCORD Sweden assesses that the most likely outcome of a Tidö victory is further reductions, less long-term and preventive assistance, and a greater emphasis on things that benefit Swedish exports and migration policy interests. 

Göran Holmqvist emphasizes that the future direction of aid is of course a matter for negotiation, but points out that the Moderates and the Sweden Democrats have actively stated that they want to finance other initiatives through cuts in aid. 

– One can assume that the focus will be more of the same. That is, increased emphasis on Swedish self-interests, migration policy and trade policy goals at the expense of the areas and countries where the needs are greatest, he says. 

Would you like to see the complete answers to the questions asked in the question box? You can find them at FUF's Instagram.