The Swedish Social Democrats have proposed a three-part initiative aimed at enforcing stricter measures against EU countries failing to uphold democratic standards.

Among the proposals is the controversial idea that countries regressing in democracy could be expelled from the EU.

However, this suggestion has been met with skepticism, as EU correspondent Andreas Liljeheden notes that current EU regulations do not permit the expulsion of member states, regardless of their actions.

Party leader Magdalena Andersson emphasized the need for more robust tools to address non-compliant countries, including withholding funds and potentially revising EU treaties to make expulsion feasible.

EU Minister Jessika Roswall supports the enforcement of the rule of law principles but favors political pressure over legal measures to protect these values.