Norlén urges review of Sweden’s state funeral rules

Swedish Parliament Speaker Andreas Norlén has called for a review of the rules on state funerals, telling SVT he is focused on his life rather than his own funeral.

The Government Offices are considering Norlén’s proposal. In a letter to Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer, sent the day before Norlén was re-elected Speaker in September, he noted that Sweden has no clear rules on state funerals and suggested the issue should be examined.

State funerals in Sweden have mainly been associated with the royal family. Norlén said Finland has rules that allow the government, in exceptional cases, to arrange or fund funerals for people who have served as prime minister or Speaker for a very long time, as well as people of particular national importance, such as Nobel Prize winners.

Asked why former Speakers should be included, Norlén said he was not arguing that it was necessary, but that Sweden’s lack of rules differed from the approach in some other countries. He said the question should be considered with an open mind.

Asked whether he would want a state funeral himself, Norlén replied: “I choose to focus on my life while I am living, and hope all such questions are a long way off.”