Parental leave

TALMANNEN

Honorable members of the Riksdag! A little over a week ago, we were reached by the sad news that Member of Parliament Lars Wistedt passed away suddenly during a business trip to Canada. Our thoughts and our warm sympathy go to his wife and siblings who are with us here today, to his other relatives, to his friends and to his colleagues.

To be elected to represent one's party, one's voters, one's constituency, and our country in the Swedish Riksdag is a trust that is rarely granted. When a member of the Riksdag passes away, it is therefore customary that we pause for a moment in the chamber's regular work to remember and convey the colleagues' and the Riksdag's gratitude for the deceased member's contributions to the Riksdag and for Sweden.

Honourable members! Lars Wistedt was born in 1964 in Hässelby in Stockholm County. In 2022, he was elected to the Riksdag for the Uppsala County constituency as a member for Sverigedemokraterna. He was vice chairman of the Committee on Defence, substitute in the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Justice, and the EU Committee, as well as a deputed member in the joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence. Lars Wistedt was also a substitute in the Riksdag's delegation to NATO's Parliamentary Assembly and in the Nordic Council's Swedish delegation.

It was, as is known, in connection with his participation in NATO's Parliamentary Assembly session in Montreal, Canada, that he unexpectedly passed away. Colleagues in the delegation testify to how he participated with a cheerful mood and his usual commitment to the work before withdrawing for the evening. The session concluded with a minute of silence in memory of Lars Wistedt.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to the other members who were present in Canada and the accompanying official for the way you handled the tragic situation. You did what was necessary but at the same time took care of one another. I also thank the employees in the Riksdagsförvaltningen and at the Sverigedemokraternas partikansli who acted here at home. You did so with both decisiveness and dignity.

Honorable members! Lars Wistedt was competent, humble, and much appreciated by his colleagues, his family, and his friends. He possessed a wealth of historical knowledge, great humor, and an ability to meet people where they were. One of Lars's more characteristic traits was his ability to see solutions and positive perspectives on different types of problems, something that was expressed in his work and in his relationships with other people.

Lars Wistedt had a background as a professional officer. From that, he brought with him experiences and knowledge that were of great use in the role as a member of the Riksdag and vice chairman of the Committee on Defence. After his career within the Armed Forces, he was active in the private sector as, among other things, regional security chief and global security chief within large companies.

During his time in the Riksdag, he demonstrated great commitment to Sweden's security and defense. Both in his professional role in the defense and in his mandate as a member of the Riksdag, he strove to make our country safer.

For everyone who heard Lars Wistedt speak about security issues, it was clear that he possessed both a broad and deep knowledge of Swedish defense. It was equally clear that he combined his knowledge with a strong commitment to strengthening Sweden's defense capability, to Sweden's defense cooperation with Finland, and to our country's role in the defense alliance Nato.

Lars Wistedt also had a strong commitment to Ukraine's cause, against Russia's full-scale invasion and for Ukraine's right to defend its freedom and its independence, with the insight that Ukraine is also fighting for our freedom. It was a commitment that was expressed both inside and outside the Riksdag.

Earlier this year, Lars Wistedt and four other members of parliament from different parties were among those who drove seven ambulances to Lviv in Ukraine. It was an expression of the strong will to support Ukraine that exists both in Swedish society and here in the Riksdag.

Many have testified that Lars Wistedt was a respected and appreciated person, not only among members in his own party, but also among colleagues in other parties. He was quick to laugh and was easy and pleasant to be with.

Last week, the government's communication on national security strategy was up for debate here in the chamber. During the debate, it became clear that Lars Wistedt leaves a large void behind him. This was presented in contributions from representatives of the parties that make up the government base and in speeches from those who belong to the opposition.

That Lars Wistedt leaves a great void behind is, of course, due to his broad and deep knowledge within the security policy area and his strong commitment to the issues. But an equally important explanation is the way in which he related to the colleagues from different political camps whom he collaborated with in committees and delegations. He was respectful, friendly and considerate - an officer and a gentleman.

Honorable members! A sympathetic, competent and committed person and politician has left us all too soon. I wish to convey my and the Riksdag's thanks for his contributions to the Riksdag, for democracy and for Sweden.

Those gathered in the plenary chamber honored Lars Wistedt's memory with a minute of silence.

The presentation concluded with a tattoo performed by Peter Kubik from the Army Band.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)