Culture, public libraries and study associations

The election manifesto explicitly states that public libraries and adult education shall be developed and that the position of study associations shall be protected, and it points out that culture has been impoverished when school libraries have been closed. The counter-proposal's requirement to counteract the dismantling of study associations in sparsely populated areas and to analyze the consequences of closed public libraries follows directly from these commitments. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal.

• invest in public libraries and adult educationdecisive»Därför är det särskilt viktigt att satsa på och utveckla folkbiblioteken, folkbildningen och public services oberoende ställning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore it is particularly important to invest in and develop public libraries, adult education, and public service's independent position.”
• protect study associations»Därför behöver vi också värna studieförbundens ställning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore we also need to protect the position of study associations.”
• culture impoverished throughout the country»Även kulturen och idrotten har utarmats när skolbibliotek läggs ned, simskolan blivit dyrare och biografer finns på färre orter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Culture and sports have also been impoverished when school libraries are closed, swimming lessons have become more expensive, and cinemas exist in fewer places.”
• education throughout the country»Folkhögskolor och Komvux behövs i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Folk high schools and adult education programs are needed throughout the country.”

The plan explicitly commits to support popular education and to protect folk high schools, and describes popular education as the foundation for strong democracy. Counteracting the dismantling of study associations' infrastructure in sparsely populated areas and analyzing the consequences of closed public libraries is directly that commitment, reinforced by the demand for good access to public services throughout the country.

• support for popular educationdecisive»Stöd till folkbildning och värnande av folkhögskolorna.« (party programme ↗)“Support for popular education and protection of folk high schools.”
• popular education strengthens democracy»Folkbildning ger stark demokrati och möjligheter till personlig utveckling vid sidan av den formella utbildningen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Popular education creates strong democracy and opportunities for personal development alongside formal education.”
• services throughout the country»God tillgång till samhällets service i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“Good access to public services throughout the country.”
• libraries for literacy»Skolbiblioteken har en central roll att spela för ökad läskunnighet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“School libraries have a central role to play in increasing literacy.”

The plan explicitly states that economic support to folk high schools and study associations shall be secured and that publicly financed libraries are a cornerstone of education throughout the country. The counter-proposal wishes to counteract the dismantling of study associations' infrastructure and have closed public libraries subject to impact assessment. This is precisely what the plan's popular education and library commitments require.

• secured support for popular educationdecisive»att det ekonomiska stödet till landets folkhögskolor och studieförbund säkerställs.« (party programme ↗)“that economic support to the country's folk high schools and study associations is secured.”
• libraries throughout the country»finansierade bibliotek är en hörnsten för bildning, läsfrämjande och kultur i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“financed libraries are a cornerstone for education, promotion of reading and culture throughout the country.”
• strengthened libraries»stärka biblioteken i deras viktiga arbete för läsning och demokrati.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen libraries in their important work for reading and democracy.”

The plan states that independent adult education has very great importance and that culture should be provided throughout the country, which supports the counter-proposal's demand to counter the dismantling of study associations' infrastructure in sparsely populated and rural areas. The plan also requires that public service be close and reliable throughout the country, which calls for a consequence analysis of closed public libraries. The conclusion is derived because the plan does not mention public libraries.

• independent adult educationdecisive»En fristående folkbildning har mycket stor betydelse i tider då demokratiska värden ifrågasätts.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Independent adult education has very great importance in times when democratic values are questioned.”
• culture throughout the country»Att tillhandahålla kultur i hela landet är en viktig utgångspunkt för Centerpartiet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Providing culture throughout the country is an important starting point for the Centre Party.”
• service nearby throughout the country»Offentlig service ska vara nära och pålitlig i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Public service should be close and reliable throughout the country.”
• cultural activities throughout the country»Statliga kulturinstitutioner ska sprida sin verksamhet i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“State cultural institutions should spread their activities throughout the country.”

The plan points out study associations as important educational forms and requires good and long-term conditions for independent popular education, and establishes libraries' central role for everyone's free access to literature. The counter-proposal's demand to counteract the dismantling of study associations' infrastructure and analyse closed public libraries follow from these commitments. The plan also requires that access to culture increases for the entire population.

• study associations are importantdecisive»Såväl folkhögskolan som studieförbunden är viktiga utbildningsformer som breddar människors möjligheter att lära nytt hela livet.« (party programme ↗)“Both folk high schools and study associations are important educational forms that broaden people's opportunities to learn new things throughout life.”
• long-term conditions for popular education»För att möta olika människors behov ska utbildningsmöjligheter som skapas av offentliga och privata aktörer kompletteras med goda och långsiktiga villkor för den fristående folkbildningen.« (party programme ↗)“To meet different people's needs, educational opportunities created by public and private actors shall be complemented by good and long-term conditions for independent popular education.”
• libraries' central role»Biblioteken har en central roll för att alla ska ha kostnadsfri tillgång till litteratur och annan kultur samt för att uppmuntra till läsning.« (party programme ↗)“Libraries have a central role in ensuring that everyone has free access to literature and other culture and in encouraging reading.”
• culture's accessibility for all»Det offentliga ska på alla nivåer gynna mångfalden av kulturuttryck, öka kulturens tillgänglighet för hela befolkningen och skapa ekonomiska förutsättningar även för sådan kultur som är av hög kvalitet utan att vara kommersiellt lönsam.« (party programme ↗)“The public shall at all levels promote the diversity of cultural expression, increase access to culture for the entire population and create economic conditions even for such culture that is of high quality without being commercially profitable.”

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 establishes that study circles and folk high schools must be given freedom and opportunities to develop, that popular education plays an indispensable role and that libraries shall be protected. The state shall moreover be responsible for cultural infrastructure across the country, and the election manifesto wants all of Sweden to function. The counter-proposal's requirement to counteract the phase-out and analyse closed public libraries follows from this.

• protect study circlesdecisive»Folkhögskolorna och studieförbunden representerar en egen och mycket värdefull utbildningstradition som måste ges frihet och möjligheter att utvecklas på egna villkor.« (party programme ↗)“Folk high schools and study circles represent their own and very valuable educational tradition that must be given freedom and opportunities to develop on their own terms.”
• protect public libraries»Biblioteken är en av våra mest anlitade kulturinstitutioner. Vi vill värna den unika plats för läsning, informations- och kunskapsökning, folkbildning och möten som biblioteken utgör.« (party programme ↗)“Libraries are one of our most used cultural institutions. We want to protect the unique place for reading, information- and knowledge-seeking, popular education and meetings that libraries constitute.”
• cultural infrastructure across the country»Staten ska ansvara för det som brukar benämnas en kulturell infrastruktur, i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“The state shall be responsible for what is usually called cultural infrastructure, across the country.”
• all of Sweden shall function»Hela Sverige ska fungera och det ska gå att bo och verka även utanför de stora städerna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“All of Sweden shall function and it shall be possible to live and work also outside the major cities.”

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 prioritizes defence, the legal system, healthcare and schools first and wants government spending to decrease; it contains no commitments to support study associations or public libraries. The party programme also sees public financing of cultural and educational activities as a risk and wants institutions that are independent of state and politics. The counter-proposal's demand to counter the phase-out with government resources therefore lies outside the plan's line.

• prioritize the state's core tasksdecisive»Politiken har en viktig uppgift att prioritera och välja bort,« (party programme ↗)“Politics has an important task to prioritize and choose against,”
• independent cultural institutions»Målet ska vara självständiga institutioner som i sin verksamhet står fria från stat och politik.« (party programme ↗)“The goal shall be independent institutions that in their activities are free from state and politics.”
• reduced government spending»Statens utgifter ska minska – vi ska stoppa slöseriet med skattepengar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Government spending shall decrease – we shall stop the waste of tax money”
• limited state commitment»En stor stat leder till ett svagare samhälle.« (party programme ↗)“A large state leads to a weaker society.”

The plan regrets that public services have been dismantled in rural areas and demands a policy for all of Sweden, while at the same time the state and municipality according to the party programme shall lift and support the voluntary sector. Counteracting the dismantling of study associations' activities in sparsely populated areas and analysing the consequences of closed public libraries aligns with this. The plan simultaneously demands that publicly funded activities be compatible with democratic values, which makes the support conditional.

• policy for all of Swedendecisive»Bedriva en politik för hela Sverige« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Pursue a policy for all of Sweden”
• counteract dismantled services»offentlig service har monterats ned på landsbygd och i stora delar av landet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“public services have been dismantled in rural areas and in large parts of the country”
• support for the voluntary sector»att lyfta fram och stödja den ideella sektorn« (party programme ↗)“to lift and support the voluntary sector”
• conditional public support»En förutsättning för att kunna erhålla stöd från det offentliga skall dock« (party programme ↗)“A precondition for being able to receive support from the public shall however”

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.