Environmentalists hoping to govern Sweden accept that their climate policies will not reduce costs, so instead they want to inflate the prices of fossil fuels to push voters into changing their spending habits.
Green politician Amanda Lind said on Thursday in an interview with SVT that if the red-greens—comprised of her party, the Social Democrats and the Left Party—win the next election, it will become more expensive to run a petrol or diesel car because “it will be more expensive for us to cope with the climate transition.” She suggested fuel would cost “about two or three kronor” more than it does now, which is more than likely to be an underestimate.
Christian Democrats MP Magnus Jacobsson responded that the Greens were “tone-deaf regarding families’ everyday finances.” This was perhaps best demonstrated by Lind’s attempt at positive spin on the price rise, celebrating “how cheap it would be if you switched to an electric car”—though presumably not a Tesla—as though most Swedes could afford this transition.
Asked how the red-greens can expect to receive public support for their cost-rising policies, Lind said:
I believe that acceptance for climate policy cannot only be based on it being cheap for everyone, but it will need to be based on the principle that fossil fuels become more expensive, that is, the emitter pays.
“Nice,” jibed Denice Westerberg of the Sweden Democrats, “to have someone in the red-green mess who is honest.” SD MP Mattias Karlsson added that “all red-green parties want to make driving a car significantly more expensive,” saying this would be
A devastating blow to rural and sparsely populated areas. Moreover, we also know that it will increase inflation and make food more expensive.
General elections will be held in Sweden in September next year.