Diplomats immune to parking fines
Over the last year diplomats from foreign embassies and consulates in Sweden have assembled a combined total of 1,242 unpaid parking tickets.
When the fines remain unpaid they are sent on the foreign ministry, Dagens Nyheter reports. But that's where the paper trail ends. Diplomatic immunity agreements mean that the parking violations go unpunished.
The Russian Embassy is the undisputed champion of the unpaid parking fine, with 156 tickets to its name over the last twelve months. The chasing pack is led by China (77), Slovakia (72) and France (71).
"Certain countries systematically avoid paying the fines," foreign ministry official Berndt Magnusson told Dagens Nyheter.
But Russian diplomats have an explanation for their unorthodox parking practices: the spaces reserved for diplomats are often occupied by other cars.
"Why should we pay parking fines when somebody else has taken our space? That wouldn't be fair," Roman Mironov, First Secretary at the Embassy of Russia, told Dagens Nyheter.
Comments
See Also
When the fines remain unpaid they are sent on the foreign ministry, Dagens Nyheter reports. But that's where the paper trail ends. Diplomatic immunity agreements mean that the parking violations go unpunished.
The Russian Embassy is the undisputed champion of the unpaid parking fine, with 156 tickets to its name over the last twelve months. The chasing pack is led by China (77), Slovakia (72) and France (71).
"Certain countries systematically avoid paying the fines," foreign ministry official Berndt Magnusson told Dagens Nyheter.
But Russian diplomats have an explanation for their unorthodox parking practices: the spaces reserved for diplomats are often occupied by other cars.
"Why should we pay parking fines when somebody else has taken our space? That wouldn't be fair," Roman Mironov, First Secretary at the Embassy of Russia, told Dagens Nyheter.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.