The Swedish government on Friday announced it intends to restrict immigration from the new EU member states for at least two yearsThe proposal [PDF] is outlined in English here. Quotes for this post taken from this article.. It held a press conference, available online, which I watched, and didn’t quite follow, but I got the impression reporters’ questions were being incredibly softball. Did one guy really ask, “what are you going to do to prevent Eastern European Gypsies from moving here”?

So here is my list of questions I wish somebody had asked at the press conference todayIf somebody did ask them, my apologies.:

ONE: Migration Minister Barbro Holmberg, you say that these immigration restrictions on EU citizens from eastern Europe are temporary, to be lifted in 2 (or 5 or 7) years, in order to make the transition to a common EU labor market more gradual. Can you explain what exactly you expect will change between now and then that will make the challenges you say exist now go away in 2 (or 5 or 7) years? Are you planning on gradually diminishing social security for everyone in the meantime? Are you planning on loosening labor laws in the meantime? Do you need more time to convice the electorate that cheap immigrant labor benefits immigrants as producers and Swedes as consumers? Or are you waiting for Eastern Europe to become rich? Or are you are just postponing politically difficult decisions, even if economically it is clear which is the best policy?

TWO: All other EU countries are intent on applying immigration restrictions on new members. If Sweden were not to do so, it would have the pick of the crop, the best and the brightest, the most motivated and the most mobile of Eastern Europe’s talent all to itself. Why are you forgoing this wonderful opportunity for economic growth? Aren’t these the kind of immigrants you want? Do you want the economy to stagnate?

THREE: Minister Holmberg, earlier you said,

“We welcome workers from the new member states, but we say that when one comes to Sweden to work it must be real work and for a wage one can live off.”Vi välkomnar arbetstagare från de nya medlemsstaterna, men vi säger att när man kommer till Sverige och arbetar så ska det vara till ett riktigt arbete och det ska vara med en lön som går att leva på.

Has it occurred to the government that if immigrants were able to ask competitive wages, perhaps it wouldn’t cost so much to live in Sweden?

FOUR: One effect of your policy would be to protect Swedish jobs vulnerable to cheap immigrant labor, such as those in the construction industry. Given that your restrictions must eventually expire, it is inevitable that immigrants will largely take over these industries the moment they are allowed to compete on price. Are you actively lobbying LO (the umbrella trade union) to spend its considerable resources retraining these at-risk Swedish workers in the meantime, or do you instead expect LO to spend its considerable resources lobbying you to prolong these restrictions for as long as possible?

FIVE: Folkpartiet is expected to come out with a counterproposal soon, and an eventual compromise is not out of the question, DN reports.
 
“I don’t understand how anyone can be against this proposal.” Labor Minister Hans Karlsson, when you said,

Jag förstår inte hur någon kan vara emot det här förslaget.

You were kidding, right?