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Politics

'Ban dual citizens from serving in the Riksdag'

Published: 20 Nov 12 10:08 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/44528/20121120/

The Sweden Democrats want to ban people with dual nationality from serving in the Riksdag, according to a secret document sent to the Parliamentary Investigative Service (Riksdagens Utredningstjänst, RUT) and published by newspaper Expressen.

“It is our opinion that the law should be changed so that only candidates with solely Swedish citizenship can be elected to the Swedish Riksdag,” wrote former party spokesman on justice policy Kent Ekeroth in the most recent motion, which was received by the Parliamentary Investigative Service in October.

Some six months earlier, a previous motion to RUT had shown that the Sweden Democrats wanted the office to map out and make a registry of “which members have dual citizenship”.

However, at that time the Sweden Democrats were turned down by RUT due to the drain such an investigation would be on resources - as well as a risk that making a register of such personal information on the MPs would be in breach of Swedish information and privacy laws.

But in October, the party handed in a new motion to RUT, seeking to impose a ban on people with a dual citizenship from serving in the Riksdag.

The Sweden Democrats’ requests regarding a nationality restriction have so far been unknown to the other members of parliament, as all requests to RUT are confidential.

However, when the document became known, it sparked concerns on both sides of the political spectrum.

“It sounds completely hair-raising. What is the aim? Are they trying to raise doubts about these MPs loyalty to Sweden,” the Social Democrat spokesman on justice policy Morgan Johansson told Expressen.

“This is what they spend their time on – to define who is out and who is in – trying to split Sweden into us and them. It is what they live on,” justice policy spokesman for the Liberals (Folkpartiet) Johan Pehrson told the paper.

According to Sweden Democrats spokesman Martin Kinnunen, he has heard of the motion but is not full conversant with its content.

“I don’t actually know the reasoning behind the raised question,” he told Expressen.

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10:31 November 20, 2012 by cmbsweden
That's bullshit. My daughter, born in Malmö, and growing up as a Swede, in Sweden, just happens to also have an American passport because I, her father is American by birth.

So now she is unfit to serve in the Swedish government? Really?

That's the absolute biggest type of bigotry there is.
11:14 November 20, 2012 by Vietvet
@cmbsweden

And your daughter can never be president of the United States as the President must be born in the states to be able to serve. This rules out the children born to service members serving overseas too.

Don't get me wrong, I think it is a stupid idea. It would be refreshing to go one day here where the Swedish Democrats don't demonstrate how badly they are infected with foot in mouth disease.
11:56 November 20, 2012 by jimmyjames
With all due respect, anyone who can't understand the rational is really either intentially or unentially stupid. Just like a woman having two husbands simultaineously or a person is not allowed to serve in two militaries simultaineously, ect. You can not serve two Masters simultaineously. Anyone can understand the logic. You people of Swedish descent / nationality better gets your heads screwed on straight and stop living in your utopian fantasy land or else in another generation you will not have a nation anymore and the Swedish race will be extinct. Are you reall y so pathetic.........the children of the Vikings which once were feared and respected in ALL the known world.
12:29 November 20, 2012 by LiveForLife
jimmyjames, very interesting reasoning. It is nice when people talk about logic and rationality.

Based on your saying, women with one husband has one Master and can serve her Master properly.
12:42 November 20, 2012 by Wayne
I see no issue with dual nationality, unless you have something against those that are not from your country.

The you do not understand comment is also something which, along with this silly investigation and motion are based in an unacceptance of differences.

My children, just as t stated above are dual citizens. They have the gift of two cultures, are/and have been multilingual since birth. Their value to a small society such as Sweden is great. As to is their love of Sweden.

Both of my children, by birth have a right to Swedish and American citizenship. Are they less for this right?

The world is a small place and becoming smaller. In no way should we seek to limit growth of any people that an open mind and acceptance can bring. Sweden and Swedes should embrace the different cultures and races which make up more then 10% of the people living here as should those whom come from other cultures embrace and learn of the Swedish culture.

Racism, hate nor fear should be supported by the law or government of any land. This proposal screams of such and should be struck down with great haste.
12:43 November 20, 2012 by RobinHood
"It sounds completely hair-raising. What is the aim? Are they trying to raise doubts about these MPs loyalty to Sweden," Social Democrat spokesman Morgan Johansson

Would that the be the same Social Democrat Party that still includes party members who were found by SÄPO to have been passing information to the STASI? I would say there are already significant "doubts" about certain MP's loyalty, wouldn't you Morgan?

What is "hair-raising" is that these people have not been named, shamed and prosecuted, but instead remain Social Democrat party members in good standing.
13:45 November 20, 2012 by cogito
#6. Yes. And the same Social Democrat Party whose envoy to the U.S.S.R. sold security secrets to the Soviets.

I have no opinion on duals as MPs, as MPs in Sweden are powerless. But puhleeeze, spare us the hypocritical Social Democrats' faux outrage.
14:12 November 20, 2012 by gh2008
@jimmyjames,

"person is not allowed to serve in two militaries simultaineously, "

in Sweden, riksdag members can't be members or part of other countries governmental/parliamentary establishment simultaneously.
15:00 November 20, 2012 by Kevin Harris
@The Local

Why is this story filed under the header "Sweden Democrats Scandal"?
16:38 November 20, 2012 by Svensksmith
I imagine their fear is of Sharia law becoming the law of the land in Sweden someday.
16:51 November 20, 2012 by bourgeoisieboheme
It's called a "conflict of interest" so it makes perfect sense. Same reason jury members are not friends of the person on trial. I agree with this decision, you want to be an MP, you give up your dual citizenship!
19:14 November 20, 2012 by Puffin
@cmbsweden

Errrrr I think the clue is that it is a motion by the SWEDEN DEMOCRATS ie the political party that is anti-immigration - no other party supports this motion

Hilarious how disorganised SD is as a political party that its own spokesman has not idea what this motion is all about
19:34 November 20, 2012 by Social Hypocrisy
Is this the SD's idea of democracy? My god you guys are a bunch of desperate wannabies. I have lost the patience to be polite anymore.

Do something positive with your lives instead of whining like a bunch of babies. Your policies and opinions just dont count for anything anymore and have no place in the year 2012.

Your extremist opinions have nothing to do with mainstram politics and will never be accepted by the ruling majority. The fight has already been fought... and you guys LOST!

There is nothing more tiresom and pathetic than bad loosers. You can say whatever you damn like (and Im sure you will), but it wont change a thing.

Fascism tried and failed and will never be accepted again. Evolution has phased that ideology out. Even if the swedish populace were stupid enough that you had lets say 70% SD (It will NEVER happen), do you think the rest of the world would just stand buy. Look what happened the last time someone idiot tried that... he also failed and his regime fell.

SD voters do youself a favour and find something constructive to do with you lives.
22:01 November 20, 2012 by tercel
@ 19:34 November 20, 2012 by Social Hypocrisy

Just like in the article "Sweden democrats in race hate probe" ONLY white people can be RACIST, that is very easy to say when your head is buried in the sand.

The wave of robberies the city of Malmö has witnessed during this past year is part of a "war against the Swedes." This is the explanation given by young robbers from immigrant backgrounds when questioned about why they only rob native Swedes, in interviews with Petra Åkesson for her thesis in sociology.

Almost 90% of all robberies reported to the police were committed by gangs, not individuals. "When we are in the city and robbing we are waging a war, waging a war against the Swedes." This argument was repeated several times. "Power for me means that the Swedes shall look at me, lie down on the ground and kiss my feet."

The Jews of Malmö, a community of about 1,500 in a city of 300,000, are living through a new form of anti-Semitism. This kind does not stem from neo-Nazis or right-wing extremists—traditional perpetrators of European Jew-hatred—but has come to the city through immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East. According to the 2011 census, one in 10 Malmö citizens comes from the Middle East and North Africa, and ethnic Swedes are no longer in the majority among 15-year-olds.

In 2009, 60 hate crimes against Jews were reported in Malmö, ranging from hate speech to assault and almost no one is charged or arrested and of course no one is ever convicted, if you are NOT white you can't be a racist. But in the "Sweden democrats in race hate probe" ONLY white people can be RACIST, and only those who oppose the failed policies of Cult of Multiculturalism are NAZIS ( I doubt Angela Merkel is a nazi and she stated Multiculturalism is a failure). Thanks to people like you it will not be long before the only difference between Sweden and Pakistan will be where you find the countries on the map on the map.
22:56 November 20, 2012 by lewni
lovely post, #14
08:12 November 22, 2012 by prince T
People who wants to serve in swedish parliament must be willing to forfeit one of their citisenship. It the practice in other places. Obama declared his allegiance to america i.s why he is president. Children born of immigrants in sweden can contest. Otherwise, it will be legalising racism for SD if that was their intention. Why is SD bringin this up, has there been problem of loyalty among swedih MPs that warrant this.
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