{"id":41502,"date":"2026-05-13T14:17:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T13:17:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/?p=41502"},"modified":"2026-05-13T14:17:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T13:17:33","slug":"europaforum-in-kiruna-eu-issues-are-domestic-policy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/?p=41502","title":{"rendered":"Europaforum in Kiruna: \u201cEU issues are domestic policy\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How should the EU\u2019s next budget address both crises and long-term needs? What is needed to strengthen Europe\u2019s competitiveness \u2013 whilst also making room for sparsely populated regions? And how will security, the Arctic and the green transition shape the future of northern Sweden? These were some of the questions at the heart of the Europaforum Norra Sverige conference in Kiruna.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 30th edition of Europaforum Norra Sverige\u2019s annual forum brought together 185 participants at Aurora Kultur & Kongress in Kiruna on 7\u20138 May. Over two intensive days, stakeholders from local, regional, national and European levels met to discuss the future of Europe. The significance of the location was a key focus, as northern Sweden is an increasingly important region in the EU\u2019s work on transition, security and competitiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conference began with a video message from European Commission Vice-President Raffaele Fitto, who highlighted northern Sweden\u2019s importance within the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou play an important role in many ways, even though the conditions in your regions are not always easy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Europaforum Norra Sverige (EFNS) is a political network for the four northernmost counties, of which Region Norrbotten is a member. Within the network, EU issues are analysed and discussed with the aim of strengthening northern Sweden\u2019s perspective in the Union\u2019s policies. The work is based on common positions adopted unanimously across party lines. The annual conference, which was organised this year by Region Norrbotten, is a way of broadening knowledge and discussion on EU issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Gruppbild
185 people attended the Europaforum Norra Sverige conference at Aurora Kultur & Kongress in Kiruna\u2019s new town centre on 7\u20138 May, 2026.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201dThe world is changing fast\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first seminar focused on the EU\u2019s future long-term budget. Several speakers described a tug-of-war in a time of major change, where resources must be sufficient for both crisis management and long-term development across the Union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFlexibility is the guiding principle. The world is changing fast\u201d, said Annika W\u00e4ppling Korzinek from the European Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, the rapporteurs from Europaforum Norra Sverige highlighted the specific conditions in the north \u2013 conditions that affect the EU\u2019s ability to achieve its own goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur geography demands a different approach. Long distances and a small population make it difficult to create functioning markets\u201d, said Carina Sammeli (S), Chair of the Municipal Executive Board in Lule\u00e5 and rapporteur for EFNS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several contributions highlighted the complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEveryone says we want more, but no one says what should be cut\u201d, noted Teresa K\u00fcchler, EU correspondent at Svenska Dagbladet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe EU budget is not a zero-sum game \u2013 it is about what we build together\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Annika W\u00e4ppling Korzinek, Head of the European Commission in Sweden, gave an introduction to the proposed long-term budget.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Concerns about the special sparsely populated areas support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At regional and local level, the opportunities offered by the EU\u2019s industrial policy were emphasised, not least through the proposed Competitiveness Fund. Northern Sweden was highlighted here as a testing ground for the EU\u2019s green industrial policy, where investments in energy, infrastructure and skills provision affect the competitiveness of the whole of Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, it was emphasised that the transition in the north depends on EU support also reaching sparsely populated regions and smaller players. The specific allocation for sparsely populated areas is not included in the draft budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Carina Sammeli (S), rapporteur for Europaforum Norra Sverige och mayor of the municipality of Lule\u00e5, raised concerns that the proposed EU long-term budget lacks the special funding for sparsely populated areas in northern Sweden and northern Finland.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, security issues were high on the agenda. Military mobility was described as a concrete and growing issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe must be able to move troops and equipment within the EU quickly, safely and without unnecessary complications,\u201d said Annika W\u00e4ppling Korzinek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe must start to see ourselves as a borderless geography,\u201d said Kerstin Hansdotter from the Swedish Transport Administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Arctic\u2019s importance is growing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The strategic role of the Arctic and northern Sweden was a recurring theme in several agenda items, where international perspectives met local experiences. Within the EU, the Arctic regions are becoming increasingly important in terms of climate policy, geopolitics and economic development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFirst and foremost, it is about the people who live here in the European Arctic,\u201d emphasised Rapha\u00ebl Goulet from the European Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Representing the EU were Claude Veron-Reville, the EU\u2019s Special Envoy for Arctic Affairs, and Rapha\u00ebl Goulet from the European Commission\u2019s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG Mare), which is responsible for Arctic affairs, among other things. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During the session \u201cWhat will become of Sweden\u2019s EU policy?\u201d, the EU was discussed as a central part of Swedish politics and how decisions in Brussels affect both national development and the regions of northern Sweden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a discussion with, among others, Elle Merete Omma from the Sami Council, it became clear how EU decisions directly affect minorities \u2013 and how important it is that more perspectives are included early on in the processes. A recurring theme was the need for Sweden to take a more active and proactive role within the EU. The panel felt that Swedish politicians discuss EU issues far too rarely in the national debate and that matters decided at EU level are still often treated as foreign policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is this autumn\u2019s election an EU election?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The discussions also highlighted how closely EU policy is linked to Swedish politics, and that EU issues are, in practice, domestic policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe general election will, of course, also be an EU election\u201d, said Eric Luth from Fores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other panellists did not agree that this is the case \u2013 from the voters\u2019 perspective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVoters vote on values, not on levels of decision-making,\u201d said Veronica Palm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rosanna Endre, Arena Id\u00e9, pointed to a responsibility on the part of politicians:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think politicians are making a mistake by not highlighting the EU as an important issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Three think tanks took part in the discussion on EU policy: Eric Luth, Fores; Rosanna Endre, Arena Id\u00e9; and Carl-Vincent Reimers, Timbro.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Carl-Vincent Reimers, from the Timbro think tank, described how EU work shapes day-to-day life in government:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuite a few ministers are very surprised when they join the government for the first time and realise how much of their working time they will have to spend travelling to Brussels and negotiating\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Co-creation process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The conference concluded with the adoption of the Kiruna Declaration 4.0, following a co-creation process in which all conference participants had the opportunity to contribute their perspectives, knowledge and proposals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will now serve as an important starting point for Europaforum Norra Sverige\u2019s continued work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
There was a high level of engagement at the Democracy Square, where participants could contribute to the Kiruna Declaration.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After two days in Kiruna, it is clear that Northern Sweden plays a central role in Europe\u2019s development \u2013 as a driving force in the green transition, as a strategic area for security and the Arctic, and as a region where EU policy is put into practice. It is here that responses to many of the challenges of the future are being shaped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Europaforum Norra Sverige, and the joint office of the four northernmost counties in Brussels, the work to promote northern Sweden\u2019s interests in the EU continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe declaration is about political priorities. The forum\u2019s participants have had the opportunity to provide input on which issues we should highlight going forward,\u201d said Anders \u00d6berg (S), chair of the regional council in Region Norrbotten and rapporteur for EFNS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis commitment is a significant building block in ensuring we have a strong voice in the dialogue, both with the EU and at the national level,\u201d said Jonas Andersson (S), Chair of the Northern Sweden European Forum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Anders \u00d6berg and Jonas Andersson presented the jointly drafted proposal for the Kiruna Declaration 4.0 before the declaration was adopted.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After two days in Kiruna, it is clear that northern Sweden plays a central role in Europe\u2019s development \u2013 as a driving force behind the green transition, as a strategic area for security and the Arctic, and as a region where EU policy is put into practice. It is here that solutions to many of the challenges of the future are being shaped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Europaforum Norra Sverige, and the joint office of the four northernmost counties in Brussels, the work to promote northern Sweden\u2019s interests in the EU continues.

Story by: <\/strong>Linda Henriksson, Fredrik Kjellman \u00d6lmerud, Julia Bergsten and Sara Stylb\u00e4ck Vesa
Photos: <\/strong>Simon Eliasson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How should the EU\u2019s next budget address both crises and long-term needs? What is needed to strengthen Europe\u2019s competitiveness \u2013 whilst also making room for sparsely populated regions? And how […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":41471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-engelska-nyheter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=41502"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41502\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":41505,"href":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41502\/revisions\/41505"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/41471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=41502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=41502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=41502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}