Speech by the Speaker
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns the Speaker's address and the confidence given to the Speaker's Presidium. The Speaker thanks the members for the confidence to lead the Riksdag and expresses gratitude for having been elected by acclamation 1. The Speaker emphasizes the importance of nurturing and developing democracy, especially in light of the war in Ukraine and challenges from authoritarian forces 1. The Speaker expresses an ambition to highlight personal history by publishing lists of members who have served the longest in the Riksdag 1. The Speaker hopes that the Riksdag can be a good role model through a straightforward political debate characterized by good tone and respect 1.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
TALMANNEN
Honorable members of the Swedish Parliament! I would like to express a warm thank you for the continued confidence in me being the Speaker of the Parliament. I would also, on my own behalf and on behalf of the deputy speakers, thank you for choosing us to together constitute the Speaker's Presidium of the Parliament.
I stand here humbled by the trust and filled with respect for the task, but also filled with joy at being able to lead Sweden's most important democratic institution for another term. I am deeply grateful to have been elected with the support of all members of the Riksdag.
I would particularly like to thank the parties who today have acted differently than they usually have in speaker elections during the period of the unicameral parliament and who thereby have made it possible for me to be elected by acclamation. I wish to repay that trust by striving to be the speaker of the entire parliament. That was my endeavor during the past electoral period, and I intend to work hard to continue to be so.
It is my hope and deeply held intention that I shall be able to exercise the office of the Speaker in such a way that I also continue to merit the confidence of all members. I promise that I will take the assignment with the utmost seriousness, but I hope at the same time that I can take myself somewhat less seriously. I am certain that you will remind me of these words.
I believe, honorable members, that the feelings I have just expressed - humility, respect, and joy - are something that I share with all of you. Some of you are completely new to the role of Member of Parliament, others have held this fine role for a longer period, and others have been here before and are now back. Regardless, I want to congratulate each and every one of you on the trust you have received from your voters and the opportunities you now have to influence our country's present and future. I also want to wish you all luck in the execution of your important mission.
Something that applies to both the Speaker and the members is that the mandate is something one holds on loan. The time in office can be short or long, but it has been held by others previously and others will come after. Some of you may think that the four years that now lie ahead of you is a long time, but everything is, as is known, relative.
One of my ambitions has been to highlight personal history, that is, people who have served in the halls of the Riksdag over the years. Therefore, from now on, there are three lists on the Riksdag's website with the members who served the longest in the bicameral parliament, those who served the longest in the unicameral parliament, and those who served the longest considering the entire period from 1866 onwards. The record of an impressive 49 years is held by Rickard Sandler, Social Democrat and Prime Minister in the 1920s. In second place is the high-ranking official Johan Nilsson, who served for approximately 46 years. Other well-known names on the lists are Tage Erlander, Gösta Bohman, as well as my predecessors Henry Allard, Ingemund Bengtsson, Birgitta Dahl, and Per Westerberg. The future will show if any of you will end up on these lists.
Honorable members! We have an election period behind us like no other. We in the Riksdag have not only celebrated our historical democracy jubilee. We have also written history in the number of government formations, worked in entirely new ways during the pandemic, and furthermore made large and rapid decisions in support of Ukraine after Russia launched its unjust war of aggression. The war is a brutal reminder that democracy in the world is challenged by authoritarian forces. It underscores the importance of nurturing, defending, and developing our own democracy, but also of supporting young democracies in their work to build a good democratic culture and robust institutions.
It is obvious that the Riksdag will also during the upcoming parliamentary period have a central role in our democratic system. I look forward to working together with you to develop the Riksdag and its work and in this way create even better conditions to meet the challenges we face. I also hope that we in this chamber can be good role models who show that it is possible to conduct a political debate that is direct and clarifies the contradictions that exist in substance but at the same time is characterized by good tone and respect for others' opinions.
I would like to take this opportunity to extend a warm thank you to the Speaker, who will soon be leaving the Riksdag for the European Parliament. I would also like to thank her presidium and the other officials here today. Thank you all for a persistent and exceptionally well-executed work with today's votes!
I have a practical announcement. Technical equipment will be issued in the main chamber. Regardless of previous information, those of you who are affected by this may go directly there now.
Let me finally once again thank you warmly and cordially for the confidence you have shown me and the rest of the Speaker's Bureau.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.