Swedish opposition files constitutional complaint against prime minister over climate claims

The Swedish Social Democrats have formally submitted a complaint to the Constitutional Committee against Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, following an investigation by public broadcaster SVT that found no evidence for the government’s claims about reduced emissions, SVT Nyheter reports.

The complaint targets statements by Kristersson, Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson (Moderates), and Climate Minister Romina Pourmokhtari (Liberals), who have repeatedly asserted that Sweden’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2026 will be lower than in 2022, when the current government took office. SVT’s review found no basis for this claim.

“They are moving further away from meeting Sweden’s climate targets. Now they’re resorting to inventing new figures and making claims without foundation,” said Åsa Westlund, the Social Democrats’ climate policy spokesperson. “The prime minister has gone a step too far by outright spreading falsehoods in his podcast.”

The opposition party points to a February episode of Kristersson’s podcast, Ring statsministern (Call the Prime Minister), where he reiterated the assertion about lower emissions by 2026. The government had previously relied on a forecast suggesting emissions would be 0.2 per mille lower in 2026 than in 2022. However, in December, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency revised its figures, indicating emissions in 2026 are now projected to be slightly higher than in 2022.

Westlund accused the government of misleading the public about both emissions trends and the impact of its policies. “It’s completely irresponsible to base their communication on decimal points,” she said.

SVT has requested comment from Kristersson.