Ebba Busch: Sharia Has No Place in Sweden and Islam Must Adapt
Ebba Busch, leader of Sweden's Christian Democrats, has drawn wide attention with a blunt message about religion and Swedish values. Her words have been shared far beyond Sweden.
In an interview with Swedish broadcaster SVT, Busch said Sharia law has no place in Sweden and that Islam must adapt to the country, not the other way around. "Islam needs to adapt to Sweden," she said. "You can be a proud Swedish Muslim, Christian, Jew, atheist, but there are basic Swedish values which need to apply to all of us."
Busch has led the Christian Democrats since 2015. She served as Sweden's deputy prime minister and minister for energy, business and industry in the coalition government led by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of the Moderates. That government took office after the 2022 election with parliamentary support from the Sweden Democrats, under a deal known as the Tidö agreement. Tighter immigration and stronger integration requirements were among its main priorities.
She has also pushed for concrete measures. Busch has called for a nationwide ban on the burqa and niqab in all public places. She said Sweden must "wake up from its naivety" about Islamism and act decisively to protect Swedish values and social cohesion. Several European countries already restrict full face coverings in public, including France, Denmark, Belgium and Austria. Sweden currently has no national ban.
The background to her comments is a long national debate. Sweden took in large numbers of asylum seekers over the past two decades, especially during the 2015 refugee crisis, when it received more than 160,000 applications in one year. Since then, questions about integration, segregated neighborhoods and gang crime have become central issues in Swedish politics, and parties across the spectrum have moved toward stricter positions.
Supporters of Busch say she is defending one set of rules for every citizen, whatever their faith. They argue that values such as equality between men and women, freedom of speech and the rule of Swedish law are not up for negotiation, and that saying so openly is a form of respect for Muslims who already live by them.
Critics say her comments single out one religion. They warn about the effect on religious freedom, a right protected by Sweden's constitution, and on the many Swedish Muslims who were born in the country or have lived there for decades. Some also argue that a burqa ban would affect very few women while sending a broad message to an entire community.
Busch has not backed away. She has made integration a central part of her party's message.
The debate is far from settled. Sweden held a general election on September 13, 2026, with Busch leading the Christian Democrats into the vote as one of the most recognizable faces of the governing coalition. Whatever the final shape of the next government, the question Busch raised is likely to stay at the center of Swedish politics.
Do you agree with Ebba Busch? YES OR NO?
