Election results are delayed – Ocean policy has to wait

The results of the swedish general election are expected to be announced on Wednesday, but at the moment the red-green opposition is leading by three seats. It is difficult to say at this stage how much weight issues relating to the oceans and climate change will carry during the next parliamentary term, but three parties with climate and environmental policies have seen their support grow: the Green Party, the Left Party and the Centre Party.

^{Text: Marika Griehsel}

Nearly half a million voters cast their ballots for the first time, and within that group, young women have predominantly voted for the red-green side, whilst young men have voted for the blue-yellow side.

In the run-up to the election, several parties chose to present measures to help the Baltic Sea and its ecosystem recover. For example, the Liberals, the Green Party, the Moderates and the Social Democrats are proposing restrictions on industrial fishing in the Baltic Sea, whilst the Centre Party and the Green Party are proposing that a recovery plan for the Baltic Sea be drawn up.

The Centre Party (C) may play a decisive role when a government is to be formed, regardless of which bloc is first given the mandate by the Speaker of the Riksdag. C has previously refused to support governments that include V or SD. In the current situation, both blocs are dependent on support from the so-called fringe parties.

The Green Party has announced that it wishes to reintroduce the Ministry for the Environment, establish a special climate cabinet and launch a climate fund for major investments. Another proposal from the Green Party is to establish a climate cabinet under the Prime Minister, where the ministers with the greatest responsibility for the transition will meet regularly to ensure that the UN’s climate targets can be met.

In an election commentary to TT, Karin Lexén, Secretary-General of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, ´says that it is absolutely vital to swiftly put in place a robust nature policy that protects our biodiversity and steers us away from the nature crisis. It is sad that the majority of our politicians have failed to grasp the gravity of the situation: our ecosystems are being weakened, habitats are disappearing and thousands of species are critically endangered.´

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