Election of 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 concerned the election of the Speaker of the Riksdag. M proposed that Andreas Norlén be re-elected as he has a deep understanding of politics, high integrity, and has shown skill in a difficult parliamentary situation 1. SD believes that Norlén has shown commitment and competence, and the party chooses to cast its votes to promote non-political institutions 2. S chooses to deviate from its principle that the Speaker should come from the largest party in order to support Norlén as a unifying person. L emphasizes that Norlén has a unifying ability 3. KD wants to achieve broad political unity and considers Norlén to be knowledgeable and broadly respected 4. C, MP, and V all stand in support of Norlén as he is considered to have the qualifications and experience 5 6.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Tobias Billström (M)
Madam Speaker and honorable members of the Swedish Parliament! On behalf of the parliamentary groups of the Moderates, the Sweden Democrats, the Christian Democrats, and the Liberals, I propose that Andreas Norlén be re-elected as Speaker.
The person who is to lead the work of the Riksdag has a central task in our democracy. The Speaker of the newly elected Riksdag should have a deep understanding and respect for both the political and the legal dimension of the Riksdag's work. Furthermore, the person in question should have broad trust across party lines as well as a high degree of integrity and responsiveness.
Andreas Norlén was previously a highly regarded and esteemed chairman of the Committee on the Constitution. During the past parliamentary term, he has, as the Speaker of the Riksdag, shown that he possesses personal qualities and competencies that make him well-suited for that role.
The Speaker exercises important constitutional powers, and the majority in this chamber should be reflected in the election of the Speaker. A very important reason to choose just Andreas Norlén is his personal qualifications. In a difficult parliamentary situation, he has exercised the Speakership with considerable skill and composure. As Speaker, he has shown great commitment to democracy and earned respect in and outside the Swedish Riksdag and across party lines. Getting the Riksdag's work to function during a pandemic represents an additional challenge, which Andreas Norlén handled very well.
Since the end of the 1970s, the basic position from the conservative side has been that in the event that there is a clear majority grouping in the Riksdag, the Speaker should be appointed from this grouping. The Moderates have united four parties that have a common direction for Sweden, and after the parliamentary election, our four parties constitute the largest cohesive cooperation between parties in the Riksdag.
When it comes to the deputy speakers, they should be chosen based on the parties' size in the chamber. We believe that all parties in the Swedish Riksdag should be able to agree on this principle of proportionality.
Madam Speaker! Against this background, Andreas Norlén should be able to gather broad support in this chamber. The Swedish Riksdag also has the opportunity now, for the first time in 20 years, to elect a Speaker's presidium in total unity, by acclamation. It would be a message of strength for the Riksdag and, ultimately, for Swedish democracy.
Henrik Vinge (SD)
Madam Speaker and honorable members of the Swedish Parliament! During the previous parliamentary term, we had a Speaker who performed the task very well. Andreas Norlén demonstrated commitment, competence, and integrity. Furthermore, in all my contacts with Andreas, he has shown kindness, helpfulness, and fairness.
One does not fix what works, especially not what works very well. The parliamentary groups of the Sweden Democrats, the Moderates, the Christian Democrats, and the Liberals will vote to re-elect Andreas Norlén as Speaker.
My party, Sverigedemokraterna, is a large party today. We are the second largest party in the entire Riksdag. But we also know something about what it is like to be very small. One lesson we have drawn from that time is that the world becomes a better place if the one who is very strong is also very kind. By that, I mean that a party's responsibility to safeguard our common democratic institutions grows in proportion to the party's size and its ability to actually make a difference.
SD intends to take that responsibility. We demonstrate that today by entering into a broad consensus across the block divide regarding the Speaker's presidency. Despite the fact that we are therefore part of a majority here in the chamber, we do not lay claim to the position of first deputy. Instead, we will abstain from voting there. After that, we will, as the next party in line, lay claim to the position of second deputy.
That is why we do this, because we consider these to be positions that should not be politicized. If we here together can agree that our common non-political constitutional institutions, for example the Speaker's office, shall be characterized by objectivity, transparency, and the rule of law, and that when it comes to them we shall always leave the party book at home, we can ensure that there are non-political institutions that protect free opinion formation and everyone's equal rights.
There are those who believe that safety and success are built with control and oppression, but nothing could be more wrong. History has clearly shown that the most prosperous and successful societies, with the happiest people and the strongest resilience against the world's evil, are societies where everyone is allowed to express themselves freely and choose their own path in their pursuit of happiness and well-being. These are societies where the purpose of the state is to protect this freedom and enable this pursuit, never to hinder it and never to restrict it.
If we can argue fiercely but never try to silence, if we can accept that political opponents are sometimes difficult to understand but are still worthy of our respect - then, honored members of the Swedish Riksdag, I am convinced that our country is nevertheless heading towards a bright future.
Gunilla Carlsson (S)
Madam Speaker and honorable members of the Swedish Parliament! The importance of the Speaker's mandate is significant. The Speaker leads the Parliament's work, has a central role in the government formation process and is an important representative of our Swedish democracy. It is the country's highest elected position.
In the uneasy times that are approaching, it is important that we have a Speaker who can unite, not divide. Therefore, we Social Democrats have this time chosen to depart from what has been our principle, namely that the Speaker is elected from the Riksdag's largest party. The Riksdag does not consist of blocs, constellations, or anything else, but of parties. That being said, I emphasize that this is a justified exception from the Social Democrats' principled position on the election of the Speaker. In future elections of the Speaker, we reserve the principle that we have acted according to since the new Instrument of Government was introduced.
In order to be able to contribute constructively to the election of a Speaker who can unite, not divide, we Social Democrats are now prepared to support the proposal to elect Andreas Norlén as Speaker. We know that he can carry out that work in a meritorious manner and with broad support from the Riksdag. We Social Democrats therefore stand behind the election of Andreas Norlén as Speaker.
Mats Persson (L)
Madam Speaker and honorable members of the Swedish Parliament! The Liberals safeguard that the voices of the Swedish people shall have an impact in the election of the Speaker. The Speaker is a central actor and institution in Swedish democracy. In the situation where Sweden currently finds itself, this calls for responsibility and reflection from all of us who sit in this chamber. Our main task is to take responsibility for Sweden and make Sweden a better country. In that situation, it is important to have a Speaker who proceeds from keywords such as responsibility, respect, and trust.
Andreas Norlén has a unifying ability and the ability to gather broad support in Sweden's Riksdag. The Liberals, Moderates, Christian Democrats and the Sweden Democrats have therefore jointly nominated Andreas Norlén as Speaker, and the Liberals' parliamentary group will vote for him as the Riksdag's Speaker.
Camilla Brodin (KD)
Madam Speaker and honorable members of the Swedish Parliament! The Christian Democrats' ambition is to reach a broad political consensus in the election of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. The Speaker is the Parliament's foremost representative. The weight and significance of the office mean that it is important that the person who holds it is knowledgeable and broadly respected.
Against that background, the Christian Democrats agree with the Moderates, the Sweden Democrats and the Liberals on nominating Andreas Norlén as the Speaker of the Riksdag. Norlén has during his time as Speaker shown that he possesses the personal qualities and the qualifications that the assignment requires. Norlén has at the same time become widely respected and enjoys a great deal of confidence both inside and outside the Riksdag.
For the first time since 2002, we can today achieve very broad political agreement regarding the Speaker's presidency. We will abstain from voting in the elections of the first and third deputy speaker and thereby respect the candidates that other parties nominate for these positions.
Annie Lööf (C)
Madam President and honorable members of the Swedish Riksdag! The Centre Party has great confidence in Andreas Norlén as the Speaker of the Riksdag and stands behind the proposal to appoint Andreas Norlén to continue to be Sweden's Speaker. We will therefore, of course, continue to support him as Speaker of the Swedish Riksdag and actively vote yes. We also see with satisfaction that there is a broad consensus in the Swedish Riksdag regarding now appointing Andreas Norlén as Sweden's Speaker.
Rasmus Ling (MP)
Madam Speaker! Miljöpartiet de gröna also supports the election of Andreas Norlén as Speaker of the Swedish Riksdag. Andreas Norlén has led the work in the Riksdag during the past parliamentary term in a good and unifying way, and we see that he has the qualifications and the experience needed to do so also during this parliamentary term. It is naturally good that we can get broad support for the highest office that can be elected to in this country, that of the Speaker.
SAMUEL GONZALEZ WESTLING (V)
Madam Speaker! Vänsterpartiet also stands behind Andreas Norlén's nomination for Speaker. Vänsterpartiet considers that Andreas Norlén has distinguished himself through fantastic work during recent years, and we will also support him.
The deliberation was hereby concluded.
The Chamber elected Andreas Norlén (M) as Speaker by acclamation.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.