Charlie Weimers

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Charlie Weimers
MEP
Charlie Weimers in 2019.jpg
Member of the European Parliament
Assumed office
2 July 2019
ConstituencySweden
Personal details
Born
Charlie Andreas Weimers

(1982-11-12) 12 November 1982 (age 39)
Hammarö, Värmland County, Sweden
Political partyModerate Party
(1996-1998)
Christian Democrats (1998–2018)
Sweden Democrats (2018– )

Charlie Andreas Weimers (born 12 November 1982) is Swedish politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Sweden since 2019.[1] He is a member of the Sweden Democrats, part of European Conservatives and Reformists.

Career[]

Weimers was chairman of the Swedish Young Christian Democrats (Kristdemokratiska Ungdomsförbundet - KDU) 2008–2011. He was elected Vice President of the Youth of the European People's Party at the 6th YEPP Congress in Stockholm in May 2007.

Weimers was born in Karlstad, and currently lives in Hammarö. He joined the Christian Democrats and the Young Christian Democrats in 1998. He served as the district chairman of KDU-Värmland from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2003 to 2004. He was elected to the KDU national board in 2003. He lost a close race for chairmanship of the KDU in 2005 to Ella Bohlin, a more centrist candidate. Weimers was later elected first vice chairman of KDU at the national convention in 2005. He pursued graduate studies in Karlstad University's political science program.

Weimers was elected to the Hammarö Municipal Council in 2002. He was elected again in 2006, and currently serves as party leader for the Christian Democrats in the council. He has also been a member of the Värmland Regional Council since 2006.

He was elected chairman of the KDU in 2008.[2]

After the 2010 general election, Hammarö switched majority from a socialist rule to blue-green one, consisting of five parties (Moderates, Liberal Peoples Party, Centre Party, Green Party and Christian Democrats), thus making Weimers Deputy Mayor of Hammarö. Because of this,[clarification needed] Weimers declared in January 2011 that he would resign in June 2011, which he did.

On 6 September 2018, Weimers joined the Sweden Democrats. His stated reason for leaving KD for SD was that: "Sweden needs a responsible migration policy...and SD is the only party that stands up for this."[3] At the same time, he was expelled from the Christian Democrats.

In the May 2019 Elections to the European Parliament Weimers was elected with ~30 000 personal votes. During the campaign he highlighted the 40% proposed increase of the Swedish contribution to the EU budget and called on the Löfven II Cabinet to veto the proposed increase.[4]

Weimers is a member of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs and of the Delegation to Iraq and a substitute member of the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and Delegation to the U.S.[5][6][7]

In the European Parliament Weimers has supported motions calling on the EU to classify the Grey Wolves and ANTIFA as terrorist organisations [8][9][10] and to improve information for citizens on Commission roadmaps.[11]

Weimers has criticised decisions made by the Swedish government to give financial aid to Islamic Relief and the Swedish Muslim organisation Ibn Rushd who Weimers argues has "repeatedly invited undemocratic, misogynistic, anti-Semitic, homophobic and pro-violence speakers."[12][13]

Policy positions and initiatives[]

Migration[]

Weimers has called on the EU to build a wall on its border with Turkey and adopt a migration policy based on the Australian model.[14] He was an early proponent of the Danish plan to move asylum processing from Denmark to non‑European countries, calling it a 'win-win' plan.[15] Weimers argues that population growth in Africa will force a new asylum system in the EU and that it should build on the principles of the Danish asylum plan.[16] In October 2021 Weimers and the SD migration spokesperson presented a call for Sweden to negotiate a Danish style opt-out from EU justice and home affairs cooperation (including migration) in order to reduce asylum reception to zero as envisioned by the Sweden Democrats.[17]

Opposition to joint EU-debts and EU-taxes[]

Weimers has questioned the legality of Next Generation EU[18] including tabling an amendment[19][20] in the European Parliament to add to the resolution on the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 17–21 July 2020:

Disputes the legality of Next Generation EU with regard to Article 311 TFEU; notes that the EU will take on a debt of EUR 750 billion to be distributed as grants, loans and to fund parts of the EU budget; notes that, as late as 15 June 2020, the Council website stated that the principle of budgetary balance ‘prevents the European Union from issuing debt to finance itself’; notes that, as late as 29 June 2020 the European Commission website stated ‘EU borrowing is only permitted to finance loans to countries. The EU cannot borrow to finance its budget’;

In September 2020 the European Parliament was consulted on the revised Council decision on the system of Own Resources of the European Union, a key piece of legislation underpinning Next Generation EU. Weimers sought to delete the section empowering the European Commission to "borrow funds on the capital markets on behalf of the Union up to an amount of EUR 750 000 000 000" from the agreement underpinning Next Generation EU. His amendment also would have deleted the derogation allowing for EUR 390 000 000 000 to be spent without requirement of repayment.[21]

Swedish 'referendum lock' on transfers of power to the EU[]

Weimers has called for a future conservative government to devise a new strategy in negotiating with the EU with the goal of preventing further transfers of power. In February 2021 he published an essay arguing for a referendum lock that would limit transfers of power and urging other net-paying member states to do the same.[22] In Fokus magazine he wrote:

A conservative government should declare there is a clear and measurable economic limit to what Sweden is willing to contribute to the EU. In order to increase credibility, it should also be publicly declared that a referendum will be required before the Riksdag ratifies an agreement in which this limit is exceeded or violated. The referendum instrument then becomes a strategic instrument that both strengthens our negotiating position and binds our negotiators to respect the will of the people. The strategy will be strengthened if other net-paying countries that are hesitant about further supranationalism issue similar promises.[23]

In October 2021 Weimers called on a potential future conservative Swedish government to ensure the Swedish public will have a say on the issue of enlargement of the EU to include the Western Balkan countries Albania, Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia by activating a "referendum lock".[24]

EU-Taiwan relations[]

Weimers was the rapporteur for the first ever European Parliament report on EU-Taiwan relations.[25] Adopted in the Foreign Affairs Committee with 60 votes in favor, 4 against, the report calls for an enhanced partnership with Taiwan and for the intensification of bilateral investments, in particular in industries where Taiwan is a leader, such as semiconductors and reiterates calls for steps towards a bilateral investment agreement and meaningful participation for Taiwan in international organizations.[26]

The first-ever report was adopted in plenary with 580 votes in favor, 26 against and 66 abstentions on 21 October 2021. The government of Taiwan praised the adoption of the report calling it a "history-making text, adroitly drafted by @weimers, charts a course for the development of bilateral relations. It also sends a strong message: Taiwan is not alone."[27]

The Chinese government reacted by calling on Brussels to "correct its mistakes".[28] Chinese Communist Party-owned tabloid Global Times, in an op-ed entitled 'Radical MEPs whip up anti-China agenda, serve US interests', called Weimers and other MEPs "radical troublemakers" claiming that Weimers has "long held a twisted attitude toward China" referencing Weimers calling for an investigation into China's handling of COVID-19 in early 2020.[29]

Special Committee in the European Parliament to investigate the origins of COVID-19[]

In October 2021 Weimers announced that his initiative to establish a Special Committee to examine the origins of COVID-19 and EU funding for the Wuhan Institute of Virology had received preliminary support from a majority of political groups in the European Parliament and that a formal decision to establish the committee is expected in the autumn of 2021.[30]

References[]

  1. ^ Final results from European Parliament elections in Sweden Read 2019-05-31 (in Swedish)
  2. ^ Högfeldt, David (May 5, 2008). "Charlie Weimers ny ordförande för KDU[permanent dead link]", . Retrieved 2010-03-06.
  3. ^ Buvik, Annica; Dahlqvist, Maria (2018-09-06). "Charlie Weimers Åkessons nya toppvärvning". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  4. ^ "SD: Lägg svenskt veto mot höjd EU-avgift". Dagens industri. 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  5. ^ [1][dead link]
  6. ^ "EP Members | Members | D-IQ | Delegations | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  7. ^ "EP Members | Members | D-US | Delegations | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  8. ^ "MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the classification of the Grey Wolves as a group involved in terrorist acts and subject to restrictive measures". www.europarl.europa.eu.
  9. ^ "MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on placing the Antifa movement on the EU terrorist list". www.europarl.europa.eu.
  10. ^ "DEBATT. SD: Det är dags att terrorklassa vänsterextrema AFA". www.expressen.se.
  11. ^ "MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on improving information for citizens and the possibilities for providing feedback on roadmaps". www.europarl.europa.eu.
  12. ^ Debattredaktion, N. W. T. (January 18, 2021). "Värmland göder islamismen". NWT.
  13. ^ ""Sluta dela ut bidrag till islamister" | SvD Debatt". Svenska Dagbladet. October 9, 2020 – via www.svd.se.
  14. ^ "Charlie Weimers (SD): EU behöver bygga murar mot Erdogans Turkiet". March 4, 2020.
  15. ^ "Danish 'win-win' plan to move asylum processing from Denmark to non‑European countries". www.europarl.europa.eu.
  16. ^ "Charlie Weimers (SD): Migrationstrycket kommer att tvinga fram nya asylsystem". bulletin.nu.
  17. ^ ""Sverige behöver ett totalstopp för asylsökande"". DN.SE. 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  18. ^ "EU:s enorma återhämtningsfond | SvD Ledare". Svenska Dagbladet. July 17, 2020 – via www.svd.se.
  19. ^ "Info" (PDF). www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
  20. ^ Haage, Fredrik (July 24, 2020). "Moderaterna och deras fältslag". Smålandsposten.
  21. ^ "Data" (PDF). www.europarl.europa.eu. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
  22. ^ ""Så kan vi hindra att EU får mer makt"". Fokus. February 25, 2021.
  23. ^ "Tweet". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2021-06-21.
  24. ^ "EU och utvidgningen | SVT Nyheter". Svt.se. 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  25. ^ "REPORT on a European Parliament recommendation to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation". www.europarl.europa.eu.
  26. ^ "Stepping up EU cooperation with Taiwan" (PDF). Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  27. ^ "Tweet". twitter.com. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  28. ^ Feng, John. "China Fumes As Europe Gets Closer to Taiwan". Newsweek.com. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  29. ^ Publicerad (2021-11-03). "EU-hyllning av demokratin i Taiwan | SvD". Svd.se. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
  30. ^ "Tweet". twitter.com. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
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