February 15, Foreign Minister Carl Bildt presented the Swedish Government’s Policy in the 2012 Parliamentary Debate on Foreign Affairs. The declaration presents Sweden’s view of EU developments, the status of human rights, international crises and developments in the Middle East and North Africa, along with development assistance, trade and climate policy.
Electoral Fraud in the Russian Duma Elections
December 8th, 2011 Foreign Policy | News | Russia | Seminars
From left Ulrik Nilsson, Elisabeth Björnsdotter Rahm, Stefan Caplan och Margareta Cederfelt.
Opportunities for electoral fraud were definitely present, said four moderate MPs who visited Russia during the Duma elections on December 4. On Thursday the team shared their experiences and analysis at a breakfast seminar arranged by the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation.
In particular, the election observers pointed out, there were ample opportunities to cheat during the so-called mobile voting (for elderly at home) and at the many unattended ballot boxes in the more than 90,000 polling stations around the country. Ulrik Nilsson mentioned electoral lists where United Russia had beforehand been marked with a cross. Stefan Caplan noted that at some of the polling stations, he visited, there were more ballots than voters, after polling closed!
“United Russia’s grip of the Russian soul is decreasing significantly”, said Ulrik Nilsson at the breakfast seminar when he was asked about what the election results might lead to.
He and other observers gave the audience a unique insight into what happened in a number of the many polling stations. The images showed flaws in the system which allows for cheating and fraud.
Lack of valsekretess was also something that many of the observers noted. How ballots reviewed by election officials (all have a ballot where you check for the party you vote for) and how many people voted together. (more…)
Swedish success in Geneva for freedom of expression on the Internet
September 30th, 2011 Foreign PolicyIn Thursday, the UN Human Rights Council adopted by consensus a decision to arrange a panel discussion on freedom of expression on the Internet at its next session in March 2012. The decision was adopted on the initiative of Sweden, with the support of over fifty states from throughout the world. This will be the first time that the Council discusses the issue of freedom of expression on the Internet.
“This is a major success for Sweden, which has pushed for the human rights issue to apply online as well as offline”, says Carl Bildt, Minister for Foreign Affairs. (more…)
Baltic States give Helping Hand in Diplomacy
August 30th, 2011 Articles | Foreign Policy | The Baltic StatesThe Nordic and Baltic countries today signed a Memorandum of Understanding regarding posting of diplomats in each other’s missions abroad. The agreement will facilitate the Nordic and Baltic countries to maintain a diplomatic presence around the world through flexible and cost effective solutions.
Tymoshenko Stays in Arrest
August 8th, 2011 Articles | Foreign Policy | The European Union | UkraineToday Monday August 8, 2011, during the hearing of Yulia Tymoshenko’s criminal case, the Court dismissed an appeal from the former prime minister to release her from jail. Last Friday Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukraine’s top opposition leader and former prime minister, was arrested during her own trial following the judge’s decreed she was guilty of “systematically” disrupting proceedings. Yulia Tymoshenko was led from the courtroom and transferred to a detention centre under heavy police escort.
According to the judge there is no reason to change the decision regarding arrest because, in the appeal from Yulia Tymoshenko’s defense, there is no objective explanation in accordance with the Ukrainian law. (more…)
Swedish Protest to Support Protesters in Belarus
June 23rd, 2011 Articles | Belarus | Foreign PolicyYesterday in the evening about 9.000 people went to the central squares of their towns all over Belarus to a “silent protest” against the Belarusian government. During the protests in Minsk a Swedish diplomat was subject to violence and Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt has issued an official protest.
Not wanting to provoke the Police the many protesters gathered and walked in silence in the city centres, only clapping their hands when cars honked their horns in support of the peaceful protesters. The Police and Special forces tried to block the city centre in Minsk, limiting traffic and detaining people on their way to join the protest. (more…)
Finally – Ratko Mladic Arrested
May 26th, 2011 Articles | Foreign Policy | Serbia | The Balkans | The European UnionToday’s arrest of the Bosnian Serb wartime military leader Ratko Mladic is welcomed by numerous leaders in the international community. Ratko Mladic was indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on 25 July 1995 and was a fugitive from justice for almost 16 years. “Ratko Mladic has been the most wanted ICTY fugitive and his arrest is proof of the readiness of state to fulfill all international obligations as well as those of domestic law ” said Suzana Grubješiæ, Vice President of G17 PLUS – a sisterparty of the JHS. She added that all those accused of the worst war crimes must be brought to justice.
The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Ažubalis, welcomed the arrest of Bosnian Serb wartime military leader Ratko Mladic as a very important step for justice and regional reconciliation. So did Jerzy Buzek, the President of the European Parliament saying:
“I welcome the arrest of Ratko Mladic and congratulate the Serbian authorities. The arrest is good news for Serbia, for the stability of the region and gives new impetus to Serbia’s EU accession process. His arrest is convincing proof of Serbia’s efforts and cooperation with the ICTY.” (more…)
Wider sanctions against Belarus
May 24th, 2011 Articles | Belarus | Foreign Policy | The European UnionThe sanctions against Lukashenka’s regime in Belarus have been widened. Today almost 190 individuals are barred from entering the EU.
The Council of the European Union has imposed wider sanctions against the Belarusian officials adding 13 new names to the black list, most of them working in the country’s judicial institutions, others in universities and schools. The Council stated that the restrictive measures imposed on the Belarus was adopted “… following the recent sentences on the former presidential candidate Sannikaw and on a number of members of the political opposition and civil society”. (more…)
Focus on Latin America
May 3rd, 2011 Foreign Policy | Latin America | Seminars | The Dominican Republic
Marcelo Schrubbe.
Political winds in Latinamerica was the theme of a seminar held in Stockholm May 3, 2011. Eduardo Quiñónez, Chairman of the Youth Section of the ARENA party in El Salvador’s capital San Salvador and Marcelo Schrubbe, local politicians in Blumenau and Chairman of the Youth of the Democrats, in Brazil, visited Sweden and the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation. The audience learned about their political work and development in their respective countries.
“61 percent of the population is under 30 and a third of them tell us that they are interested in politics. It is group that we in the ARENA Youth Section want to reach before the 2012 elections, said Eduardo Quiñónez.
He told that the issues that young people in El Salvador are most interested in are: economy, education, environment and safety. The latter is a question of being able to live without fear for criminal gangs that are a reality particular in the capital, San Salvador. (more…)
The Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt warns President Lukashenka not to exploit the bomb attack on April 11, in the subway in the Belarusian capital, for attacks on the political opposition.
“These kinds of attack should be handled according to the rule of law. To have a climate of intimidation and fear is not a way to run your country, not even to handle a terrorist incident. He should be aware that we will be watching. If he uses this as excuse to further intensify repression, this will certainly be noticed,” Bildt said to EU Observer April 14, 2011. (more…)
Swedish Aid to Refugees in Libya
March 17th, 2011 Articles | Development Aid | Foreign Policy | North AfricaThe Swedish Government has decided to to support the victims in Libya. Sweden will contribute SEK 33 million and flights for humanitarian evacuation.
The Government has decided that Swedish Hercules aircrafts, already in place in Malta as part of a consular evacuation operation, can be used by the UN Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) to assist with the evacuation of individuals in difficulty at the Tunisian border.
The Foreign Ministry has announced that the development aid agency Sida will contribute a total of SEK 33 million in response to appeals from humanitarian agencies working in the region.
Intense program at the Gothenburg Book Fair 2009
September 30th, 2009 Foreign Policy | Latin America | Seminars | The Baltic StatesOn September 24-27, the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation participated in the Gothenburg Book Fair, with a showcase. In addition, the foundation arranged three seminars. Keeping in mind the over all focus of the fair, the foundation also presented two newly issued books. While the first one “The triumph of Democracy – 20 years since the fall of the Berlin wall” describes how democracy conquering communism, the other “Red Tornado” covers the increasing dominance of Hugo Chavéz in Latin America. Both books may be downloaded in Swedish at this site.
The celebration of the 20’th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall was also the main focus for one of the foundation’s seminars. Three of the authors of the book participated and gave their view on communism and the reasons for it being abandoned. Walburga Habsburg Douglas was one of those who cut the iron curtain between Hungary and Austria. Richard Swartz for a long time held the position as correspondent for the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet in Central- and Eastern Europe, whereas Cecilia Stegö-Chiló traveled and wrote frequently on Eastern Europe during the year of 1989. (more…)
Reports About EU Enlargement and Development Aid
June 22nd, 2009 Articles | Development Aid | Foreign Policy | The European UnionTwo reports have been issued by the Jarl Hjalmarson Foundation in regards to the Swedish chairmanship in the EU, starting July 1, 2009. One report concerns enlargement and is written by Member of Parliament, Walburga Habsburg Douglas. The title is “Searching for more EU members”. The second is written by Christian Holm, Member of the Swedish Parliament. Focusing on development aid policy, it discusses how the payment policy of today could be turned into a tool for real development.
REPORT ON ENLARGEMENT
”20 years after the fall of the Berlin wall, it is time to once again discuss the basic principle of the European Union: to promote peace and stability” Walburga Habsburg argues in her report on enlargement, while emphasizing that Sweden within the EU family is considered to be the most enlargement-friendly country. “During the Swedish chairmanship, several challenges in this area are expected”. To facilitate the entrance into the European cooperation, Walburga Habsburg proposes the introduction of a support system, to some extent inspired by the Scandinavian support to the Baltic countries when they entered the Union. During the membership negotiations, Estonia primarily was supported by Finland while Sweden worked as a mentor to Latvia and Denmark to Lithuania.
“They got hands-on advice but were also granted access to huge networks and lots of knowledge. This support system worked splendidly and should be offered to every country applying for membership. Today, the most suitable support countries would be those who joined the Union in 2004. They still have vivid memories of problems and bureaucratic obstacles and are thus capable of offering plausible directions”, Walburga Habsburg claims.
She notes that there are many within the Union who want to slow down enlargement until the Lisbon treaty is fully implemented and thereby increases the “absorption capacity”.
“This kind of argument can not be accepted. All European countries which fulfil the Copenhagen criteria have the right to apply for membership. The role of the EU is to negotiate so that the prospect of membership can be realized.”
Having given a brief historic background, starting from the end of WW1, Walburga Habsburg moves on to put forward the geographic areas which today are subject to the enlargement prospect. In her view, Sweden should focus on the following areas during the chairmanship: Balkans, The Black Sea Region, Caucasus, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and Iceland.
Members in the Balkan Region
As stated in the report, there is an interest in all of the Balkan countries to belong to Europe and to the European Union.
“Having almost completed its negotiations on EU membership, Croatia is next in line to join. The EU commission itself has said it is possible that the negotiations will be completed during the Swedish chairmanship, which means that the ratification process could begin during Swedish chairmanship. This is, to say the least, a thrilling prospect”. Currently, only one problem remains. The country has a border dispute with Slovenia, its northern neighbour. However, Walburga Habsburg stated, “EU has taken a major decision that bilateral conflicts are not to block membership negotiations, a decision which also has impact on other bilateral conflicts between current members and candidates”. With this in mind, she finds it “certain that Sweden, during its chairmanship, should strive to close the negotiations between EU and Croatia”.
Turkey as an EU Member
Turkey’s membership in the European Union has been discussed for several years. The Swedish parliament is unanimously in favour of a Turkish membership. All the parties that are represented in the parliament support this decision. “Turkey is the bridge between Europe and the Middle East, and they need to get our support in their effort to democratize the country”, Walburga Habsburg states, while adding that the war in Gaza “clearly proved that we need to tie closer the moderate forces in the region to avoid further conflict. In this quest, Turkey plays an important role”.
Using the Baltic Sea Region as a role model, as peaceful waters where most of the countries belong to the European Cooperation, the Black Sea region is a priority during the Swedish chairmanship. It may be too soon to discuss EU membership for the Caucasus countries, Walburga Habsburg admits. “However, it should be kept in mind that 21 years ago it seemed equally amazing to discuss Poland or Hungary as members. These countries are today well established members in the EU community”.
The Last Dictatorship in Europe
Belarus is often called the last dictatorship in Europe. In her report, Walburga Habsburg, emphasises the important role of the Belarusian opposition. She hopes that the recently founded Eastern Partnership could constitute the beginning for cooperation between the opposition and the EU.
“Giving the opposition an opportunity to make their voices heard and to contribute to the development of the EU co-operation may cause change, also in the torn Belarus.”
REPORT ON DEVELOPMENT AID
The EU development aid is unknown to most people. Thus, Christian Holm, starts out with a few striking facts in his report, EU aid – from payment to development.
“56 percent of all official development aid is distributed by EU and its member countries. The net value in 2006 was 47 billion Euros, corresponding to 100 Euro per capita. In comparison, the American aid makes approximately 53 Euro per capita while the Japanese is 69 Euro. He furthermore argues that “in spite of EU being the world’s largest aid contributor, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and Denmark are the only countries, apart from Sweden, that have managed to reach the UN’s recommended target of 0,7 percent of GNI.” The overall goals of the EU development aid policy are mostly articulated adequately, according to Holm, who would like to see Sweden as a driving force for giving the EU a sharper edge in the aid area.
Holm writes “As a result of the Swedish experience we ought to recommend the EU to focus on chosen, prioritised, areas. At the same time, it should be clearly stated that the development of democracy and democratic institutions as well as a well functioning judicial system is a necessity for being able to reach most of the millennium goals”. With the Swedish experience at hand, the government should, in Holm’s view, be able to suggest how to tie up some of the loose ends that are still imminent in the EU aid and development aid policy. “First and foremost, there is a lot that needs to be done in order to streamline the EU aid and make it more result oriented.”
Sweden Pushed Forward
Sweden has pushed for a streamlining of the EU aid, a strife that Holm believes should be intensified during the Swedish chairmanship. The size of the EU and the amount of involved actors and institutions make the need for evaluation imminent. Christian Holm welcomes a more substantial role of enterprise in the development aid. In the report, he stresses that “The possibility to base projects in enterprise has several advantages. As financers the actors in the market have an interest in following up and evaluating projects. In general they stand for a strong result oriented culture.”
Aid canalized though micro credits and financial help could assist in building a base for entrepreneurship and an economic base, as well as widening the country’s production curve, writes Holm and states that an “improvement of the developing countries terms of trade as well as trying to establish a well functioning inner and outer market also implies the power to shape their own future.”
The report claims EU has the power to use its strength and size to ”strive for a real free trade”, thereby moving towards a more just and democratic trade policy. The author emphasizes the need to counter-act “subsidies, import quotas and other trade barrier”.
Sweden and Four More
Except for Sweden, there are only four countries that have been able to reach the aid target on 0,7 percent of GNI, set by the UN. EU has set a common goals for its member states in a 0,7 percent of GNI, at latest by 2015 (in 2006, the EU countries reached 0,42 percent of GDI). Christian Holm said it is “reasonable to speed up this process and push on the member countries to live up to their aid commitment, thereby making the EU aid more powerful”. Calling for a reform of the DAC policy towards a greater flexibility, he says such change would make possible a better adaption to each individual situation. “Aid to democracy development, for example by strengthening political, democratic, and freedom striving organizations, should be improved and developed through such a shift of direction. The possibilities for party affiliated organizations to help democratic sister parties in countries in for example Eastern Europe, would thus increase.
Text: Elisabeth Precht
