Gets 8.5 million in parachute for “Ausländer raus”

Published 16 June 2024 at 13.45

Domestic. MP David Lång (SD) will not be in any trouble after he left the Riksdag as a result of his singing efforts at SD's EU election vigil. The politician is covered by old generous rules that make it possible for ex-politicians to live as high contributors – for life.

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Despite the resignation, David Lång will receive continued contributions from the Riksdag of a total of SEK 8.5 million.

This contribution is possible because Lång, who has sat in the Riksdag since 2010, is covered by the old rules for financial support to retired politicians.< /p>

These older rules are more generous than those introduced after 2014, which limit the grant to a maximum of two years.

According to the old rules, a politician should never have to work again once he has entered Sweden's Riksdag and managed to establish a work-free existence there.

In David Lång's case, it looks like this:

In the first year after his resignation, Lång is entitled to a grant corresponding to 80 percent of his basic salary, which is currently SEK 75,500 per month. After that, the contribution drops to 66 percent of the basic salary until he reaches retirement age at 65.

Since Lång is 52 years old, this means that he will receive compensation for 14 years, which adds up to approximately SEK 8.5 million.

The rules regarding income guarantee for members of the Riksdag also mean that other income can affect the size of the compensation.

If Lång has other income over SEK 57,300 per year, his income guarantee will be reduced proportionally. This is reviewed by the Statens tsjespensionsverk (SPV), which handles the payment of these benefits.

Politicians, however, usually invest their other income in a company, such as in the case of Fredrik Reinfeldt AB, and can therefore circumvent the rules and get full contributions despite high incomes on the side.

In contrast to the payment of unemployment benefits or social benefits, the politicians have ensured that there is no possibility to take into account the parts of politicians' incomes that are funneled through politician-owned companies .

Any work to close this loophole in the law is not currently underway within either the Cabinet Office or the Constitution Committee, which is the committee that deals with matters of members' remuneration.