Swedish FRA Law – Party Dissension Continues Over New Law

Four MPs were contemplating on voting against the then proposed Swedish FRA legislation against party lines, but only one voted against while another abstained. While party dissension over the legislation isn’t new, it seems the dramatic fallout within party ranks maybe only just beginning.

If a communication travels over the borders of Sweden, it can be freely tapped. Unfortunately for the Swedish, most domestic travel will likely travel over the borders in the process. The idea of being wiretapped without a court order has left many in Sweden, among other things, violated and betrayed. The common theme for many was that ‘they couped the voting‘

A small portion of the reaction can be seen on the campaign website where many appear to be frustrated over the new laws. It seems that the frustration isn’t just on a citizen level.

Earlier today, Swedish news site ‘The Local’ reported today that the youth leader of one of the parties that voted in favor of the new law has threatened to resign. Niklas Wykman, the head of the Moderate Party’s youth organization has posted the following on his blog (Google translation)

It is Midsummer and I recently returned from Israel. I could write about so much interesting but must instead write the saddest of lines. If Moderate do not change their position in the FRA law does not have the support. I can not be a member of a party that represents the idea of intercepting all svenskars e-mails and phone calls. I have thought about it since the vote and can not come to any conclusions.

Fortunately, there is still time. The government is not Moderate. Representatives are not representative of the frihetslängtande popular as our party is. Reinfeldt can now choose to initiate a conversation about the future of privacy in Sweden or losing a whole generation of young followers.

Many have already lost. E-mail, facebook, SMS inbox, everywhere, people who will never again vote for our party or get involved in our cause.

It is seriously now. Politicians and the state is usually able to get away with idiocy because the karriärsgalna staffed by people without opportunities to civilian jobs. I will never be one of them.

From The Local:

In an interview with the Politikerbloggen website, Wykman said that it’s time to correct the misstep which occurred when the Riksdag approved the new law last week.

But he failed to specify whether he would leave the party if there was no correction.

“You don’t get into a discussion based on the idea you’re going to lose,” he said.

He also criticized Moderate Party Riksdag members for representing the government rather than the party by not voting against the bill.

Just a few days ago, the Pirate Party of Sweden said that it would fight the FRA legislation by filing a complaint at the European Court of Human Rights. At this point, one might wonder why such legislation was even passed in the first place with so much discontent – even within the parties that voted in favor of the legislation.

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