Internationale Politikanalyse International Policy Analysis Internationale Politikanalyse Fredrik Langdal and Göran von Sydow Providing Leadership in Turbulent Times? A Preview of the Swedish EU Presidency 2009 This paper previews Sweden’s EU Presidency, which it will hold dur­ing the second half of 2009. The paper starts with a brief overview of the European context, the political situation in Sweden and organisa­tional aspects of the Presidency. The analysis then moves on to a de­tailed discussion of different prioritised policy areas based on various primary sources, such as ministerial speeches and interviews with civil servants. The economic crisis and the uncertainty about the future of the Lis­bon Treaty will affect the Swedish Presidency profoundly. Although the Swedish government has recently downplayed priorities and expectati­ons, our analysis concludes by identifying a number of areas to which the Swedish Presidency is likely to devote most of its energy, as well as what would be required for the Presidency to be considered a success. Apart from managing the economic crisis and the Lisbon Treaty, the most highly prioritised areas are likely to be climate change, the Baltic Sea Strategy and the Stockholm Programme. The Eastern Partnership and further enlargement of the EU are also likely to figure high on the agenda. JUNE 2009