Investigation into the support for the political decision-making process and the membership in the Riksdag
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns an investigation regarding the support for the political decision-making process and the membership in the Riksdag. S argues that the importance of the Riksdag has increased due to internationalization, digitalization, and the changed security situation, which has placed extraordinary demands on the Riksdag's work 1. S believes that a parliamentarily composed committee should be appointed to review the organization and whether the forms of governance are appropriate 1. M emphasizes that the Riksdag is the people's primary representative and that the support for the parliamentary process must effectively convey the democratic will 2. M believes that the frameworks and support should be something that stands above party-political conflict 2.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Ida Karkiainen (S)
Mr. Speaker! There are a number of issues regarding the Riksdag and the work of the Riksdag that have been addressed over a number of years. During the spring of 2023, we in the Committee on the Constitution have discussed these issues and reached a committee initiative.
As can be read in our report, very much has happened with the parliamentary mandate and what this institution stands for in Sweden. Internationalization, digitalization, and the changed security situation in the world are some examples of things that have affected the Riksdag as an authority and institution, but also the parliamentary work. The situation we have had in parliament, with rather narrow majorities, has meant that the Riksdag's importance has increased in scope, which has also placed extraordinary demands on the parliamentary work. It has also meant that the Riksdag's role in decision-making has been strengthened in many respects.
Investigation into the support for the political decision-making process and the membership in the Riksdag
Against this background, we in the Committee on the Constitution have discussed a number of issues and concluded that a parliamentarily appointed committee shall be appointed to review the support in the parliamentary work regarding both the political decision-making process and the membership itself. In our report, we develop the reasoning regarding which issues this investigation should address in more detail. But one could also say that every institution with self-respect should from time to time review its organization to see if it is purposeful and if the forms of governance function. At the same time, one should not fix anything that is not broken.
Mr. Speaker! It boils down for us to the importance of us being able to conduct good decision-making in the Riksdag as members and politicians. Therefore, we need to address a number of questions in a parliamentary committee. We are united in the committee on this initiative. We will wish the committee that is to look at these questions all the best. The committee will probably be appointed during the autumn.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank all the committee members for a fantastic job during this parliamentary session. I would also like to take the opportunity to wish the Speaker and all members a happy summer.
Erik Ottoson (M)
Mr. Speaker! "The Riksdag is the people's primary representative and thus the central state organ." This is how the Committee on the Constitution begins its position in the report that we are submitting to the Chamber today. It was somewhat extra satisfying to read that sentence out yesterday afternoon in front of some members of the government, who perhaps sometimes experience that the government is also a rather central state organ. No one protested against the description, I would like to point out nonetheless.
The Riksdag has an immensely important function in our democracy. Just as the committee chairman just said, every institution must sometimes review its working methods with self-restraint. There is a high expectation of us in the Riksdag. We must deliver what the voters expect of us. Our working methods must be purposeful. The support for the parliamentary process must ensure that the democratic will is conveyed in the most effective and good way possible. The people's primary representatives must have the conditions to make themselves and the conviction that led to them being seated in this chamber justified.
Mr. Speaker! It is against that background that the Committee on the Constitution today submits this report to the Chamber with a proposal for a notification to the Speaker's Board to appoint an inquiry to further examine both the support in the parliamentary process and the committee work, and both the conditions for the members to do a good job and the support for it. These are two crucial pillars for the work in this House.
Mr. Speaker! The Riksdag is not a government administrative authority like any other. It is a parliamentary assembly that works in a way that no other institution in Sweden does. It is a completely unique place - a fantastic place, if I may say so myself. The conditions for us to do ourselves justice are of course important, but each individual member's ambitions are governing over time.
Investigation into the support for the political decision-making process and the membership in the Riksdag
When one has been re-elected to the Riksdag a few times, one notices that every new Riksdag has a bit of its own soul and its own identity. There are changes after every election. There are changes in the composition in this chamber in the form of parties becoming different sizes. There are new individuals who begin to move in the chamber and the corridors. The committees are staffed with new individuals who may come in, go out, and change places.
But something that must function all the time is the institution, with the prerequisites, the frameworks, and the support. It is something that survives every mandate period, and it is therefore extremely important that we find agreement across party lines. Our methods of work and our support in the parliamentary process shall not be a source of partisan conflict. It shall be the fundamental thing that we all stand on together, something that clarifies the rules of the game and the prerequisites, and which also those who come after us shall feel is sufficient so that they, in turn, can in a sufficient way fulfill their task and express their convictions.
Mr. Speaker! We have good conditions already today. But we also see that there are things that may need to be developed in a changing time. It will be very interesting to see the result of such an investigation and see how we can refine the support for our most important democratic process, the one that takes place in this house. With that, I move for approval of the Committee on the Constitution's proposal.
The deliberation was hereby concluded.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.