The trip to Brazil revealed the king's illegal power

Republican Association: A democratic breakdown

This is a debate article. The writer is responsible for the opinions expressed in the text, not Aftonbladet.

Published 2025-11-24 19.00

 

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia participate in a photo opportunity during the COP30 climate conference in Belem, Brazil. Photo: Fernando Llano / AP

DEBATE

DEBATE. The UN climate conference COP30 in Brazil this November was undoubtedly one of the single most important meetings throughout the year in Swedish foreign policy. The conference should definitely not be seen just as a representative courtesy meeting, but as a place for political negotiation between the countries of the world. A great deal of work within ministries, political parties and popular movements in Sweden was carried out on behalf of the voters to the outside world.

When the Prime Minister was criticized for not planning to go to the climate summit in Brazil, he replied that the King was there and represented Sweden. The fact that the King was suddenly given the government's mandate to negotiate Sweden's climate policy with the outside world is not compatible with the principles of the Constitution. The Prime Minister must now explain his actions to the Constitutional Committee.

Presented a self-made variant of unfounded opinions

That the royal couple wanted to take the opportunity to go to the Queen's country of origin, Brazil, is hardly surprising. And of course they are free to finance their own holiday trips to South America. But for taxpayers to finance all or part of the trip is unreasonable, as the trip does not fall within the scope of the head of state's mandate.

And as an extra piquant spice to this democratic disaster, the King chose not to even stick to the    government's climate policy, but to present a self-made version of unfounded opinions without any coherent argumentation. This completely undermined the credibility of the Swedish delegation and contributed to giving air under the wings of those countries that are only looking to stop progress. Doesn't the King understand that his actions can lead to major  consequences?

The question is what is most remarkable – that the Prime Minister does not have enough sense to keep the King out of political arenas, that the King does not respect the limits on political power that the Torekov Compromise set, or that the King goes behind the back of the line in environmental policy that the Swedish people have established in free elections?

Of course, the King is free to have opinions about the climate and the UN process, but then he can express them internally or refuse to represent Sweden. Starting a match for one team and then simply changing teams and scoring an own goal during the game is pure fraud against everyone who works hard to help Swedish companies.

Shows great nonchalance towards the people

We believe that this must have several  consequences:

• The Royal House must repay the entire that the trip has cost taxpayers.
• The Prime Minister  must be called to the Constitutional Committee to answer how the King could  suddenly be considered to represent Swedish politics in a negotiating situation. 
• The Minister for Climate must be called to the Constitutional Committee to clarify why the Swedish delegation did not coordinatethe position with all representatives, that is, also with the King.

In such a complex and long-term issue as the climate and a process with many saboteurs, every little bit of progress is important. Even if it may not be possible to achieve results at this meeting, the positions could have been moved forward to provide a better starting point. The King's statement shows both a lack of judgment about what his role is and a great disregard for the people who pay for his climate-destroying luxury trips.

These events illustrate the problem of having a person outside democratic control as a representative of the country's interests. Citizens are forced to pay without having the opportunity to hold the person accountable