Support for euro hits all-time low in Sweden

Swedish support for the EU is declining and the support for the euro has never been lower, according to a report published Monday (6 May) by the University of Gothenburg.

Just 9% of the Swedes would today want the euro as the national currency. At the same time, 42% of those surveyed support EU membership, down from 53% in 2010.

"The euro has, whether or not this is true, been blamed for the problems in the European economy. And indirectly that has hit the Swedish economy," Sören Holmberg, a political science professor at the University of Gothenburg, told Sweden's Radio.

The report shows the Swedes' opinions on different aspects of the EU, from trust in the European Parliament to how Sweden's EU membership has affected its domestic alcohol policies.

The result is clear – all confidence curves for the EU have declined since the euro crisis began in 2010.

Holmberg said the economic crisis was all decisive for the rising eurosceptisism in Sweden.

"The Swedes are opportunistic as many other countries' people are and right now the EU gets a big part of the blame for the economic crisis which is also affecting the public opinion in Sweden," Holmberg said.

Blaming politicians

Sweden's EU Affairs Minister Birgitta Ohlsson said she is worried about the negative figures, adding that she as a minister and other politicians have a responsibility for the negative way the figures look.

"I think we need to have more debate. And it's up to the political parties to discuss and debate the EU questions more and show how they affect us in our everyday lives, how they affect the individual. There we have some homework to do," Ohlsson stated.

The EU minister added that her Liberal People's party does not demand a euro referendum any time soon.

"But we don't pretend we don't think that in the future, the euro should be the currency in Sweden also," Ohlsson said.

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