During Thursday, both Magdalena Andersson (S) and Muharrem Demirok (C) criticized the government's climate policy in their party leadership speeches. The African groups' general secretary Louise Lindfors and Jan Eliasson, former foreign minister and deputy secretary general of the UN, questioned the government's reform of aid in interviews with FUF.
- I think the reform is going very quickly, says Jan Eliasson.
Opposition leader Magdalena Andersson (S) held her party leadership speech in Almedalen during Thursday morning. In the speech, she criticized, among other things, the government's budget by calling it a "climate slaughter". She then mentioned, among other things, that the number of climate refugees may increase when the climate crisis ends up far down on the political agenda. Read the full summary of what Magdalena Andersson said about global issues here.
Muharrem Demirok (C) also criticized the government's climate policy in his party leadership speech on Thursday evening.
- Ulf Kristersson, put an end to the climate betrayal of the Swedish countryside. Step out of the shadow of climate populism, he says.
Read the full summary of what Muharrem Demirok said on global issues here.
Jan Eliasson, former foreign minister and deputy secretary-general of the UN, commented on the challenges for peace work worldwide and the effects on this work when the government reforms aid policy.
- There is a world outside Sweden, there is a world outside Europe, and the more we show this global solidarity, the better we work for global security for all of us, including us here at home. (…) - I think the reform is going very quickly, and I wonder to what extent it is based on facts and analysis - not least of the cuts that are going on, he says. Watch the full video interview here.
The Africa Groups' Secretary General Louise Lindfors expressed that the organization has communicated the importance of maintaining a rights-based development cooperation, and she questioned whether it will be captured in the reform agenda.
- What we hear is a lot about how to integrate trade issues with aid, and that is an important aspect absolutely, but there are so many other dimensions in the fight against poverty where trade is not the only way, she says. Watch the full video interview here.