Sweden donated 150 billion to the EU's corona fund – has received SEK 0 back

Published 23 July 2024 at 10.29

Domestic. The government has not even applied to receive any of the approximately SEK 40 billion set aside for Sweden in the EU's corona fund. If Sweden applied now, we would still be denied payment from the fund, according to Dagens Nyheter.

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Sweden is the only EU country that has not yet applied about money from the EU corona fund (RRF), which has been criticized for being a gigantic redistribution of money from northern European taxpayers to EU countries with low work ethic and low retirement age.

Of the 150 billion kroner that Sweden pays to the fund, we would get back around 40 billion kroner at today's exchange rate. But so far we have not received a single cent from the fund.

The reason why Sweden has not applied for money is that the current government has changed the reduction obligation, i.e. lowered the requirement for mixing biofuel into fossil fuels. This means that Sweden no longer meets the climate-related requirements linked to the payments from the fund.

Despite the fact that no money has been paid out, Sweden has already carried out several investments that are supposed to be financed by the fund. Among these are railway investments and nature conservation projects carried out by the Swedish Transport Administration and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, with a total cost of over SEK 3 billion.

Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson (M) emphasizes the importance of having a good plan and assured that Sweden will get their money. She emphasizes that there is no rush, as Sweden has until the end of 2026 to submit payment applications.

According to DN, however, the government had in fact expected to receive the large payments from the fund already this year , which is evident from the basis for the budget bill in September last year.

The Social Democrats' economic policy spokesperson, Mikael Damberg, criticizes the government for the lack of so-called climate policy and for not having been able to present a timetable for when the money will be is paid out. Damberg believes that the government must take responsibility for having changed an approved plan and ensure that Sweden receives the funds to which the country is entitled.