Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari dismissed threats of political crisis from the far-right Sweden Democrats, who want the currently undecided government to reduce the number of biofuels that must be blended into petrol and diesel from the current 30% mandate to virtually zero.

A few weeks ago, far-right Sweden’s Democrat (SD) economic policy spokesperson Oscar Sjöstedt threatened a government crisis if the coalition parties in power did not agree on the reduction obligation in an interview with TV4 Nyheterna.

While the Sweden Democrats are not part of the ruling coalition – which includes the Moderates, Liberals and Christian Democrats – they offered to lend their support in exchange for the government implementing policies, namely on migration.

But now the party is aiming for the greenhouse gas emission reduction mandate for diesel, which the previous government set at a tough 30%.

While the Moderates and Christian Democrats believe it could be around 6% (which is the EU’s baseline target), and the Liberals have indicated that it could be 12-16%, the Sweden Democrats have threatened to create a political crisis if it is not dropped to virtually zero.

But Pourmokhtari, a Liberal herself, disagreed that SD is a threat and argued that the SD’s views on climate issues differ significantly from those of the government.

“This is further proof that these are issues where we are far apart. We are aware of that. Just read the Sweden Democrats’ climate policy views. There will be tough negotiations. We are far apart,” the minister told Aftonbladet, stressing that the far-right party does not have a veto on climate and energy matters.

After intensive talks with the Swedish Energy Agency and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the government is said to have come up with two scenarios for lowering its obligation without Sweden violating the EU’s climate requirements.

Both were condemned by SD, with its climate policy spokesperson Martin Kinnunen arguing that the reduction obligation in both proposals is at a “far too high level.”

This autumn, the government will present a climate policy action plan, though its contents are not yet known.

On 30 March, the Swedish Climate Policy Council’s annual assessment showed that Sweden has been increasing its greenhouse gas emissions while the EU has been working to decrease them – leading to criticism of the centre-right Swedish government, which had been in power for a little over five months at the time of the assessment as it was the first time in two decades that policy changes have led to increased greenhouse gas emissions.

“SD is waging a cultural war against climate action,” Social Democratic MEP Fritzon told EURACTIV, adding that “Liberal Minister of Climate and Environment Romina Pourmokhtari is administrating SD’s climate destructive policies and it is clear the government has no coherent plan for the climate.”

She added that the Minister and the Liberals should “reconsider their coalition partners” if they are serious about climate change.

(Charles Szumski | EURACTIV.com)