New scholarship aims to boost Swedish representation in the EU

The Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation Scholarship has been awarded to three outstanding Swedish students to support their master’s studies at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. The long-term ambition is to strengthen Sweden’s presence within the European Union and help reverse the current underrepresentation of Swedes in EU institutions.

This year marks 30 years since Sweden joined the EU. Since then, the Union has grown both geographically and politically. The number of member states has nearly doubled, and today’s agenda spans a wide range of policy areas.

– The EU plays an increasingly important role in shaping regulations that impact the development of Swedish business. That’s why it is essential to ensure Swedish representation on the ground in Brussels, says Tor Bonnier, CEO of the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation.

A recent article in Dagens Nyheter highlights the increasingly urgent lack of Swedish representation within EU institutions, particularly the European Commission, where Swedish staff numbers have dropped significantly in recent years. Currently, 484 Swedes work in the Commission, but proportionate representation based on population size should be closer to twice that number. Representation is also low in the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. According to Dagens Nyheter, Sweden is one of 15 EU member states considered underrepresented.

To help reverse this trend, the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR) is awarding scholarships this year to ten Swedish students accepted to the College of Europe – a one-year master’s program in European affairs that often serves as a gateway to EU careers. A record number of Swedish students were admitted this year, prompting a need for additional scholarship funding.

– We are very encouraged to see more Swedes than ever being accepted to the College of Europe. That’s why we’ve decided to award the Karl-Adam Bonnier Foundation Scholarship to three additional students, enabling them to pursue their studies, Tor Bonnier continues.

The recipients of the scholarship are top students Arezo Akbari, Leo Liljeberg Hallonsten, and Elias Ripstrand.

– I’m truly grateful for the foundation’s generous support. This opportunity allows me to deepen my academic understanding and build on the practical experience I’ve gained from working in Brussels over the past two years. My hope is to encourage more Swedes to apply to the College of Europe and, in doing so, contribute to strengthening Sweden’s presence within the EU,says Arezo Akbari

The long-term goal of the scholarship is to reverse the decline in Swedish presence within EU institutions and help fill the gaps that will be left by upcoming retirements among current Swedish EU officials

– We hope more young people will be inspired to pursue a career in the EU, and we look forward to following the journeys of our scholarship recipients, Tor concludes.