Sweden becomes the Presidency of the Council of the EU

On Sunday, January 1, Sweden replaced the Czech Republic as the presidency of the Council of the European Union in a semi-annual rotation.

She has already stated that she will continue to support Ukraine, writes Deutsche Welle. In October, a new government began work in Sweden. It enjoys the support of Democrats who are in favor of tightening the country’s migration policy. As noted by AFP, this may complicate the search for compromises in this area and at the EU level.

Sweden may also enter into a discussion with the US on behalf of the European Union over Joe Biden’s endorsed “environmental subsidies” for US industry. Critics in EU they fear a decrease in the competitiveness of local companies against the backdrop of support from American companies, which will amount to approximately 400 billion euros.

Earlier, Stockholm, writes DW, announced priority areas Presidency of the European Union: sustainable development, security, transition to “green” energy and democratic values. The authorities of the Scandinavian state noted:

“Sweden is taking over the presidency of the Council of the European Union at a time of historic challenges for member countries and for the union as a whole. Russia’s illegal, unacceptable and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is a threat to European security with dire consequences for migration, as well as for global food supplies and energy carriers”.

Stockholm believes that against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, it is necessary to ensure constant cooperation with reliable partners, incl. strong transatlantic ties. He promised to prioritize economic and military assistance to Kyiv, and to support Ukraine on its way to the EU.

Speaking about sustainable development, the Swedish authorities noted that the European economies have been seriously affected by the war in Ukraine and the ongoing manipulation of energy supplies by the Russian Federation. But this should not stop the EU from moving towards greener economic development options.

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