FUF is in place in Almedalen! Every day we publish a short summary of the previous day with a focus on global issues.
Aid, human security and development financing were recurring themes during Wednesday's many talks and seminars in Almedalen. That we are in "the worst security situation since World War II" was repeated frequently throughout the day, but several voices also warned that the military perspective had been allowed to dominate too much. “Diplomacy is more important than deterrence” said the President of the Swedish National Defence College, Robert Egnell, and "prevention is better than cure" said Red Cross Secretary General Ulrika Modéer. Katarina Tolgfors, a moderate member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, however, defended the policy and said that "We must confront forces in authoritarian countries with hard power" and it is not possible to wait with rearmament until "Russia stands at the border". (According to Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson, the Moderates want to finance the rearmament through cuts in aid, editor's note.)
— No man is an island – if we only think about Sweden's security, we will shoot ourselves in the foot, said Egnell, who believes that preventive work and international cooperation are central to protecting people from security threats not only in the form of violence, but also in the form of poverty and climate disasters.
Several seminars highlighted the importance of increased collaboration between civil society, politics and business to manage contemporary crises: the security crisis, the climate crisis, the democracy crisis and the financing crisis.
The resource gap between goals and means is large, and as aid budgets shrink, new thinking and new collaborations are needed. Philanthropists and companies are expected to play an increasingly important role in the future – not least in development financing. NÅgra testified that several cross-border initiatives are already emerging in the voids left by reduced aid budgets both in Sweden and globally.
"The closer we sit to each other, the warmer it gets," commented Postcode Lottery's Rickard Sjöberg at a seminar on global trends and future aid.
At the same seminar, Sida's Annika Otterstedt expressed hope for the future: despite cutbacks, the willingness to provide aid in Sweden is strong, and the interest from the business community to contribute is greater than ever. At the same time, UNHCR's Annika Sandlund warned of a growing "empathy crisis", where the ability to understand people on the run - from war, oppression and climate disasters - seems to be decreasing, and that this could have devastating consequences.
Party leader's speech on climate, aid and leadership
On Wednesday, the Center Party's Anna-Karin Hatt and the Green Party's Amanda Lind spoke from the Almedalen stage. Both focused on the climate issue and Sweden's role in the world.
Hatt highlighted that the effects of climate change are already being felt in Sweden through droughts, floods and melting glaciers. She criticized the government and the Sweden Democrats for lowering climate ambitions, despite the fact that emissions are increasing and Sweden is missing its targets. It is not about a lack of knowledge, she said, but about political priorities. Sweden should once again become a climate role model, both for moral reasons and because the climate threat is driving new conflicts and refugee flows.
— Sweden should face crises with humanism, responsibility and sustainable solutions – not with fear and isolation, said Hatt.
Lind warned of a time marked by war, climate crisis and growing inequality, where democracy is being pushed back and civil society is being pushed aside. She emphasized that the climate crisis is already here and that the climate transition must be fair. Lind also highlighted the role of aid in building global security, and criticized the government for withdrawing support for UNRWA, the UN relief agency for Palestine refugees:
— We demand that the government immediately resume support for UNRWA, restore aid and stop undermining Sweden as a credible voice for human rights and democracy in the world. We demand that the government stand up for international law and condemn gross violations of international law – regardless of whether it is Hamas, Iran, Russia, Israel or the USA.
Climate and security – two interconnected threats
The connection between climate and security was discussed at a seminar arranged by the Swedish Peace and Arbitration Association where Gabriella Irsten works as an expert.
Gabriella, many people are talking about security and defense in Almedalen this year. Climate change is another recurring theme. What connections are there between the two?
— We are seeing two parallel security threats right now: a national one linked to the world situation, and a climate-related one. They are strongly linked – climate change drives conflicts, and war damages the climate. But despite this, they are often treated separately. In Sweden, a massive rearmament is currently underway where the Armed Forces, which is the country's second largest authority, is exempted from both parts of the Environmental Code and international agreements such as the Paris Agreement. At the same time, military operations are extremely emission-heavy and have a very high use of PFAS, to name just two examples.
Why aren't we talking about this more?
— Because it is politically inconvenient. It is not possible to adapt the armament to the climate at the pace that politics wants to see it.
What needs to be done?
— We must acknowledge the connection between militarization and climate change. The Armed Forces must be subject to the same environmental requirements as other actors. We must prioritize climate-smart rearmament. And in a larger perspective, rearmament is not a long-term solution to the national security threat – it risks exacerbating conflicts rather than preventing them. Instead, more focus is needed on preventive work, climate security and international cooperation. Preventive work is needed to solve the fundamental problems, while rearmament leads to national insecurity and climate security.
Tuesday's summary from Almedalen can be found here. here!
Pssst! You won't want to miss out on getting a behind-the-scenes look at the parties' election promises regarding aid policy – you'll find everything in the highlights. "Almedalen 2025" on our Instagram.
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