Sara Skyttedal, born August 6, 1986, is a Swedish politician, formerly of the Christian Democrats (Kristdemokraterna). In February 2024, Skyttedal left the Christian Democrats and became an independent politician in the European Parliament (source). In April 2024, she launched the newly formed party Folklistan together with Jan Emanuel. She is running second on the party's ballot in the European Parliament election (source).
Sweden Herald has interviewed Sara Skyttedal and asked questions ahead of the EU election:
What are your most important issues to drive in the EU election?
- My most important priority is to get Sweden and every Swede a better deal, in every aspect, from our EU membership. Having served and negotiated legislation in the European Parliament for five years, and not being bound by a party whip any longer, I am confident that I can secure such a better deal.
One proposal is to transfer prisoners to other EU countries where there are vacant spaces and it's also cheaper for taxpayers. Will you be able to drive this issue to success and how will it be done?
- Given the mutually beneficial nature of such a solution, I think the likelihood of success is high. In short, we will work towards a new EU Directive that will allow Member States to procure prison services from other Member States with unused capacity. It will be up to each Member State to participate or not. Convicted criminals, however, will not have a say in the matter.
Many highly educated individuals who don't speak Swedish feel that they can manage in Swedish society and the workforce without speaking Swedish. What is your main argument for why they should still learn Swedish?
- While it is true that a growing number of people today can navigate their professional life in Sweden with only a limited amount of Swedish, I think most of them recognize the importance of Swedish in terms of developing a deeper connection to Swedish society. It is very much the case if one wants to connect with people from all walks of life, and it is certainly so in terms of enjoying our great Swedish culture.
