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Exactly ten years ago, Sweden recognized Palestine as an independent state, which has been debated this past week. Sweden's Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari's presence at the UN summit on biodiversity in Colombia is criticized, at the same time as voices are raised against Russia's war in Ukraine and the influence on the election in Georgia.
In addition to the ongoing debate about the war in Gaza, debaters have focused on the Swedish decision to recognize the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority (PA) as the government of Palestine. It was taken ten years ago by then Foreign Minister Margot Wallström.
I Svenska Dagbladet writes Paula Röttorp that the recognition av was a mistake, because the PA does not have "internal control" over its territories. She refers to the fact that the Palestinian areas in East Jerusalem and parts of the West Bank are occupied by Israel, and that Gaza has been ruled by the terrorist organization Hamas since 2007. Paula Röttorp believes that this, combined with corruption, makes the authority unfit to govern Palestine as a state, but also because the PA's umbrella organization PLO did not support a two-state solution in its statutes.
- To reward such a regime with a recognition based on hopes rather than reality was irresponsible, she writes in SvD.
Before the tenth anniversary, Aftonbladet's political editor-in-chief Anders Lindberg met the Palestinian ambassador Rula Almhaissen, who is positive about Sweden's recognition of Palestine. At the same time, she expresses her dissatisfaction with the way the Swedish government has acted — she highlights, among other things, that Sweden abstained from voting on the UN resolution that a large part of Israel's occupation must end within a year.
- Forgive me, but this is how you encourage the occupation. You are prolonging the suffering of my people, says Rula Almhaissen Aftonbladet's leader page.
Sweden's and the EU's environmental policy at the COP16 meeting
During the previous week, world leaders gathered in the city of Cali in Colombia to participate in the UN Biodiversity Summit, also known as COP16. The environmentalists Rebecka Le Moine, Emma Nohrén and the party's spokeswoman Amanda Lind write in Expressen that Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari (L) and the Swedish government opposed the EU's environmental policy, when the Swedish government, among other things, pushed through lower protection for wolves within the Union. This, the writers believe, means that Sweden's delegation is not taken seriously during the summit.
- The Tidö government's actions not only threaten Sweden's biological diversity, but also undermine our international credibility, they write.
Against the backdrop of the devastating floods in Valencia, Spain, where more than 200 people have died so far, argue Southern Sweden editorial board that the green transition should take place more quickly. They believe that the EU's goal of adapting to climate change by 2050 must be moved forward, and that from a purely economic point of view it is cheaper to work preventively.
- The price for inaction in the face of the climate crisis would be much higher than the price for adjustment and adaptation, they write.
Russia's war in Ukraine and the impact on the election in Georgia
Today's News editorial writes that the West should invest more in Ukraine and try to use seized Russian assets to rebuild the country. Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of murdered Putin critic Alexei Navalny, is cited as an inspiration to continue the fight for a democratic Russia beyond the war in Ukraine. The editorial board therefore believes that it is "shameful" that some European and American politicians want to get Ukraine to negotiate a hard peace with Russia.
Independent auditors suspect that the election in Georgia was rigged to favor the ruling and pro-Russian Georgian Dream party. Svenska Dagbladet's editorial writer Mattias Svensson believes that the outside world must react.
- If we don't do that, it will only become more difficult to save Georgia from becoming an authoritarian kingdom under Russia and to protect peace and security in our own part of Europe, he writes.
Ten years since Sweden's recognition of Palestine
Ten years since the big mistake
Paula Röttorp, Svenska Dagbladet
"Why doesn't Sweden accept injured children?"
Anders Lindberg, Aftonbladet
Sweden's and the EU's environmental policy at the COP16 meeting
Pourmokhtari is not taken seriously
Language channel Amanda Lind (MP), Rebecka Le Moine (MP), Emma Nohrén (MP) in Expressen
Climate change costs regardless
Sydsvenskan's editorial board
Russia's war in Ukraine and the impact on the election in Georgia
Don't close your eyes to what is happening in Georgia
Mattias Svensson, Svenska Dagbladet
Listen to Navalnaya - there is a peace and a post-Putin Russia
Dagens Nyheter's editorial staff
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