A vote for Ambition Sverige (A) is a vote for a sovereign country without EU membership!
Leaving the EU in its current form, where the EU has taken over the legislative power of the Swedish Parliament on many issues, should be a battle cry that unites all Sweden-loving patriots! In Sweden, the Riksdag governs through legislation, but the Riksdag has transferred important parts of its governing legislative powers to the EU. The EU therefore makes binding laws through EU regulations and EU directives that apply to us in Sweden. The Riksdag has thereby relinquished some of its sovereignty to govern the country and instead given such legislative power to the EU on many important issues.
The Riksdag is not authorised to do this under the Constitution, which deals with the form of government. Article 1:1 of the Constitution states that all public power emanates from the people and that this popular government is based on the right of the people to vote in elections to Parliament. This is the important starting point for our entire system of government! But the Riksdag ignored this when it handed over significant parts of our sovereignty (including issues relating to the environment, electricity, competition, trade, agriculture, forestry and labour law) to the EU. This is particularly serious because it concerns our constitution, i.e. the basis for the Swedish state and its existence. The Riksdag must not hand over its power to make laws to the EU because the link to the Swedish people is lost. That link is the basis of our representative democracy.
But the centre-right parties instead want to make it more difficult to leave the EU by requiring a 2/3 majority for this to be possible. The transfer of power to the EU was illegal in itself and now the centre-right parties (see government bill 1924/25:165) want to strengthen the EU's position of power. Why are the media and opinion formers keeping quiet? The Constitution gives no right whatsoever to transfer sovereignty over Sweden to the EU.
In the current situation, we must nevertheless assume that, in our relationship with the EU, we are bound by EU decisions on legal matters, i.e. bound by EU regulations and directives.
Why do we want to leave the EU?
So the first argument in favour of withdrawal is that our constitution does not allow the transfer of sovereignty because the link to the people is then lost. That should invalidate the whole membership.
It should also be noted that Sweden has very little influence on EU legislation (EU regulations and directives) because Sweden has only 21 representatives of the Riksdag parties in the EU Parliament. Since the EU has a total of 720 members in the EU Parliament, we can only get proposals through that are in line with the views of the majority of the 720 MEPs. This also helps to make the issue of withdrawal important.
Ambition Sverige (A) wants to regain Sweden's sovereignty by withdrawing from the EU. Sovereignty is the foundation of Sweden as a country. We have the right to vote on the legislative proposals that are part of a sovereign state, but we have given up a large part of the legislation that should be part of a sovereign state. This means that when we go to the ballot box, we are voting for a winged state, a state that does not have full control over legislation. Only by returning legislative power from the EU parliament to our parliament can Sweden be a democratic country.
How can we leave the EU?
If we had a Constitutional Court, the non-compliance with RF 1:1 could have been recognised at an early stage. But now we have no constitutional court. There is therefore no body that can declare invalidity with binding effect, even though it is a matter of state policy and a constitution that has been violated. What is the point of a constitution then? And what is the point of a parliament that allows this to happen and ignores the fundamental conditions of our system of government?
We can apply to the EU to withdraw from the EU. For Sweden, withdrawal may not take place until after the parliamentary elections in 2030 at the earliest, but if a 2/3 majority is required then it will probably be impossible to apply for withdrawal.
We win back our sovereignty by leaving the EU; the MPs we vote for are the ones in power and we can vote them out if we want.
Regaining full national sovereignty requires an organised withdrawal that returns all legislative competences to the Swedish Parliament. Only then can we design rules that reflect Swedish values and needs. Sweden can then be freed from supranational pressures and introduce reforms customised for Sweden.
What do we want to achieve?
Ambition Sverige (A), as stated, wants to achieve sovereignty and thus self-government for Sweden. The Riksdag and the government shall, through authorities and courts, govern Sweden. The Swedish Parliament will make our laws. No one else.
It also needs to be established what the main tasks of the state are. Why do we pay taxes? What should the state use them for? This should be set out in the constitution. Among the most important tasks that should be set out in the Constitution are:
- Defence with the ability to act forcefully against invasion of our country and the obligation for the state to be prepared for war.
- Police power with the ability to stop and counteract crime in Sweden in co-operation with the courts.
- Functioning road networks, railways, airports, electricity networks, water pipes and similar basic prerequisites for a functioning society.
These are tasks for the state and, to some extent, for municipalities, because they are tasks that individuals cannot organise themselves. Therefore, the state must take responsibility for this. It is for this reason that we pay taxes. These types of tasks, which are fundamental to the state, should be set out in the constitution to make it clear to Parliament, the government, authorities and the public what the most important tasks of the state are. Our current constitution, the Instrument of Government, instead states that ”welfare shall be the fundamental objective of public activities” (see 1:2 2 st)
Only by returning power to those who live in Sweden and are affected can we build a democracy where every vote counts every day.
Ambition Sverige (A) also wants to increase the democratic element by introducing direct democracy through referendums in Sweden. One country we can take inspiration from is Switzerland. Switzerland is not a member of the EU and with over 327 federal referendums since 1848, Switzerland is a prime example of continuous citizen participation. The right of initiative, which requires 100,000 signatures for constitutional amendments or 50,000 for bills, gives civil society powerful tools to push issues regardless of party affiliation. An average turnout of 50 % in these votes means that politics is never further from the people than a single initiative or referral. The system creates accountability where every politician knows that every law can be directly challenged by citizens and that broad public opinion is necessary for sustainable reforms.
A vote for Ambition Sverige (A) is a vote for a sovereign country without EU membership!
Gunilla Edelstam (A)
Spokesperson for Migration and Swedish sovereignty and the EU
See also on sovereignty: