Panic in the Riksdag
In Sweden the pro-EU parties are all arguing against a referendum, saying that the MPs are much more suitable than the ordinary voter to take such a complicated decision. The MPs are so much better informed.
Yesterday, Swedish television aired a programme in which leading journalist Janne Josefsson went into the Riksdag and asked various MPs three quite simple questions about the Constitution.
That was before lunch.
Strangely however, after lunch almost every MP knew the answers!
Research revealed that the parties had sent out warnings on the parliamentary e-mail that Josefsson was in the building, and they had given them the correct answers. The liberals where first of the mark at 9:40, and the Social Democrats had taken until 12:07 to warn their MPs. Some of the newly informed politicians tried to pretend that they really knew something about the Constitution, instead of just having read an e-mail during their lunch-break.
Before the alarm 28 MPs had been interviewed. Only three of them knew all the answers (sort of). 19 MPs didn't manage to answer a single question correctly!
This was great television. And the fact that the MPs hardly know anything about the Constitution is now out in the public domain!
But you can hardly blame the MPs. From the perspective of a standard issue europhile MP, what's the point of even opening the Constitution if it's going to be ratified by parliament anyway? The Yes-parties have a majority of more than 80%. The result in the Riksdag would be a foregone conlusion. Why would they bother?
The only way to make the MPs read the Constition is to hold a referendum.
Yesterday, Swedish television aired a programme in which leading journalist Janne Josefsson went into the Riksdag and asked various MPs three quite simple questions about the Constitution.
- How do you reach qualified majority according to the Constitution?
- What is exclusive competence?
- What is a citizens initiative?
That was before lunch.
Strangely however, after lunch almost every MP knew the answers!
Research revealed that the parties had sent out warnings on the parliamentary e-mail that Josefsson was in the building, and they had given them the correct answers. The liberals where first of the mark at 9:40, and the Social Democrats had taken until 12:07 to warn their MPs. Some of the newly informed politicians tried to pretend that they really knew something about the Constitution, instead of just having read an e-mail during their lunch-break.
Before the alarm 28 MPs had been interviewed. Only three of them knew all the answers (sort of). 19 MPs didn't manage to answer a single question correctly!
This was great television. And the fact that the MPs hardly know anything about the Constitution is now out in the public domain!
But you can hardly blame the MPs. From the perspective of a standard issue europhile MP, what's the point of even opening the Constitution if it's going to be ratified by parliament anyway? The Yes-parties have a majority of more than 80%. The result in the Riksdag would be a foregone conlusion. Why would they bother?
The only way to make the MPs read the Constition is to hold a referendum.
posted by Max Andersson at 22:20
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