European leaders and defense ministers gathering at the Munich Security Conference are grappling with how to end the war in Ukraine as it approaches its fourth anniversary. But do they have any influence on how and when it might end — and on whose terms?
In this bonus episode of EU Confidential, host Anne McElvoy talks to Ebba Busch, Sweden’s deputy prime minister and energy minister, who is calling for a more robust stance against Russia and insists that “Europe must now lead itself, not wait for American leadership or even wait for EU institutions.” She argues that “Europe has to be saved from itself” in becoming more agile and not being slowed down by an increasingly powerful bureaucracy.
Busch’s Christian Democrats formed a coalition with other right-leaning parties, marking a shift in Sweden’s political landscape and defending conservative values on issues from immigration to energy security. Busch has also emerged onto the wider European stage, but can her forthright brand of politics make a difference in Brussels?
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