Former EU climate chief accuses Swedish government of bowing to far-right rhetoric

The Swedish government is listening too much to far-right rhetoric on climate policy, according to Frans Timmermans, the former EU climate commissioner and architect of the bloc’s Green Deal, in an interview with public broadcaster SVT.

Timmermans, a Dutch social democrat, criticised the government for scaling back ambition, particularly in transport policy, arguing that centre-right parties across Europe are increasingly influenced by far-right narratives.

“I had expected Sweden to be more ambitious than this,” Timmermans said. “In general, Europe’s centre-right sometimes listens too much to the rhetoric of the radical right—and Sweden is part of that.”

Energy and Industry Minister Ebba Busch (Christian Democrats) dismissed the criticism, stating that Sweden remains committed to climate action while balancing economic growth. “This is a very polemical statement that does not align with facts. Sweden takes climate issues very seriously,” she told SVT.

Reduced biofuel mandate increased emissions

The government’s decision to lower the biofuel blending mandate in 2024—primarily to cut diesel costs—resulted in an additional three million tonnes of CO₂ emissions, according to SVT’s reporting. Busch defended the move as necessary to support households, but Timmermans warned it would delay the green transition and weaken Europe’s car industry against Chinese competition.

Håkan Samuelsson, CEO of Volvo Cars, one of Sweden’s largest employers, said slowing the shift to electric vehicles was unwise. “If you believe the future is electric, I don’t think it’s very smart to try to slow that transition,” he said.

Volvo Cars has heavily invested in electrification but faces setbacks as both Swedish and EU climate policies lose momentum.