Sweden to rethink EU membership: The 2019 episode of the UK taking exit from the EU is about to repeat itself. Now, it can be Sweden. Sweden’s potential secession from the European Union is sparking a heated debate across the country. Looks like Sweden might be saying ‘Hejdå’ to the EU. Can we call it a Swexit or a Swede-Parture? Let’s get into the video to know more.
Jimmie Akesson, the leader of the Sweden Democrats, has expressed his fears about the EU’s future trajectory. He flashed warnings that the supranational institution is on its way to becoming a federal state. This would ultimately lead to Sweden losing its hard-won sovereignty.
A Swede-Parture?
Akesson has now raised calls for Sweden to rethink and re-evaluate its EU membership in the bloc. Is Sweden done with the EU? Is the spectre of Swexit seeing a rise in the country? The leader of the Sweden Democrats reawakened the spectre of Swexit – Sweden leaving the European Union – on Tuesday penning a debate article which called for a reevaluation of membership.
“With ever increasing instances of far-reaching gesture politics, EU membership is starting to become dangerous like a straitjacket which we have no choice but to simply accept and adapt to,” Åkesson wrote in an opinion piece in the Aftonbladet newspaper.
“This means that German, Polish or French politicians can in practice decide over which car you are going to be allowed to buy, how expensive your petrol should be, or which tree you should be allowed to cut down on your own land.” As a result, he said there are “good reasons to properly reevaluate our membership of the union”.
Sweden following the footprints of the UK
Now, this reminds us of the UK’s Brexit referendum in 2016. Sweden democrats’ frequent calls for reevaluating its membership with the EU might lead to the country following Britain’s suit. The Sweden Democrats repeatedly urged Sweden to follow Britain’s lead and renegotiate its relationship with the EU, followed by an in-out referendum.
However, as the UK struggled to reach a satisfactory exit agreement in 2019, Akesson changed his position, stating that he now hoped to change the European Union from within. In his piece published on Tuesday, Akesson stated that authority was constantly being transferred from Sweden to Brussels.
Read More: Brussels’ worst nightmare comes true! Sweden raises its voice against EU diktats
Poland & EU: Never a harmonious dance
It is no secret how there always have been trust issues between the EU and Sweden. Sweden is one of those countries which has always been at tussle with the EU when it came to either its policies or its stance over the Russo-Ukraine conflict. Sweden has been left up the creek without a paddle by the EU which has resulted in a shift of stance.
The bloc has done everything in its power to stab in the countries’ back. The EU reneged on the promises it made to Sweden. Sweden even backed off on joining the transatlantic alliance because it did not want to be caught up in NATO’s games with Russia which eventually irritated the EU.
Amidst all the infighting and full-blown clashes and verbal spats between the bloc and the nation, Sweden tilted towards Russia when it was set to take on the EU presidency. Even the country’s proposed mandate for the EU presidency was disputed as it didn’t go well with the liberal ideologies. All in all it has been a complicated relationship between the two. This leaves no doubt that Sweden might follow the footsteps of the UK and resort to take exit from the bloc.
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