The Center Party goes against the grain – wants to keep Europe open to immigration

The Center Party goes to the polls on “holding the border” against Russia and xenophobia.

Regarding migration, the party is adamant that more people need to come to Europe.

– We have a responsibility to help asylum seekers and people fleeing war and conflict, says C-top Emma Wiesner.

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10:30 Östermalmstorg.

– I only drink oat milk in my coffee these days, but I don’t dare say that to any center party, says the Center Party’s top candidate in the EU parliamentary elections Emma Wiesner.

The election campaign is underway and Wiesner is visiting the industry organization Livsmedelsföretagen. The question of which milk to choose can be sensitive for a top representative of the former Farmers’ Union.

She will participate in Livsmedelsföretagen’s podcast about the election. Emma Wiesner adapts to the context and offers concepts such as “quick-footed”, “agile” and “flexible” in a discussion about the EU’s role.

What that actually means is a bit unclear.

The interview will soon touch on the EU’s ability to govern in detail. The C-top believes that other countries need to introduce equally high requirements in the food industry as Sweden has, for example around the use of antibiotics.

– Harmonization rather than regulation, says Emma Wiesner.

Unknown to most

11:50 The University of Technology.

On the street between the subway entrance and the Royal Institute of Technology, Emma Wiesner stands with a handful of center students handing out EU election flyers.

The low pressure over Sweden is reminded by a couple of degrees and rain.

David Guetta’s “Play hard” thunders out of a speaker that Wiesner has set up.

“Work hard, play hard. Work hard, play hard. We work hard, play hard. Keep partying like it’s your job”.

In addition to flyers, Emma Wiesner distributes her now infamous chocolate pralines. They cost SEK 126,000, a cost that was paid with office money from the EU.

– A little new energy? she asks passing students and hands out the candy.

A student who stops and talks with the center party learns that “peace, freedom and the climate” are the pillars of the Center Party’s campaign.

The student says he will vote in the election but he doesn’t know who Emma Wiesner is.

He is not alone in that.

A survey by SR/Indicator Opinion from March this year indicated that seven out of ten voters do not know who Centertoppen is.

That, combined with an unclear agenda, has created internal unrest in the Center ahead of the election, which is seen as a litmus test for party leader Muharrem Demirok.

But Emma Wiesner seems to have a low heart rate.

– I’m not that worried. It’s still quite cold outside, the postering hasn’t started and there haven’t been any big televised debates. So the election campaign has hardly gained momentum, she says.

– In the last EU election campaign, we had our best election result ever and we had roughly a similar starting position then as now, so there is a lot to bring home.

C remains open for continued migration

The Christian Democrats and the Sweden Democrats are going to the polls on restricting migration to the EU. KD wants to revise the asylum system and SD’s election slogan is “My Europe is building walls”.

When C uses his electoral school “Keep the border” it means standing up against “homophobia, xenophobia, Russia – or bureaucrats who want to get involved too much, such as the Swedish forest policy.”

As far as migration is concerned, the attitude remains liberal.

– I am worried that this EU election will be about who can limit the right to asylum the most, be the hardest on immigrants and build the highest walls. The Center Party has an important role there.

What role will you have then, concretely?

– The migration pact was very important. It is important to show that the EU plays an important role, we have a common internal market and an external border. Then it is important to get laws and regulations in place at EU level that work around asylum and migration.

– It was us parties in the middle who took responsibility and found this settlement. We saw that the barbed-wire right but also the greens and the left vote no, for various reasons. It is not responsible.

Emma Wiesner believes that the migration pactinfoclosemigration pactDuring the spring of 2024, the EU countries agreed on a new proposal for how migration policy in the EU should work – the so-called “migration pact”. Briefly described, the pact should lead to a reduced burden for the EU countries where most migrants arrive (for example Italy and Greece), provide a fairer and more efficient registration and processing of asylum applications and contribute to reducing secondary movements within the Union. in the EU will be a relief for Sweden because it must take into account previous reception, where Sweden has ranked high.

When it comes to Europe, on the other hand, no walls are needed, believes Emma Wiesner.

– We look to have a skills deficit of 7 million people by 2030, of 30 million people by 2050. So Europe will need labor immigration, that’s quite obvious. In addition, I believe that we have a responsibility to help asylum seekers and people fleeing war and conflict.

I don’t think more people will vote: “The interest is not great”

16:00 The mall.

The campaign day ends with an EU debate at the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce in central Stockholm. With canapés, wine and beer, the audience will see a clash between representatives of all parties except V and SD.

– Now people have become so continental that they have a beer before the debate, jokes Tomas Tobé, the Moderates’ EU top name.

One topic in the debate is the EU’s energy policy. Several parties want a greater focus on nuclear power.

Emma Wiesner is somewhat unusual as a centrist nuclear power friend, so she has nothing against the energy strike, but she has objections to raising the issue of energy strikes too high in the EU context because it could backfire against Sweden’s hydropower, she believes.

– If we move the energy mix up, we will risk the local mix, she asserts and continues:

– Hydropower will smoke.

At the end of the debate, the politicians get to answer short questions by showing signs. Green for “yes” and red for “no”.

When the question is asked if the politicians believe that the turnout, which was 55 percent in the 2019 EU elections, will increase in this election, everyone shows a green sign.

Everyone except Emma Wiesner.

– I think it has been difficult to pick up the pace and interest in the EU in this election campaign. It is characterized by Folklistan and the political game. The interest isn’t huge, but I hope I’m wrong.