Sitting on the fence

Published on 16 December 2011 at 12:54

“How does Prime Minister Reinfeldt see the new fiscal pact of the EU?Should Sweden be in it? Does he worry about a EU split in two?” These questions are getting no answers, writes the Dagens Nyheter, which finds Reinfeldt’s indecision astonishing. For the daily, Sweden is about to be separated from the decision-making centre of the EU: “As well, the prime minister should clearly explain the consequences of a ‘no’. And if the government is still convinced that Sweden ought to be at the centre of Europe, he must persuade Parliament to accept the agreement.”

The newspaper, reporting that Sweden said no to the euro in a 2003 referendum, fears that it will soon see —

one group of countries that travel first-class and take important decisions, and another of second-class passengers who are affected by the decisions but, in practice, have no say in them. And Sweden, accompanied by a few of these other countries, could end up on the platform, pondering its next steps.

Expressen also complains about the Prime Minister's indecision:

Receive the best of European journalism straight to your inbox every Thursday

Fredrik Reinfeldt wants to say ‘no’ to the euro club members – but in a gentle way.Above all, he wants to ensure that Sweden does not find itself in the third division, where David Cameron has put Britain.

Expressing its alarm at the consequences that can be expected from this agreement, Aftonbladet insists Sweden should not have any part in it:

Wage cuts, reductions in pensions, more unemployment and more power transferred to Brussels – none of which will solve the euro crisis. In this crisis, the only thing that makes sense is to force the ECB to act.

Tags

Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!

It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.

Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!

Are you a news organisation, a business, an association or a foundation? Check out our bespoke editorial and translation services.

Support independent European journalism

European democracy needs independent media. Join our community!

On the same topic