2026-06-162025/26:KU42 · p.1KUConstitution
Changed allocation of purposes and activities to expenditure areas
What's at stake: The division into expenditure areas determines which budget frame the money is allocated within and which committee prepares the appropriations, which affects the Riksdag's insight into and control over the activities and the ability to compare spending across years. The issue particularly concerns how intelligence activities are presented in the state budget.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the Riksdag should approve the proposed changes to which purposes and activities belong to which expenditure area, including between areas 2 and 24, between area 6 Defence and societal preparedness and area 5 International cooperation, between areas 22 and 24, and within area 20, or whether the specific transfer of intelligence activities from area 6 to area 5 should be rejected.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee has no objection to the proposed changes in how purposes and activities are allocated across expenditure areas, and notes that both the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Defence consider that the proposals concerning area 5 International cooperation and area 6 Defence and societal preparedness should be approved. The committee therefore backs the proposals in the bill and in the Riksdag Board's submission and turns down the motion. It also points out that the approved list should be supplemented, among other things by moving the Accounting Standards Board and public procurement from area 2 to area 24, removing Transport Analysis from area 22 and taking up the national implementation of the 2030 Agenda under area 20, and considers it sufficient to report only the changes rather than the entire list every year.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (V, MP)
The reservation (V, MP) wants the Riksdag to reject the part of the proposal that moves intelligence activities from area 6 Defence and societal preparedness to area 5 International cooperation, while approving the other proposed changes to the allocation of purposes and activities.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: approving what the committee proposes and rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 1 by V, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/21/0/0 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| S | Yes | Yes 105/0/0/1 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/18/0/0 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 24/0/0/0 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 16/0/0/0 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| KD | Yes | Yes 18/0/0/1 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 66/0/0/0 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 70/0/0/0 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag approves a) the government's proposal to 1. change the purposes and activities that shall be included in expenditure area 2 Public Economy and Financial Management and expenditure area 24 Business (section 11.1 in the proposition), 2. change the purposes and activities that shall be included in expenditure area 6 Defence and Civil Protection and expenditure area 5 International Cooperation (section 11.2 in the proposition), 3. change the purposes and activities that shall be included in expenditure area 22 Communications and expenditure area 24 Business (section 11.3 in the proposition), b) the Riksdag Board's proposal to 1. change the purposes and activities that shall be included in expenditure area 2 Public Economy and Financial Management and expenditure area 24 Business (section 4.2.6 in the statement), 2. change the purposes and activities that shall be included in expenditure area 20 Climate, Environment and Nature (section 4.2.6 in the statement). Thereby the Riksdag approves proposition 2025/26:100 points 2-4 and statement 2025/26:RS5 points 11 and 12, and rejects motion 2025/26:4118 by Daniel Helldén et al. (MP) request 2.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen godkänner a) regeringens förslag till 1. ändring av ändamål och verksamheter som ska innefattas i utgiftsområde 2 Samhällsekonomi och finansförvaltning och utgiftsområde 24 Näringsliv (avsnitt 11.1 i propositionen), 2. ändring av ändamål och verksamheter som ska innefattas i utgiftsområde 6 Försvar och samhällets krisberedskap och utgiftsområde 5 Internationell samverkan (avsnitt 11.2 i propositionen), 3. ändring av ändamål och verksamheter som ska innefattas i utgiftsområde 22 Kommunikationer och utgiftsområde 24 Näringsliv (avsnitt 11.3 i propositionen), b) riksdagsstyrelsens förslag till 1. ändring av ändamål och verksamheter som ska innefattas i utgiftsområde 2 Samhällsekonomi och finansförvaltning och utgiftsområde 24 Näringsliv (avsnitt 4.2.6 i framställningen), 2. ändring av ändamål och verksamheter som ska innefattas i utgiftsområde 20 Klimat, miljö och natur (avsnitt 4.2.6 i framställningen). Därmed bifaller riksdagen proposition 2025/26:100 punkterna 2-4 och framställning 2025/26:RS5 punkterna 11 och 12 samt avslår motion 2025/26:4118 av Daniel Helldén m.fl. (MP) yrkande 2.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag approved the government's and the Riksdag Board's proposal for a changed allocation of purposes and activities in expenditure areas in the state budget. Decisions on which purposes and activities shall be included in an expenditure area shall be made in connection with decisions made in response to the economic spring proposition. The changes are made partly in light of the government's intention to implement certain changes in the agency structure and a changed division of labor between the committees in the Riksdag. The changes affect the allocation of purposes and activities in expenditure areas 2 Public Economy and Financial Management, 5 International Cooperation, 6 Defence and Civil Protection, 20 Climate, Environment and Nature, 22 Communications and 24 Business.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the Riksdag to reject the proposal to move intelligence operations from expenditure area 6 to expenditure area 5. (V, MP) — Reservation 1
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan says nothing about how purposes and activities should be distributed among budget areas.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan says nothing about how purposes and activities should be distributed among budget areas. The closest principle is that the people's political power is exercised by the Riksdag and that intelligence and defence activities shall be clearly embedded in democratic structures with insight. Not moving the intelligence activities to the budget area for international cooperation preserves that clarity, which is why the counter-proposal's demand is considered to lie closest to the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen säger ingenting om hur ändamål och verksamheter ska fördelas på utgiftsområden. Närmast liggande princip är att folkets politiska makt utövas av riksdagen och att underrättelse- och försvarsverksamhet ska vara tydligt inordnad i demokratiska strukturer med insyn. Att inte flytta underrättelseverksamheten till utgiftsområdet för internationell samverkan bevarar den tydligheten, varför motförslagets krav får anses ligga närmast planen.
- democratic control of defencedecisive»vara tydligt inordnade i demokratiska strukturer.« (party programme ↗)“be clearly embedded in democratic structures.”
- the Riksdag's power»Folkets politiska makt över staten ska utövas av riksdagen« (party programme ↗)“The people's political power over the state shall be exercised by the Riksdag”
- public access and insight»meddelarfriheten och offentlighetsprincipen.« (party programme ↗)“freedom of speech and the principle of public access.”
The plan says nothing about how purposes and activities shall be distributed between expenditure areas.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan says nothing about how purposes and activities shall be distributed between expenditure areas. The closest commitment is that intelligence capability shall be developed and defence appropriations shall be increased, which does not depend on which expenditure area the activity is reported under. The plan therefore provides no support for the counter-proposal's requirement to reject the moving of intelligence activities to expenditure area 5.
Original (Swedish)
Planen säger ingenting om hur ändamål och verksamheter ska fördelas mellan utgiftsområden. Det närmast liggande åtagandet är att underrättelseförmågan ska utvecklas och att försvarsanslagen ska höjas, vilket inte hänger på under vilket utgiftsområde verksamheten redovisas. Planen ger därför inget stöd för motförslagets krav att avslå just flytten av underrättelseverksamheten till utgiftsområde 5.
- strengthened intelligence capabilitydecisive»Vi vill fortsätta internationella samarbeten och utveckla cyberförsvaret och underrättelseförmågan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to continue international cooperation and develop cyber defence and intelligence capability.”
- increased defence appropriations»Anslagen till det militära försvaret ska öka till motsvarande två procent av BNP.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Appropriations for military defence shall increase to two per cent of GDP.”
The plan says nothing about how purposes and activities shall be distributed across expenditure categories or about the placement of intelligence activities.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan says nothing about how purposes and activities shall be distributed across expenditure categories or about the placement of intelligence activities. The nearest principles are that power shall be shared and scrutinized critically and that accountability and transparency shall be strong, which speaks for defence-related activities being reported where they can be most clearly followed. The conclusion is weakly supported.
Original (Swedish)
Planen säger ingenting om hur ändamål och verksamheter ska fördelas på utgiftsområden eller om underrättelseverksamhetens placering. Närmast liggande principer är att makt ska delas och granskas kritiskt och att ansvarsutkrävande och transparens ska vara starka, vilket talar för att försvarsrelaterad verksamhet redovisas där den kan följas tydligast. Slutsatsen är svagt underbyggd.
- power must be scrutinized criticallydecisive»Överdriven maktkoncentration är odemokratiskt och korrumperar. Därför bör makt delas« (party programme ↗)“Excessive concentration of power is undemocratic and corrupts. Therefore, power should be shared”
- transparency and accountability»EU:s institutioner ska vara öppna och transparenta. Möjligheten att utkräva ansvar ska« (party programme ↗)“The EU's institutions shall be open and transparent. The possibility to demand accountability shall”
- clear priorities in defence spending»satsa en större andel av försvarets pengar på det civila försvaret, och öka anslagen till krisberedskap.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“spend a larger share of defence money on civil defence, and increase allocations to crisis preparedness.”
The plan says nothing about how purposes and activities should be distributed between expenditure areas.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan says nothing about how purposes and activities should be distributed between expenditure areas. The closest commitments are that defence shall be strengthened to two per cent of GDP and that public power shall be transparent and possible to scrutinize by the Riksdag opposition. Keeping intelligence activities within the defence expenditure area provides a clearer picture of defence spending, which weakly argues for the counter-proposal. However, the basis is very thin.
Original (Swedish)
Planen säger ingenting om hur ändamål och verksamheter ska fördelas mellan utgiftsområden. Närmast liggande åtaganden är att försvaret ska rustas mot måttet två procent av BNP och att offentlig makt ska vara transparent och möjlig att granska av riksdagens opposition. Att behålla underrättelseverksamheten inom utgiftsområdet för försvar ger en tydligare bild av försvarssatsningen, vilket svagt talar för motförslaget. Underlaget är dock mycket tunt.
- two per cent of GDP for defencedecisive»Sverige ska försvaras. Vi vill rusta det militära försvaret snabbt, kraftfullt och långsiktigt. Sverige behöver satsa två procent av BNP på försvaret så snart det är praktiskt möjligt och gå med i Nato.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall be defended. We want to strengthen military defence quickly, forcefully and long-term. Sweden needs to invest two per cent of GDP in defence as soon as practically possible and join NATO.”
- protect the opposition's position»Våra demokratiska institutioner behöver skydd. Vi vill göra det svårare att ändra grundlagen, skydda oppositionens ställning i riksdagen och stärka domstolarnas oberoende.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our democratic institutions need protection. We want to make it harder to amend the constitution, protect the opposition's position in the Riksdag and strengthen the independence of the courts.”
- increased transparency in state»Sverige ska bli ännu mer transparent.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall become even more transparent.”
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 says nothing about how purposes and activities shall be distributed between expenditure areas.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan says nothing about how purposes and activities shall be distributed between expenditure areas. Nearest lying principle is the requirement for significantly strengthened defence capability with a clearly reported defence appropriation of two percent of GDP, as well as insight into public decisions. Keeping intelligence activities within the defence's expenditure area lies nearest that principle, but the basis is weak.
Original (Swedish)
Planen säger ingenting om hur ändamål och verksamheter ska fördelas mellan utgiftsområden. Närmast liggande princip är kravet på en kraftigt stärkt försvarsförmåga med ett tydligt redovisat försvarsanslag om två procent av BNP, samt insynen i offentliga beslut. Att behålla underrättelseverksamheten inom försvarets utgiftsområde ligger närmast den principen, men underlaget är svagt.
- defence appropriation two percentdecisive»Vi vill därför redan 2025 se ett försvarsanslag om 2 procent av BNP« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We therefore want to see a defence appropriation of 2 percent of GDP already in 2025”
- strengthened national defence capability»Sveriges nationella försvarsförmåga måste öka.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden's national defence capability must increase.”
- insight into public decisions»Offentlighetsprincipen har en grundläggande betydelse för att förankra och fördjupa folkstyret« (party programme ↗)“The public principle has a fundamental importance for anchoring and deepening democracy”
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 documents say nothing about how purposes and activities should be distributed between budget areas.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The documents say nothing about how purposes and activities should be distributed between budget areas. The nearest principle is that security, foreign and defence policy form a unity, which does not support the requirement that intelligence operations must remain under the defence budget area. The plan's requirements for clarity and accountability are satisfied regardless of which budget area the activity is reported under.
Original (Swedish)
Dokumenten säger ingenting om hur ändamål och verksamheter ska fördelas mellan utgiftsområden. Närmast liggande princip är att säkerhets-, utrikes- och försvarspolitiken utgör en helhet, vilket inte ger stöd för kravet att underrättelseverksamheten måste ligga kvar under försvarsutgiftsområdet. Planens krav på överblickbarhet och ansvarsutkrävande tillgodoses oavsett vilket utgiftsområde verksamheten redovisas under.
- security policy as a wholedecisive»Säkerhetspolitiken bildar tillsammans med utrikes- och försvarspolitiken liksom närings-, miljö och biståndspolitiken en helhet.« (party programme ↗)“Security policy together with foreign and defence policy as well as business, environment and development aid policy form a unity.”
- clear decision-making process»Beslutsprocessen måste vara överblickbar för medborgarna och därmed ge möjlighet att utkräva ansvar.« (party programme ↗)“The decision-making process must be clear to citizens and thus provide the opportunity to hold people accountable.”
- sufficient national defence resources»Det samlade totalförsvaret måste ha tillräckliga resurser för att kunna garantera befolkningen ett gott skydd mot effekterna av såväl civila katastrofer som aktuella militära hotbilder.« (party programme ↗)“The overall national defence must have sufficient resources to be able to guarantee the population good protection against the effects of both civil disasters and current military threats.”
The plan contains no commitments about how purposes and activities should be divided between expenditure areas.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan contains no commitments about how purposes and activities should be divided between expenditure areas. It expresses itself about defence intelligence's capability and about appropriation levels, not about budgetary division. The closest principle is orderly state finances and that policy should prioritize, which does not provide grounds for blocking specifically the intelligence component in a technical redistribution. The counter-proposal's rejection motion therefore lacks grounds in the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen innehåller inga åtaganden om hur ändamål och verksamheter ska fördelas mellan utgiftsområden. Den uttalar sig om försvarsunderrättelsens förmåga och om anslagsnivåer, inte om budgetteknisk indelning. Närmast liggande princip är ordnade statsfinanser och att politiken ska prioritera, vilket inte ger något stöd för att blockera just underrättelsedelen i en teknisk omfördelning. Motförslagets avslagsyrkande saknar därför grund i planen.
- strengthened defence intelligence capabilitydecisive»Stärka försvarsunderrättelseförmågan« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen defence intelligence capability”
- orderly state finances»Statens finanser ska vara starka.« (party programme ↗)“The state's finances shall be strong.”
- prioritization over detailed control»Politiken har en viktig uppgift att prioritera och välja bort,« (party programme ↗)“Policy has an important task to prioritize and discard,”
The plan says nothing about the division into expenditure areas, but it binds the party to guaranteed and long-term defense financing of at least two percent of GDP and a restored total defense.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan says nothing about the division into expenditure areas, but it binds the party to guaranteed and long-term defense financing of at least two percent of GDP and a restored total defense. To move intelligence activities out of the expenditure area for defense and crisis preparedness undermines the framework the plan wants to protect. The closest commitment therefore speaks for the counter-proposal's requirement for rejection in precisely that part.
Original (Swedish)
Planen säger inget om indelningen i utgiftsområden, men den binder partiet vid en garanterad och långsiktig finansiering av försvaret om minst två procent av BNP och ett återupprättat totalförsvar. Att flytta underrättelseverksamheten ut ur utgiftsområdet för försvar och krisberedskap urholkar den ram planen vill värna. Närmast liggande åtagande talar därför för motförslagets krav på avslag i just den delen.
- two percent of GDP to defensedecisive»Sverigedemokraterna vill säkerställa långsiktig finansiering av försvaret om minst två procent av BNP inom en tioårsperiod.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to ensure long-term defense financing of at least two percent of GDP within a ten-year period.”
- long-term defense financing»Garantera den långsiktiga finansieringen av ett starkt försvar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Guarantee long-term financing of a strong defense”
- restored total defense»Återupprätta ett totalförsvar som är rustat för krig« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Restore a total defense that is equipped for war”
- transparency and accountability»Tjänstemannaansvar ska införas och åtgärder ska genomföras för att öka transparensen och möjligheten att utkräva politiskt ansvarsutkrävande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Official liability shall be introduced and measures shall be implemented to increase transparency and the opportunity to demand political accountability.”
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.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2025/26:KU42)
- Committee report full text (HD01KU42)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Framställning 2025/26:RS5 — Den parlamentariska processen med ledamoten i fokus
- Motion 2025/26:4118 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:100 2026 års ekonomiska vårproposition av Daniel Helldén m.fl. (MP)
- Proposition 2025/26:100 — 2026 års ekonomiska vårproposition
Source: The Swedish Parliament