Election year: Even if the opposition wins, it could take years to restore Swedish aid level

News December 31, 2025 / By: Bjørn H Amland

The Swedish parliamentary debate about the 2026 aid budget, finalised in mid-December, revealed a polarized political landscape. The opposition wants to restore the 1 per cent of GNI aid target but admits that, even if they were to win the upcoming election, it could take years to get there. Is a SEK 70 billion fund for Ukraine a key to rebuilding Sweden’s engagement with the Global South?

Yasmin Eriksson (002).jpeg — Yasmine Eriksson (Sweden Democrats) with Olle Thorell (Social Democrat) at the Swedish parliamentary debate in Decmeber. (Photo: Riskdagen)

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