Elsa Widding warns against war, supranationalism and the erosion of democracy
In her summer talk, Elsa Widding, leader of the Ambition Sverige party, delivers a scathing critique of Swedish security and foreign policy, the EU’s influence and the political debate in the Riksdag. She describes how Sweden risks being drawn into a major war with Russia and argues that the government and the Riksdag have capitulated to supranational agendas.
Elsa Widding begins with a brief personal note. She refers to previous summer programmes where she spoke about her husband's death from cancer and her time with her sons, but states that hope for her family is now gone. She speaks of a long-standing grief over the estrangement of her adult children and believes more people need to dare to talk about it. She then moves on to politics.
She describes her path into the debate after the books The climate carousel (2019) and Common sense on energy and climate (2022) as well as YouTube films. The topics have broadened from climate and energy to freedom of expression, Covid, geopolitics and the power of supranational organisations. She believes that censorship is increasing and that freedom of expression is being eroded in Sweden.
Criticism of the EU and supranationalism
Widding argues that Sweden is gradually implementing EU legislation that reduces national self-determination. She describes the EU as a socialist project where decisions are made behind closed doors and voters' influence is shrinking. Agenda 2030 is described as a driving force behind the government's and parliament's actions, along with the UN, WHO, and World Economic Forum. She claims that power over Sweden has been taken out of the people's hands for the benefit of these organisations.
Security policy and the risk of war
The bulk of the discussion is dedicated to security policy. Widding criticises The DCA agreement with the USA, which she claims means that Sweden has relinquished territorial sovereignty. The USA has the right to use 17 large bases and areas, potentially install nuclear weapons and wage war from Swedish territory – something she believes will provoke Russia.
She views the war in Ukraine as a proxy war in which Sweden and NATO are escalating the conflict in a way that risks dragging Sweden into it. She points to corruption in Ukraine (citing figures in the tens of billions of dollars), previous peace efforts in 2022 which she claims the West thwarted, and the fact that Russia views NATO’s expansion as an existential threat.
According to Widding, the government and NATO are mistakenly believing that Russia will remain inactive while the West re-arms until 2030.
Minister of Defence Pål Jonsson, Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard, and the Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called ”jelly rats” who give in to the defence industry, vaccine industry and excessive climate policy.
She warns parents of soldiers, especially elite soldiers, amphibious soldiers and units that can be deployed in the Baltics or Finland, as the risk of war is imminent. The government has been granted the mandate to send soldiers without parliamentary approval, which she views as serious.
Widding quotes herself from a parliamentary debate: If Swedish sons fall in a NATO-Russia war, the government will have their blood on its hands. She urges soldiers not to trust politicians.
Democracy, party discipline and migration
She harshly criticises parliament's working methods. Members are described as ”clueless button-pushers” who are controlled by party and group leaderships, which in turn are controlled by the EU and other international bodies. Speaker Andreas Norlén receives criticism for maintaining the facade of democracy and for expensive private flights at the taxpayer's expense.
The offset debate in spring 2026 is highlighted as an example of how the system works – or doesn't work.
Regarding the Sweden Democrats, she says the party abandoned its ideology for power: they have accepted EU supranationalism, climate goals, WHO health policy, CBDC, and warmongering against Russia. Migration policy, according to her, has not delivered, despite higher demands for citizenship, many new citizenships and residence permits were granted.
Ambition Sverige wants a pause in immigration, focus on self-sufficiency, order and control of exclusion areas, and a census.
Sweden as an alternative
Widding presents her party as the voice of the people for common sense and a free, sovereign Sweden without coercive agendas. The party will consist of experts in various fields. She urges listeners to read the party platform at Ambitionssverige.se, to help with ballot papers, and to realise that time is short before the 2026 election.
”As you make your bed, so you must lie in it.”, "she says to those who vote for the established parties. She concludes by hoping she is wrong about the risk of war, but believes the government is gambling with Sweden's security and that diplomacy with Russia would be preferable.".
Transcription, photo and summary: Torbjörn Sassersson