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Highest Absences in Riksdag: Lawmakers May Be Forced In After Quorum Dispute
🇸🇪 Sweden /Elections & Politics

Highest Absences in Riksdag: Lawmakers May Be Forced In After Quorum Dispute

From Dagens Nyheter · (9m ago) Swedish Critical tone

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Swedish lawmakers are facing increased scrutiny over their attendance in Parliament following the collapse of a pairing system that allowed members to be absent.
  • Jimmie Åkesson (SD) has the highest absentee rate, missing 93% of votes, while other party leaders also have significant absences.
  • Experts emphasize the democratic importance of parliamentary presence and suggest that voters may be surprised by the high rates of absence.

A recent shift in parliamentary procedure has brought the attendance records of Swedish Riksdag members into sharp focus. The dissolution of the 'kvittningssystem' (pairing system), which previously allowed members to arrange absences with colleagues, now mandates full attendance for all votes. This change has highlighted significant disparities in presence, with some representatives having remarkably low attendance rates throughout their term.

Det finns en förväntan skulle jag säga från väljarnas sida att man är närvarande i riksdagen. Ärligt talat så tror jag att det kan förvåna en hel del väljare att det är en sådan betydande frånvaro

— Jenny MadestamA political science docent at Södertörn University, commenting on the democratic importance of parliamentary presence and the potential surprise of voters regarding high absence rates.

Leading the list of absentees is Jimmie Åkesson, leader of the Sweden Democrats (SD), who has reportedly missed 93% of the 154 votes held so far in the current mandate period. Other prominent figures, including Magdalena Andersson (S) and Nooshi Dadgostar (V), also feature high on the list, raising questions about their commitment to parliamentary duties. This situation has prompted party leaders to call for full attendance and has led to the potential cancellation of planned official trips and engagements.

Det finns en bild bland ledamöter att riksdagsuppdraget blir vad man gör det till. En del lägger betydligt mer tid på riksdags- och utskottsarbete, medan andra är mer utåtriktade och prioriterar studiebesök, resor och möten med väljare.

— Jenny MadestamJenny Madestam explaining the varying approaches members take to their parliamentary roles, contrasting focused legislative work with external engagement.

Political scientists, such as Jenny Madestam from Södertörn University, stress the democratic significance of a legislator's presence. She notes that voters expect their representatives to be present and active in the Riksdag. While party leaders might argue for flexibility in how they conduct their duties, Madestam suggests that for ordinary members, such high absence rates are particularly surprising and potentially damaging to public trust. The debate underscores a fundamental aspect of representative democracy: the expectation of consistent engagement from elected officials.

Jimmie Åkesson som har den högsta frånvaron säger att han gör sitt uppdrag på ett annat sätt. Det må vara hänt för en partiledare, men för en ordinär riksdagsledamot skulle jag säga att det blir mer förvånande

— Jenny MadestamJenny Madestam differentiating between the expected flexibility for party leaders like Jimmie Åkesson and the surprise associated with high absence rates for ordinary members.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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