Sweden Democrat leader not invited to Nobel Prize celebrations
Jimmie Åkesson, the leader of the far-right Sweden Democrats has once again been denied an invitation to the lavish Nobel prize celebrations, despite his party's crucial role backing Sweden's new government.
The Nobel Foundation, which manages the funds which go to pay for five of the six Nobel prizes awarded by Sweden, has refused to invite Åkesson ever since his party entered parliament with 20 MPs in 2010, even though the leader of every other party is invited to attend the formal dinner.
In a press release on Tuesday, the foundation said that it "saw no reason to revisit its decision" not to invite the Sweden Democrats' leader to the celebrations.
"The Nobel Prize rests on a respect for science, culture, humanism, and internationalism," the foundation wrote. "That respect is also the foundation for the actions which are celebrated and given prominence when the Nobel Prize winners and guests from the whole world are invited to the Nobel Prize giving and the banquet which is held on December 10th."
It added that there were some positions in the Swedish state -- such as the speaker in parliament, prime minister, foreign minister, culture minister, finance minister, education minister, and the chair of the Riksbank's committee, who would receive an invite.
The Sweden Democrat MP Bo Broman is expected to be appointed to the last of those roles later this week, according to the SvD newspaper.
The committee has also decided to deny invites to the ambassadors of Russia and Belarus, as a result of the two countries' involvement in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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The Nobel Foundation, which manages the funds which go to pay for five of the six Nobel prizes awarded by Sweden, has refused to invite Åkesson ever since his party entered parliament with 20 MPs in 2010, even though the leader of every other party is invited to attend the formal dinner.
In a press release on Tuesday, the foundation said that it "saw no reason to revisit its decision" not to invite the Sweden Democrats' leader to the celebrations.
"The Nobel Prize rests on a respect for science, culture, humanism, and internationalism," the foundation wrote. "That respect is also the foundation for the actions which are celebrated and given prominence when the Nobel Prize winners and guests from the whole world are invited to the Nobel Prize giving and the banquet which is held on December 10th."
It added that there were some positions in the Swedish state -- such as the speaker in parliament, prime minister, foreign minister, culture minister, finance minister, education minister, and the chair of the Riksbank's committee, who would receive an invite.
The Sweden Democrat MP Bo Broman is expected to be appointed to the last of those roles later this week, according to the SvD newspaper.
The committee has also decided to deny invites to the ambassadors of Russia and Belarus, as a result of the two countries' involvement in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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