Charlie Weimers

Charlie Andreas Weimers (born 12 November 1982) is Swedish politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Sweden since 2019.

He is a member of the Sweden Democrats, part of European Conservatives and Reformists.

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.

Weimers was elected to the Hammarö Municipal Council in 2002.

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.

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 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.

Weimers was chairman of the Swedish Young Christian Democrats (Kristdemokratiska Ungdomsförbundet - KDU) 2008–2011.

He was elected chairman of the KDU in 2008.

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, 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."

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.

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.

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

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."

On October 26 2022 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran announced that Weimers was one of six Members of the European Parliament personally sanctioned in retaliation for EU sanctions announced on October 17.

Weimers responded stating the announcement was "A badge of honor" asking "What took them so long?".

Weimers is co-chair of the European Conservatives and Reformists Migration Working Group.

He has called on the EU to build a wall on its border with Turkey and adopt a migration policy based on the Australian model.

Weimers has called for the EU-commission to change its position and support financing of physical border barriers.

Following hybrid warfare operations by Belarus against Poland, Lithuania and Latvia during 2021 and 2022, similar proposals enjoy support by a dozen EU Member States.

A survey of 10 EU Member States conducted in late 2021 showed broad public support for EU-financing of physical border barriers.

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.

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.

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.

In 2022, Weimers proposed that the EU urgently launch wide-reaching Australia-style communication campaigns targeting diaspora communities, transit countries and countries of origin to deter illegal migration and people smuggling

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

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.