Sweden Democrats call for EU language to be stripped from Swedish constitution
The far-right Sweden Democrats have stepped up their Eurosceptic rhetoric, calling for all language about EU membership to be removed from Sweden's constitution.
"Anyone who's been in a negotiation knows that you have to be ready to leave the negotiating table to get your desired result. That's why we want to remove the language about Sweden's membership of the EU from the constitution," the party's leader Jimmie Åkesson and its top MEP candidate Charlie Weimers wrote in a debate article in the Aftonbladet newspaper.
"This will send a signal that when push comes to shove Sweden is ready to leave, and Brussels can't afford to lose more net contributors."
The party has also called for Sweden's parliament to vote through what it calls a "referendum lock".
"All significant transfers of power [from a national to an EU level], or new or significant requirements for payments must be subject to a referendum," the two wrote.
READ ALSO:
- How best to respond to the Sweden Democrats' Swexit gambit?
- Sweden Democrat leader calls for 'reevaluation' of Swedish EU membership
The far-right party has long been the most eurosceptic in Sweden's parliament, but it has been indecisive over Sweden's membership of the European Union, ditching its policy of holding an in-out referendum on EU membership in 2019, ahead of the EU elections the same year.
Despite toughening its rhetoric ahead of this year's EU election in June, the party is still holding back from calling for a Swedish exit from the union, describing the 'referendum lock' as more of a way of improving Sweden's negotiating position in Brussels.
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"Anyone who's been in a negotiation knows that you have to be ready to leave the negotiating table to get your desired result. That's why we want to remove the language about Sweden's membership of the EU from the constitution," the party's leader Jimmie Åkesson and its top MEP candidate Charlie Weimers wrote in a debate article in the Aftonbladet newspaper.
"This will send a signal that when push comes to shove Sweden is ready to leave, and Brussels can't afford to lose more net contributors."
The party has also called for Sweden's parliament to vote through what it calls a "referendum lock".
"All significant transfers of power [from a national to an EU level], or new or significant requirements for payments must be subject to a referendum," the two wrote.
READ ALSO:
- How best to respond to the Sweden Democrats' Swexit gambit?
- Sweden Democrat leader calls for 'reevaluation' of Swedish EU membership
The far-right party has long been the most eurosceptic in Sweden's parliament, but it has been indecisive over Sweden's membership of the European Union, ditching its policy of holding an in-out referendum on EU membership in 2019, ahead of the EU elections the same year.
Despite toughening its rhetoric ahead of this year's EU election in June, the party is still holding back from calling for a Swedish exit from the union, describing the 'referendum lock' as more of a way of improving Sweden's negotiating position in Brussels.
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