Her correspondent Greek News FL in Scandinavia, Michalis Christofinis, met in Borås, Sweden, Tobias Andersson and spoke with him about issues that concern the contemporary Swedish and European reality. An interesting interview, through which opinions, concerns and issues of particular interest to our readers are presented.
In a period of intense political and economic upheaval in Sweden, the Sweden Democrats (SD) continue to be the central pole around which the domestic political agenda revolves. Against the backdrop of heated discussions about the energy crisis, the recent major state power problems in Gothenburg, and the burning issue of integration and Islamization, we met the party's MP, Tobias Andersson, in Borås.
Tobias, representing the new generation of SD leaders, speaks openly about the reasons why his party is gaining ground even among immigrant groups, analyzes his plan to return nuclear energy to the country and unfolds the key economic reforms that the SD proposes for the next government term. At the same time, he takes a clear position on why the country must immediately invest in its national self-reliance.
Why should one vote for the Sweden Democrats (SD) party?);
For me it's quite simple, because I saw how the Sweden Democrats were for a long time alone in pointing out many of the social problems that many other parties agree with today. So I think we have clearly shown that we are the authentic party. We are the ones who dare to tell even uncomfortable truths, and Swedish politics has revolved around us in recent years.
There are many immigrants who are starting to vote for the SD. What reason do you think is behind this?;
I think this varies depending on where one has immigrated from. We have to be clear that immigrants in Sweden are a fairly large and heterogeneous group. If we have, for example, people who have left Soviet dictatorships, then this might have to do with our criticism of the Left Party and our view of freedom. If, on the other hand, they have fled an Islamist oppression, then it might have to do with our criticism of Islamization and so on. So it certainly varies.
Do you think Islamization is the biggest threat to Sweden right now?
It's certainly among the biggest. It's clear that if we were to receive a military attack on Sweden tomorrow, that would be a bigger threat. But as long as we don't have a direct conflict or war in Sweden, the underlying threat is bigger than an ongoing Islamization. Absolutely.
There are also many Muslims who vote for SD, mainly secular Muslims. What do you think is behind this? Does this also have to do with the fact that you are focusing against Islamization, or what do you think?
They are mostly former Iranians. Now, whether they are devout or secular Muslims, I find that to be rather irrelevant in reality. But we have many who have left an Islamist oppression, but who may still be culturally Muslim, but who make it clear that they do not share the kind of radical Islamism that is perhaps represented by Iran or Saudi Arabia historically.
I think they think we have a balanced view on this. We can separate Islam from Islamism, we can separate the different interpretations of Islam. We have representatives who have delved into these issues much more than in other parties, where they might think that Islam and Muslims are one and the same. But these are many different peoples, many different countries of origin and many different interpretations of Islam. It is a very diverse group.
Therefore, should we separate political Islam from religious Islam?
Absolutely. And then you also have to understand that there is a cultural dimension to it. You can be secular and at the same time… I, for example, am culturally Christian, but I don't go to church because of that, nor am I a member of the Church of Sweden, but culturally I am Christian. In terms of my values, I share many of those values. You can do that as a Muslim, without going to a mosque that is funded by Qatar. You can remain a devout Muslim, but secular in your attitude and part of our society.
What is the biggest reform that SD wants to implement during the next government term?;
If I may be a little bold and say something that falls within my own remit in Parliament – there are certainly colleagues who would point out something else – but we are going into the election with a commitment to reduce energy tax on electricity to the EU minimum. That would be a fantastic boost to our competitiveness and would provide relief to households who are suffering from temporarily high electricity prices. So there are other issues that are important to the party as a whole, but this is an issue that I am actively working on, which is why I am highlighting it.
There's a lot of talk about electricity right now in Sweden. We saw, for example, on the news today that 9.000 households were left without electricity this morning in Gothenburg. When will nuclear power be put into operation?
I would assume that it will be ready within ten years. And especially Ringhals, which is the project that is most advanced, as the technology supplier has already been selected. But we also have four other projects where new nuclear power is planned to be built in Sweden. So I believe that in 10–15 years we will have many new reactors in operation. Then, as is known, it takes time to implement them and until then we will have to have other solutions, but in the long term we have a great need for this kind of baseload energy that nuclear entails.
What are the three biggest economic reforms that SD wants to introduce during the next term?
I would say, however, that the reduced VAT on food should be made permanent. It is somewhat provocative that the state is often the winner when prices skyrocket, as taxes and VAT flow into the state on the backs of businesses and individuals in Sweden. So an extension – to make the reduced VAT on food permanent – and to reduce the energy tax on electricity to the EU minimum.
Then, if I could express a free wish, I would like to see the general payroll tax on hiring abolished, so that we can stop taxing employment punitively. But this constitutes a huge loss of tax revenue and requires major reforms in other areas and rationalization.
There is also a discussion about the euro as a currency. Many people want the euro to be introduced in Sweden, including the Liberals. What do you think about that?
No. There is great value in having our own control over Swedish monetary policy. I am of the opinion that the Swedish krona has benefited us. Beyond that, I can understand that there are businesses that consider it more convenient not to have foreign exchange gains or losses in their business, since these are very difficult to predict. But the value of an independent monetary policy weighs more heavily.
In relation to this, could you say that our, Swedish products are better than international products?
Yes, we need to increase our degree of autonomy, primarily in energy and food. That is, beyond having an army that can defend the country's external borders... if you are not self-sufficient in energy and food, then you are hardly considered a state in the long run, if someone wants to attack you.
