Swedish Greens leader accuses Social Democrats of “petrol populism” ahead of election

Sweden’s Green Party co-spokesperson Amanda Lind has accused the Social Democrats of pushing “petrol populism” in a new SVT documentary, warning that climate policy negotiations after the election will be difficult if the opposition wins.

Speaking in a short documentary published Tuesday on SVT Play, Lind criticised the Social Democrats’ climate proposals as insufficient to meet Sweden’s 2030 targets. “They do not have adequate policies in this area. They have not put forward the necessary proposals,” she said.

Her remarks come as opposition parties lead in opinion polls ahead of the autumn election, raising the prospect of a power shift. But Lind signalled that any coalition with the Social Democrats would face sharp disagreements over climate measures, particularly after the party’s spring push for further tax cuts on petrol and diesel.

“That proposal is petrol populism,” she said. “There are other ways to do this. It doesn’t always have to be the knee-jerk reaction of ‘let’s lower petrol prices.’”

The Greens had previously advocated raising fossil fuel taxes but Lind confirmed that plan is now off the table due to the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, which has driven up fuel prices. “Of course we won’t raise fuel taxes now—we’re in the middle of a crisis with very high fuel prices. But we won’t cut taxes either, as the government is doing.”

Budget proposals reveal a nearly 25 billion kronor gap between the two parties’ climate spending. The Social Democrats plan to allocate just over 1 billion kronor more than the current government, while the Greens propose an additional 26 billion kronor. “We need to invest resources here,” Lind said. “Without that, the transition won’t happen as quickly as we need.”

Historically, the Greens have made political concessions when governing with the Social Democrats, including during the 2015 refugee crisis when they agreed to temporary residence permits and stricter family reunification rules. Asked how the party would resist further petrol tax cuts if the Social Democrats push for them, Lind pointed to electoral strength: “The stronger we are in the election, the stronger our ability to influence the next government’s direction. A fair climate transition and a plan to meet our climate targets are our top priorities in this campaign.”