Sweden criticizes Greta Thunberg's movement for 'flying shame'

Green activist Ms Thunberg helped popularize the Swedish concept of flygskam. Photo: THIBAUD MORITZ/AFP

Swedish government hits country 'total shame' movement announces £76 million injection into aviation industry.

Infrastructure Minister Andreas Carlson said the government would invest more than one billion crowns to support carriers struggling to recover from the impact of air travel. pandemic, high energy prices and the economic toll of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Mr Carlson told reporters: “There is little reason to feel shame about running away, and as the [green] transition strengthens there will be even fewer » «.

His words refuted the Swedish concept of «flygskam». The movement, which began in 2018 and literally means “flight shame,” has led the public to avoid air travel due to guilt associated with carbon emissions.

It was led by activist Greta Thunberg, who in 2019 made a two-week journey across the Atlantic on a 60-foot racing yacht to attend the UN climate summit in New York without traveling by air.

In 2022 Sweden formed its first right-wing government in eight years. Although the left-wing Social Democrats received the most votes, they lost their majority to a coalition of moderates, Christian Democrats and liberals.

Ms Thunberg spent two weeks sailing across the Atlantic to avoid flying to the 2019 UN climate summit in New York. Photo: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images Europe

The group is supported by the far-right, anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, which is not a formal member but has influence over politics in exchange for supporting the coalition in parliament.

< p>His support for airlines marks a change in tone.

In 2020, the former government announced plans to introduce night trains to Germany and Belgium — a move that was welcomed by then infrastructure minister Thomas Eneroth, who tweeted: «This should make it easy for you to choose the right route and travel climate-conscious!»

The new money will be used to ensure airport security and baggage handling costs. These fees are levied on a per-passenger basis and have become seriously underfunded during Covid due to the sharp decline in the number of people flying.

Government intervention will prevent the costs of the pandemic's cash crunch from being passed on to consumers .

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Mr Carlson said: “This system has accumulated a billion crowns of debt. This debt is now being repaid through an injection of public capital.»

Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson said: «Sweden is a sparsely populated and elongated country that is heavily reliant on transport, which makes life easier for both people and people. travel companies.»