Social Democrats Challenge Speaker Norlén's Priority on Government Flights Amid Rising Costs

The Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, Andreas Norlén, has faced criticism for his extensive use of government flights and travel expenses funded by taxpayers. According to a report by DN, Norlén has traveled with his wife 35 times, with 13 trips paid by taxpayers. Notably, a planned trip to the USA was canceled just a day before departure, costing 1.5 million kronor for a private flight, although the Parliament was not charged. Another incident involved hiring a private plane at over 660,000 kronor when a trip to Geneva was canceled due to technical issues with government planes.

This use of flight resources has sparked political debate. The Social Democrats, led by Anna-Caren Sätherberg, are calling for a change in the priority order for government flights, where currently the Speaker ranks above the Prime Minister and ministers. Sätherberg criticized this arrangement as "a completely crazy order," especially given Sweden's heightened security situation. She advocates for the Speaker to use regular flights since these travels are usually planned in advance, and calls for an independent review of the Speaker's travel and expense practices to ensure transparency.

Norlén defended his use of government flights for flexibility and time efficiency but admitted he would have made different decisions had he anticipated the need for costly private jets. The government flight service is traditionally reserved for the head of state and high-level officials, but the current ranking system has come under scrutiny due to the financial implications and recent military expenses totaling around 2 million kronor for private jet rentals last year.

The controversy underscores tensions around public spending priorities and government accountability, with calls for clearer rules and greater oversight of official travel expenditures.