First votes without clearing - the whole Parliament had to move in

For the first time since the collapse of the set-off system, almost the entire Parliament gathered for a vote. The situation was instantly knife-edge - with every absent member able to decide the outcome.

On Wednesday afternoon, the first major votes were held after the collapse of the set-off system in Parliament. All parties had ordered full attendance as the old system of voluntary offsetting no longer works after the citizenship referendum row, reports The Express.

The background is that the Sweden Democrats last week allowed two previously cleared members to vote to secure the stricter citizenship requirements after the political savages Elsa Widding and Katja Nyberg were expected to vote with the opposition. This gave the government side the victory - but at the same time broke the system of checks and balances based on voluntary agreements between the parties.

Full war for every vote

The situation quickly became tense ahead of the new votes. Daily News reports that in practice, all 349 MEPs must now be present as even a few absentees risk bringing down the government's majority.

Despite the pressure, the Tidö parties managed to win several important votes. For example, the government's proposal to simplify the approval of new nuclear power plants passed by 175-173.

The proposal to sentence serious young offenders aged 15-17 to prison instead of juvenile detention was also voted through.

Member called in sick

At the same time, the consequences of the offset crash were clearly felt in the Riksdag. The Social Democrat Marianne Fundahn, who recently had a lung removed after cancer surgery, traveled to Stockholm to participate in the votes.

- I need to stop and rest, as I do not have the lung capacity I had before, Fundahn told The Express.

At the same time, the situation provoked reactions on social media. The Focus journalist Henrik Sjögren questioned the description that it was the fault of the Sweden Democrats that Fundahn had to be called to Parliament.

”Omni wants to make it out that it is the SD's fault that this Social Democrat member was summoned to Parliament. But how can it be? The Tidö parties have a majority in the Riksdag, so her Social Democratic vote is not critical for the vote”, he writes on X, ”Is it not possible to interpret this as the Social Democrats forcing her into an attempt to defeat a government proposal together with savages?”

At the same time, SD leader Jimmie Åkesson made it clear that he expected the government's majority to hold even without offsetting.

- I am quite confident that the election results will be honored, he said ahead of the votes.