During the period of the Swedish presidency of the EU Council, for the first semester of 2023, there will not be any pact on migration. This is what the ambassador of the permanent representation of Sweden to the European Union, Lars Danielsson, foresees in an interview with The Financial Times published January 4 when the Swedish semester was launched.

The Swedish agenda for the EU reportedly includes an increased support for Ukraine as well as a free market approach.

Danielsson said that no difficulty is expected when it comes to the support to the center-right government of Ulf Kristersoon by the Swedish Democrats, a hard right euro-skeptic party: "There are probably some topics that are taboo for the Swedish Democrats but I only receive instructions from the government," he noted.

'We will work for a new pact, but it will not be completed'

According to Danielsson, the EU Presidency will carry out the legislative work for the new migration pact: "We will make it advance with its work" he explained, "at full steam".

However, "you will not see a finished migration pact during the Swedish Presidency," said Danielsson. It will happen, he foresees, not before Spring 2024.