Sweden takes on Council of the EU presidency at times of turmoil

Sweden takes on the presidency at a time of big challenges for the EU. The war in Ukraine is raging on with undiminished force and brutality, the energy crisis is hurting all of Europe and inflation is having an impact on member countries’ economies and labour markets. 

But the EU was built out of the ruins of WWII and crises have been shaping the Union from the start, said Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson when he presented his government’s priorities for its EU work at the EU policy party leader debate in the Swedish parliament on 16 November.

Ulf Kristersson met the President of the Council of Europe, Charles Michel, already on his third day as Prime Minister of Sweden.

“We have a new, bloody war in Europe and a European energy crisis in the wake of that war. How to tackle crises is a necessary core skill, but longer-term planning is as important now as it was before the invasion. So we must manage to hold not only two but several thoughts in our mind simultaneously,” said Ulf Kristersson.

The government’s priorities, or “all of the fateful questions in Europe” as Ulf Kristersson put it, are: Europe’s internal and external security, climate change and Europe’s competitiveness. The fourth area is to protect the EU’s shared values, which are built on the rule of law and the freedoms and rights of citizens.

”Member states that limit freedom of the press, the independence of the judiciary or LGBTQ-people’s rights will face Swedish opposition. Sweden will continue to prioritise the EU’s right to make access to funds conditional on respecting the principles of the rule of law,” said Ulf Kristersson.

Sweden last in the trio

This is Sweden's third presidency of the Council of the EU since the country joined the Union in 1995. The last time was in 2009. The presidency rotates between all member states and lasts for half a year. 

The presidency countries are always divided into a trio of countries. Sweden is number three in a trio with the Czech Republic and France. Each trio sets out long-term goals together and agrees on how to carry out the work during the coming 18 months period. Each country chooses its own direction based on the agreed programme. This is what Ulf Kristersson will be presenting on 14 December.

The overarching political direction was decided on already in spring, based on the then parliament. Since then, Sweden has got a new government made up of the Moderates (M), the Christian Democrats (KD) and the Liberals (L), whose mandate is dependent on the support of the EU sceptic Sweden Democrats (SD). This cooperation is regulated in the so-called Tidö agreement. It is unclear to which extent the social-conservative SD will be able to influence the presidency, but some worry because several of the big decisions in the EU in the coming spring are about migration and climate, where SD has strong opinions.

Sweden's EU minister Jessika Roswall met her French counterpart Laurence Boone, Secretary of State for European Affairs on 24 November, during one of many meetings as part of the Swedish presidency of the Council of the European Union. Photo: Ninni Andersson/Regeringskansliet.

Like Finland, Sweden has also applied for Nato membership, a very important issue during the mandate period.

350 issues in 2000 meetings

As president of the Council of the European Union, Sweden will lead all meetings on all levels in the Council, be the continuity of the EU’s work in the Council and make sure law-making processes are correctly executed. A presidency country can also aim to improve the cooperation between member countries, and if needed function as a neutral facilitator. 

Being the last presidency holder in the so-called trio means there will be many bills waiting to be passed. During the presidency, some 350 issues will be dealt with during 2000 meetings in Brussels and Luxembourg, but some 150 meetings from the north to the south will also be held in Sweden.

Preparations for the Swedish presidency have been going on for around two years and started long before the change of government. One crucial part of these preparations, which many people across the government offices work on, is to keep up to date and try to predict which issues will be negotiated in the Council during the presidency.

Some 150 meetings from the north to the south will be held in Sweden, during the presidency, but morsty of the meetings will be held in Brussel and Luxembourg. The picture shows the main meeting room of the Council of EU.

They must also assess how far down the line various negotiations have come and what can be achieved in the presidency’s six months. It is also important to identify what expertise will be needed and to get the right people with the right skills into the right positions. In Sweden, all the government ministries are involved in the preparations, including the Ministry of Employment. the Prime Minister’s Office coordinates the presidency work using inter-departmental groups among other things.

“Right now, the political priorities and the work programme are being crafted. Like most things at the Swedish Government Offices, this happens through a dialogue between the Prime Minister’s Office and the ministries. You have to strike many different balances. The presidency's key job is to lead the work in the Council and move the EU’s daily agenda forwards,” explains Ulrika Hall, who is responsible for the coordination of the presidency at the Ministry of Employment. 

The change of government did not lead to major changes in the preparatory work, says Hall.

“We are expected to perform the tasks of the presidency regardless of political persuasion,” she says.

“In certain cases, however, we have needed to wait for a new government before adopting a direction of travel, for instance when it comes to which issues should be the focus of the political agenda, like in political debates. The change of government has played a big role here in terms of decision-making,” says Ulrika Hall. 

Many of the meetings are obligatory and focus on carrying out the Council’s agenda and making decisions on for instance future legislation. The presidency should be an impartial chair of the Council of the EU and work in the interest of the entire Council.    

The country holding the presidency can also host conferences and other types of meetings in order to focus on interesting issues which can then be debated. There is also some scope for influencing the size of resources being used, for instance in terms of how many meetings are held for certain negotiations and hence prioritising certain negotiation issues. 

“There is additional value in the fact that all member states get the chance to wear a different hat and take on an impartial role. As a presidency country, you get the chance to get a proper overview and not just the national point of view. No matter whether you are a big or small member state you play the same role,” says Ulrika Hall. 

Personally, she thinks it is interesting to work with the presidency.

“It is great fun. It is exciting to see the machinery, how it works and the influence we can have.”

Some of the labour market issues coming up in the first six months of 2023 include negotiations on the platform worker directive, some work environment issues and a proposed recommendation on social dialogue. The priorities and work programme will be published in mid-December.