Regulation of lobbyists

The plan's key democratic analysis is that elected decision-makers adjust themselves to powerful economic interests beyond the people's control and that capital's power therefore must be broken for democracy to deepen. A broad mapping of lobbying activities and a lobbying register is precisely a way to make that influence visible and limit it. The plan does not mention a lobbying register, so the conclusion is derived from the democracy principle.

• economic interests control decisionsdecisive»beslutsfattare anpassar sig till mäktiga ekonomiska intressen bortom« (party programme ↗)“decision-makers adjust themselves to powerful economic interests beyond”
• break capital's power»Kapitalets makt måste brytas för att demokratin ska kunna« (party programme ↗)“Capital's power must be broken for democracy to be able to”
• economic elite has ruled»De som är ansvariga för att det ser ut så här är de politiker och den ekonomiska elit som styrt Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Those responsible for this are the politicians and the economic elite that have ruled Sweden.”
• demand accountability from those in power»Att återupprätta politikens roll, och utkräva ansvar från de som bestämmer, är något som du är med och gör.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Restoring the role of politics, and demanding accountability from those who decide, is something you are part of doing.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan states that democracy's capacity for action must be protected against groups that have power through their economic strength, and that parties shall be obliged to openly report donations from outside interests. A mapping of lobbying activities and a lobbying register are measures in exactly that direction. The plan also demands that decision-making is based on openness and transparency.

• protection against economic powerdecisive»Demokratins handlingskraft måste därför ständigt värnas, både mot grupper som har makt i kraft av sin ekonomiska styrka« (party programme ↗)“Democracy's capacity for action must therefore constantly be protected, both against groups that have power through their economic strength”
• openness about influence interests»Partierna ska vara skyldiga att öppet redovisa de bidrag de erhåller från utomstående organisationer, intressen och företag.« (party programme ↗)“Parties shall be obliged to openly report donations they receive from outside organisations, interests and companies.”
• openness and transparency»Den demokratiska processen och samhällsförvaltningen måste bygga på offentlighet och insyn.« (party programme ↗)“Democratic process and public administration must be based on openness and transparency.”
• sovereignty of the people's will»Medborgarnas gemensamma vilja, utvecklad i en fri och öppen debatt och uttalad i demokratiska val, är alltid överordnad andra maktanspråk och intressen.« (party programme ↗)“Citizens' common will, developed in a free and open debate and expressed in democratic elections, is always superior to other power claims and interests.”

The party programme asserts that lobbying shall be regulated and the power of economic interests shall be balanced, and that all forms of corruption must be countered, not least within the political sphere. The party also wishes to have a law that parties and candidates disclose their donors. A broad review of the conditions for lobby activities with a lobby register thus follows from the plan's commitments.

• regulated lobbyingdecisive»därför ska lobbyismen regleras och ekonomiska intressens makt balanseras av aktiva« (party programme ↗)“therefore lobbying shall be regulated and the power of economic interests shall be balanced by active”
• corruption countered in politics»måste motarbetas. Det gäller inte minst inom den« (party programme ↗)“must be countered. This applies not least within the”
• transparency about influence and donations»partier och enskilda kandidater ska offentliggöra« (party programme ↗)“parties and individual candidates shall disclose”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto explicitly promises a lobby register, tougher rules against corruption and an anti-corruption agency. The counter-proposal's demand for a broad review of lobbying activities' conditions, including a register, is therefore the same commitment. The party programme adds that openness and transparency are basic prerequisites for preventing corruption.

• lobby register introduceddecisive»Sverige ska bli ännu mer transparent. Vi vill inrätta en antikorruptionsmyndighet, skärpa regler mot korruption och införa ett lobbyregister.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall become even more transparent. We want to establish an anti-corruption agency, toughen rules against corruption and introduce a lobby register.”
• transparency against corruption»Öppenhet och transparens är grundförutsättningar för frihet, demokrati och för att förhindra korruption och övergrepp.« (party programme ↗)“Openness and transparency are basic prerequisites for freedom, democracy and for preventing corruption and abuse.”
• nurture liberal democracy»Den liberala demokratin får aldrig tas för given. Den ska vårdas, värnas och vidareutvecklas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Liberal democracy must never be taken for granted. It shall be cared for, protected and further developed”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The party programme requires that parties' obligation to disclose their sources of funding is regulated by law and that a cooling-off period exists for ministers and state secretaries, thus transparency in how influence is exercised over power. A comprehensive mapping of lobbying activities' conditions with a lobby register is an application of the same transparency principle, as is the requirement for increased access to public documents. The plan does not specifically mention a lobby register, so the conclusion is derived.

• transparency about financingdecisive»Partiernas skyldighet att redovisa källorna för sin« (party programme ↗)“Parties' obligation to disclose the sources for their”
• cooling-off periods for office-holders»En karensregel ska finnas för statsråd och statssekreterare« (party programme ↗)“A cooling-off period shall exist for ministers and state secretaries”
• increased transparency in administration»Diarier och allmänna handlingar bör i större utsträckning göras« (party programme ↗)“Diaries and public documents should to a greater extent be made”
• transparency in the decision process»att följa den politiska processen och påverka beslutsfattandet.« (party programme ↗)“to follow the political process and influence decision-making.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan does not address lobbying activity. The closest lying principle is the public access principle and the requirement that the decision-making process shall be transparent so that responsibility can be demanded, together with the election manifesto's emphasis on integrity as a political value; a mapping and a lobby register serve that openness. The plan's warning against elitism also speaks against economic strength determining influence.

• the public access principledecisive»Offentlighetsprincipen, det vill säga tillgången till« (party programme ↗)“The public access principle, that is access to”
• transparent decision-making»Beslutsprocessen måste vara överblickbar för medborgarna och därmed ge möjlighet att utkräva ansvar.« (party programme ↗)“The decision-making process must be transparent to citizens and thus provide the opportunity to demand responsibility.”
• integrity in public office»främja goda värden som medmänsklighet ansvarstagande, förvaltarskap, hederlighet, måttfullhet och jämställdhet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“promote good values such as compassion responsibility, stewardship, integrity, moderation and equality”
• guard against elitism»för maktmissbruk, elitism och i förlängningen någon« (party programme ↗)“for abuse of power, elitism and ultimately any”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan does not address lobbying activities. The closest related principles are a vibrant political life where civic engagement can be expressed, broad freedom of expression and reduction of unnecessary bureaucracy, which speaks against new regulations with a lobbying register. Where the plan wants to sharpen democracy's rules, it concerns responsibility for public exercise of power, not private individuals' and organizations' contacts with decision-makers.

• vibrant political lifedecisive»Sverige ska ha ett levande politiskt liv« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall have a vibrant political life”
• broad freedom of expression»Yttrandefriheten gäller även för åsikter som provocerar och« (party programme ↗)“Freedom of expression applies also to views that provoke and”
• reduced bureaucracy»Minska regelkrånglet och onödig byråkrati, bland annat genom att motverka överimplementering i Sverige av EU-beslut« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy, inter alia by counteracting over-implementation in Sweden of EU decisions”
• responsibility for public power»Skärpa tjänstemannaansvaret så att du som skattebetalare vet att med all offentlig maktutövning följer ett ansvar för de beslut som fattas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sharpen civil servant responsibility so that you as a taxpayer know that all exercise of public power entails responsibility for decisions made”

The plan demands measures for increased transparency and better opportunities for political accountability in the political system, and points out that organisations' ties risk distorting the democratic foundations. A mapping of lobbying conditions and a lobbying register are means to precisely that transparency. The plan does not address the lobby question directly and says nothing about the ongoing work in the Government Offices.

• increased transparency and accountabilitydecisive»Tjänstemannaansvar ska införas och åtgärder ska genomföras för att öka transparensen och möjligheten att utkräva politiskt ansvarsutkrävande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Civil service responsibility shall be introduced and measures shall be taken to increase transparency and the opportunity for political accountability.”
• distorted democratic conditions»Inom civilsamhället är både fackförbund och andra organisationer med viktiga samhällsuppdrag i hög grad partipolitiskt knutna på ett sätt som riskerar att snedvrida de demokratiska förutsättningarna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Within civil society, both trade unions and other organisations with important societal duties are to a large extent tied to political parties in a way that risks distorting the democratic foundations.”
• all power emanates from the people»Att all offentlig makt i Sverige skall utgå från folket är den mest centrala av Sverigedemokraternas« (party programme ↗)“That all public power in Sweden shall emanate from the people is the most central of Sweden Democrats'”
• counter hidden influence»Motverka klanernas makt, både inom det offentliga och inom civilsamhället« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Counter the power of clans, both within the public sector and within civil society”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.