High chance that the Liberals will leave the EU Parliament tonight

Published 9 June 2024 at 17.34

Domestic. There are many indications that the Liberals are leaving the EU Parliament and that the party is thus forced to arrange a new livelihood for its only member, Karin Karlsbro. But this year's polling station survey – which SVT releases shortly after the polling stations close – is more uncertain than usual as many are expected to have voted early.

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The many parties which is expected to end up around the block, but the Liberals, who consider themselves “Sweden's most EU-friendly party”, lead the bottom league with just 3.7 percent voter support in Ipsos yesterday.

If the party leaves the EU parliament, it will no immediate consequences at home. However, voters, media and politicians tend to interpret the EU election as a larger opinion poll, which means that the Liberals could have PR problems if they leave.

For the Liberals' only EU parliamentarian Karin Karlsbro, on the other hand, it would be a big financial blow.

Each member of parliament has a monthly salary of SEK 114,658 before benefits. Added to that is 690,000 kroner a year in “office money”, which should actually be used for administrative costs but which in fact constitutes a tax-free hidden salary, because the parliamentarians do not have to report what they do for the money.

The Swedish EU – the parliamentarians completely refuse to account for what they do with their so-called office money.

When Europaportalen tried to get answers this spring about what happened to politicians' office money, it turned out that the money likely ended up in the politicians' own pockets when it comes to the members of the Sweden Democrats, the Moderates and the Social Democrats, who do not publish any accounts.

The Liberals are included together with the Green Party, the Left Party and the Center Party in a group that actually reports their office money publicly. Something that is, however, completely voluntary.