Sweden's energy negotiations have broken down, with Energy Minister Ebba Busch announcing no broad agreement was reached. Despite a shared vision on key issues, parties remain divided. The Social Democrats, led by Magdalena Andersson, still push for a comprehensive deal, while the Center Party's Anna-Karin Hatt criticizes the government's failure to reach consensus. Both parties express willingness to continue discussions, emphasizing the importance of a stable energy agreement for Swedish industry.
Energy Talks Collapse: Call for Broad Agreement in Sweden
Energy Talks Collapse: Call for Broad Agreement in Sweden
The energy negotiations have broken down. "A failure," says Center Party leader Anna-Karin Hatt.
The talks have crashed—there will be no broad energy agreement.
This was announced by Energy Minister Ebba Busch (KD) on Thursday. Despite what she describes as a "broad consensus" on several central issues, the parties are not in agreement but may collaborate with different parties on various issues moving forward, she mentioned.
The Social Democrats, on the other hand, still want to see a broad agreement.
At a press conference following Busch's announcement, party leader Magdalena Andersson stated that a month ago, the party presented a "long list of proposals" to the government.
But no response has been received, according to the Social Democrats' leader.
"Since it's been a month since we submitted our proposals and we still haven't received any response, I find it hard to interpret it any other way than that there is no agreement among the Tidö parties," says Andersson.
Willing to Continue
The Social Democrats claim their door remains open for continued negotiations.
"A significant advantage of an agreement is that it sends a strong signal to Swedish industry and the energy sector that all the security needed to proceed is in place. It's incredibly important to give that signal and to know that it is something that will last over time," says Fredrik Olovsson, the Social Democrats' spokesperson for business policy.
Center Party leader Anna-Karin Hatt considers it a "failure" that the government "gives up the opportunity to reach a broad agreement."
"The risk is high that the government and the Social Democrats will now focus all their efforts on blaming each other for not reaching an agreement. But now, more serious leadership is needed from all parties. My and the Center Party's door remains open to achieve the broad and long-term energy agreement that the business community needs and demands," she says in a statement.