Swedish MPs recalled as government races to push through reforms before election

"The government this year intends to submit a number of bills so late that they can't be processed in June. Members of parliament will be asked to return to the chamber on August 12th and 13th. The Swedish people expect us to work hard and I expect parliament to take that seriously and prioritise a continued high pace above summer vacation."

"Normally, any bills that are to be voted on in parliament before the summer break should be submitted by early spring. But as Norlen points out in statement announcing the decision to recall MPs during the break, it's common that governments submit bills past the deadline and requests they be processed before the summer break, which usually happens."

"We can't cancel the election campaign because the government hasn't managed to come up with the policies it wants on time. Parliament is normally out of session from Midsummer until September."

Swedish parliament speaker Andreas Norlen approved a request to recall lawmakers from their summer break to enable the government and Sweden Democrats to pass reform bills before the September 13 election. The government submitted bills past the normal spring deadline, making processing during the regular June session impossible. Parliament typically recesses from Midsummer until September. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson emphasized that citizens expect hard work and prioritized legislative progress over vacation. The opposition, led by Social Democrats' Lena Hallengren, criticized the move, arguing the government should not disrupt the election campaign due to poor planning.

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