Libertas in Sweden; Libertas EP election controversy number 4,5?

[myk]

It would seem that Libertas are having further difficulty in preparing to run candidates across the EU in the upcoming European elections.

At this rate they will have had a controversy in all 27 states!

Libertas in fresh controversy over bid to recruit Swedish group - The Irish Times - Thu, Mar 05, 2009

LIBERTAS BECAME embroiled in fresh controversy yesterday following its attempts to persuade a Swedish Eurosceptic party to merge with the organisation in Sweden.

Sören Wibe, leader of Junilistan (The June List), claims that representatives from anti-Lisbon Treaty party Libertas offered considerable sums of money, including almost €1 million on one occasion, if his party agreed to change its name to Junilistan-Libertas.

After the story appeared in the Swedish media earlier this week, Anita Kelly, a spokeswoman for Libertas, told Sweden’s state-funded radio station P1 that no such offer had been made. “We did not make any offer to any party to run with Libertas or anything like that. We have discussed budgets as we would with anyone, but money was not offered,” she said.

Libertas was registered as a political party by the Swedish Election Authority on Tuesday after the organisation gathered the 1,500 signatures required for registration.

Mr Wibe, whose party was formed the year after Swedish voters rejected the adoption of the euro in a 2003 referendum, told The Irish Times he had met with Libertas founder Declan Ganley in Sweden in January. The offers of financial assistance had come from Libertas representatives of Scandinavian origin on other occasions, and not from Mr Ganley, he added.

“One of my colleagues was offered 10 million kronor [about €900,000] for the party and, in other discussions, it was clear that sums of that size were available,” Mr Wibe said.

“I have at least a dozen witnesses who can verify that these approaches were made.”

[ibis]

Perhaps their new slogan should be "Libertas - a fresh approach in Europe"?

[He3]

Nothing fresh about that approach at all, it's all too familiar. How much do the Irish parties get from their European groups again?

[ibis]

Nothing fresh about that approach at all, it's all too familiar. How much do the Irish parties get from their European groups again?

Well, in Libertas' case, nothing, as a result of other difficulties in obtaining backing. Nice stab at chaging the subject, but Irish political parties offering people money is a somewhat new approach.

[MacCoise]

The June List are very much anti-EU as far as I know, I don't see much they woudl have in common with Libertas.

More generally I think this shows the stupidity of trying to organise on an EU-wide level regardless of the bribes for doing so

[seabhcan]

I might be wrong, but isn't it illegal for Swedish political parties to source campaign funds from outside Sweden?

But I'm sure the million offered would have been donated by Libertas's millions of Swedish supporters, just as their funding in Ireland came entirely from donations.

[MacCoise]

[QUOTE=seabhcan;1472425]

But I'm sure the million offered would have been donated by Libertas's millions of Swedish supporters, [QUOTE]


That is what the article says to be fair (or at least it says Scandinavian)

[ibis]

But I'm sure the million offered would have been donated by Libertas's millions of Swedish supporters,

That is what the article says to be fair (or at least it says Scandinavian)

Well, it says that the approach came from Scandinavian representatives of Libertas - it doesn't say where the money would come from, although Wibe does say he would consider it unethical for his party to be 'funded by a foreign millionaire'.

[shnady]

The June List are very much anti-EU as far as I know, I don't see much they woudl have in common with Libertas.

More generally I think this shows the stupidity of trying to organise on an EU-wide level regardless of the bribes for doing so

They aren't anti-EU, but anti-Euro; and indeed, they would have a lot in common with Libertas; except perhaps their view on the relationship between business and politics

[CookieMonster]

Both Anita kelly, a spokesperson for Libertas, and a Libertas reoresentitive in Sweden have said that while there was discussion of budgets necessary to run a campaign which included Junilistan they were not offered money as it's being made out here.

The story also neglects to include the fact that Junilistan will be running candidates in the Euopean Elections competing for Sweden's 19 EP seats. Their announcement also comes on the day Libertas was offically recognised as a political party in Sweden. It fails to consider the possible political motivation Junilistan's claim.