Brazilian author and journalist Claudia Wallin on Tuesday spoke about how countries like India and her motherland could take inspiration from Sweden’s transparency laws to help citizens access the income and expenses of politicians to see where the taxpayers’ money was going.
Ms. Wallin was in Mumbai to speak about her book ‘ Sweden — The Untold Story ’, which released last year in English. The author stressed on how it is an important subject because if one is paying taxes, they are entitled to some accountability.
“I think everyone should be able to see through the records of how the ones in authority are spending their hard-earned money, because that ensures a country progresses without corruption,” she said. Ms. Wallin researched the transparency law for her book.
“I called the supreme commander of the armed forces of Sweden and demanded to see his expenses, which were sent to me. I did the same thing with the prime minister, [and the expenses were] also sent to me,” she said.
Ms. Wallin’s book talks about a very different method of politics. In Sweden, politicians are not demi-gods, they use public transport and live in state apartments, some as small 16 sq.m. “The only privilege they have is that they receive cards to use public transport. Sweden was relatively poor and corrupt 150 years ago, but the history of the country shows the process of education in a series of political and administrative reforms can help make a society more egalitarian,” she said.
The author also cited massive movements and protests by workers and women in Sweden in the past, which led to major socio-economic consciousness among citizens and politicians. Ms. Wallin said social movements show no change is ever given from the top, but is built from the bottom of society, when citizens become conscious of their rights.
“A democracy should be such that even a minor case of corruption is treated as a scandal and highlighted just like it is in Sweden. My book also critiques Sweden, because I believe no country is all rosy,” she said.
Ms. Wallin spoke about how one can go to parliament and government offices in Sweden to look at laws or new reforms that a member of parliament or official is planning to introduce. “This can help a journalist raise awareness. If this is implemented in India, it can lead to a positive impact.”
