2024-03-142023/24:KrU4 · p.1KrUCulture
Protecting public education
Safeguarding the freedom and independence of popular education (folkbildning)
What's at stake: The decision concerns how strong a formal guarantee there should be that popular education - folk high schools and study associations - can operate freely and independently of political control, which matters to everyone who turns to popular education for new knowledge or a fresh start in life.
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 issue a specific statement to the government on safeguarding the freedom of popular education and the arm's-length principle, or whether the committee considers this already sufficiently addressed.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee shares the motions' view on the importance of the arm's-length principle and freedom in popular education, but considers the demands already partly met and therefore recommends rejecting them.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (C)
The reserving party (C) wants the Riksdag to call on the government to safeguard free popular education and the arm's-length principle between politics and popular education, which the reserving party argues can only exist in a democracy and cannot be replaced by publicly arranged education or culture.
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: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 1 by C.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have gone the other way
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: KDKristdemokraterna, LLiberalerna, SSocialdemokraterna, VVänsterpartiet
Ja 259–21Nej 121–159
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Yes 20/0/0/4 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | No | Yes 89/0/0/17 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| MP | No | Abstain 0/0/16/2 | differs | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | No | No 0/21/0/3 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| M | No | Yes 56/0/0/12 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 63/0/0/9 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2023/24:1080 by Niklas Sigvardsson et al. (S), 2023/24:1885 by Amanda Lind and Jacob Risberg (both MP) demand 1, 2023/24:2061 by Linus Sköld et al. (S) demands 1 and 2, and 2023/24:2483 by Catarina Deremar et al. (C) demand 11.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:1080 av Niklas Sigvardsson m.fl. (S), 2023/24:1885 av Amanda Lind och Jacob Risberg (båda MP) yrkande 1, 2023/24:2061 av Linus Sköld m.fl. (S) yrkandena 1 och 2 samt 2023/24:2483 av Catarina Deremar m.fl. (C) yrkande 11.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 30 proposals in motions on public education from the general motion period 2023. The motions deal, among other things, with protecting public education, the subsidy model for study associations, and with promoting public education throughout the country. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to the fact that the motion demands are partially met.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to protect free folk education and maintain an arm's length distance between politics and education. (C) — 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 explicitly establishes that politics should keep arm's length from content and that the independence of civic education and public service shall in particular be developed.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly establishes that politics should keep arm's length from content and that the independence of civic education and public service shall in particular be developed. A statement in support of free education and arm's length distance is exactly this commitment. The plan moreover wants to protect the study associations' position and sees a free culture as decisive for democracy.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår uttryckligen fast att politiken ska hålla armlängds avstånd till innehållet och att folkbildningens och public services oberoende ställning särskilt ska utvecklas. Ett uttalande till stöd för den fria bildningen och armlängds avstånd är exakt detta åtagande. Planen vill dessutom värna studieförbundens ställning och ser en fri kultur som avgörande för demokratin.
- arm's length distancedecisive»Vänsterpartiet försvarar den oberoende kulturen. Politiken ska skapa förutsättningar för en bred kultur som kommer alla till del och hålla armlängds avstånd till innehållet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party defends independent culture. Politics shall create conditions for broad culture that reaches everyone and keep arm's length from content.”
- civic education's independence»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, civic education and public service's independent position.”
- protect the study associations»Därför behöver vi också värna studieförbundens ställning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore we also need to protect the study associations' position.”
- free culture and democracy»En fri kultur är avgörande för en stark demokrati.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A free culture is decisive for a strong democracy.”
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 election manifesto establishes that popular education provides strong democracy and opportunities for personal development alongside formal education, and the party programme gives ideologically-based popular education a central role.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto establishes that popular education provides strong democracy and opportunities for personal development alongside formal education, and the party programme gives ideologically-based popular education a central role. The arm's-length principle has its counterpart in that the task of cultural policy is not to steer but to guarantee freedom. A statement in support of free education thereby lies in line with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att folkbildning ger stark demokrati och möjligheter till personlig utveckling vid sidan av den formella utbildningen, och partiprogrammet ger den idéburna folkbildningen en central roll. Principen om armlängds avstånd har sin motsvarighet i att kulturpolitikens uppgift inte är att styra utan att garantera friheten. Ett uttalande till stöd för den fria bildningen ligger därmed i planens linje.
- popular education strengthens democracydecisive»Folkbildning ger stark demokrati och möjligheter till personlig utveckling vid sidan av den formella utbildningen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Popular education provides strong democracy and opportunities for personal development alongside formal education.”
- ideologically-based popular education central»I detta arbete har den idéburna folkbildningen en central roll.« (party programme ↗)“In this work, ideologically-based popular education has a central role.”
- politics shall not steer the content»Kulturpolitikens uppgift är inte att styra konsten. Den ska tvärtom garantera konstens och konstnärernas frihet.« (party programme ↗)“The task of cultural policy is not to steer art. It should instead guarantee the freedom of art and artists.”
- civil society bears democracy»Ett starkt och levande civilsamhälle är demokratins underbyggnad.« (party programme ↗)“A strong and vibrant civil society is the foundation of democracy.”
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 plan states trust in folk education and lifelong learning and highlights folk high schools and study associations as important free educational forms.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states trust in folk education and lifelong learning and highlights folk high schools and study associations as important free educational forms. The election manifesto also demands that cultural policy be based on respect for artistic freedom and freedom of expression, which is the same principle of arm's length distance that the counter-proposal wants to protect. The plan therefore supports the demand.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast tilltron till folkbildningen och det livslånga lärandet och lyfter folkhögskolor och studieförbund som viktiga fria utbildningsformer. Valmanifestet kräver dessutom att kulturpolitiken grundas på respekt för den konstnärliga friheten och yttrandefriheten, vilket är samma princip om armlängds avstånd som motförslaget vill slå vakt om. Planen talar därför för kravet.
- trust in folk educationdecisive»Vi tror på folkbildningen och det livslånga lärandet.« (party programme ↗)“We believe in folk education and lifelong learning.”
- free educational forms»Komvux, folkhögskolor och andra frivilliga utbildningsformer, som de studieförbunden erbjuder, är viktiga och ger möjlighet till ett livslångt lärande.« (party programme ↗)“Adult education, folk high schools and other voluntary educational forms, such as those offered by study associations, are important and provide opportunities for lifelong learning.”
- arm's length distance»Kulturpolitiken ska grundas på respekt för den konstnärliga friheten och yttrandefriheten och stimulera en mångfald av kulturella uttryck.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Cultural policy shall be based on respect for artistic freedom and freedom of expression and stimulate a diversity of cultural expressions.”
- strengthened folk-educational mission»Vi anser att högskolans folkbildande verksamhet och kontakt med samhället, den så kallade tredje uppgiften, är viktig och ska stärkas.« (party programme ↗)“We believe that higher education's folk-educational activity and contact with society, the so-called third mission, is important and shall be strengthened.”
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 establishes that policy should maintain arm's length distance and that independent popular education is very important in times when democratic values are questioned.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly establishes that policy should maintain arm's length distance and that independent popular education is very important in times when democratic values are questioned. The counter-proposal's statement in support of free education and arm's length distance is precisely this commitment. The party programme also warns against policy acting as arbiter of taste.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår uttryckligen fast att politiken ska hålla armlängds avstånd och att en fristående folkbildning har mycket stor betydelse i tider då demokratiska värden ifrågasätts. Motförslagets uttalande till stöd för den fria bildningen och armlängds avstånd är exakt detta åtagande. Partiprogrammet varnar dessutom för att politiken agerar smakdomare.
- arm's length distancedecisive»Den akademiska och konstnärliga friheten liksom den fria kulturen är grundbultar i ett vitalt civilsamhälle. Politiken ska bidra till goda förutsättningar men hålla armlängds avstånd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Academic and artistic freedom as well as free culture are cornerstones of a vital civil society. Policy should contribute to good conditions but maintain arm's length distance.”
- independent popular education»En fristående folkbildning har mycket stor betydelse i tider då demokratiska värden ifrågasätts.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Independent popular education is very important in times when democratic values are questioned.”
- policy is not an arbiter of taste»Skaparglädje frodas i frihet. Politiken ska akta sig för att agera smakdomare och diktera kulturens innehåll.« (party programme ↗)“Creative joy flourishes in freedom. Policy should refrain from acting as arbiter of taste and dictating the content of culture.”
- education as a democratic project»Även bildning i bred mening, från förskolan till universiteten till den livslånga folkbildningen, är en bärande del av det demokratiska projektet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Education in a broad sense, from preschool to universities to lifelong popular education, is also a cornerstone of the democratic project.”
The plan explicitly states that liberals value educational ideals and support free folk education, and that public funding shall take place in forms that guarantee independence from political detailed control.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly states that liberals value educational ideals and support free folk education, and that public funding shall take place in forms that guarantee independence from political detailed control. The counter-proposal's demand for a statement in support of free education and arm's-length distance is thus the plan's own line. The election manifesto sharpens it: the state shall govern less and decisions on support shall be made by cultural creators, not politicians.
Original (Swedish)
Planen säger uttryckligen att liberaler värnar bildningstanken och stödjer den fria folkbildningen, och att offentlig finansiering ska ske i former som garanterar oberoende gentemot politisk detaljstyrning. Motförslagets krav på ett uttalande till stöd för fri bildning och armlängds avstånd är därmed planens egen linje. Valmanifestet skärper den: staten ska styra mindre och besluten om stöd fattas av kulturskaparna, inte av politiker.
- support for free folk educationdecisive»värnar liberaler bildningstanken, främjar bildningsresor och stödjer den fria folkbildningen« (party programme ↗)“liberals value educational ideals, promote study trips and support free folk education”
- arm's-length distance»Därför vill vi att staten ska styra mindre och att det ska vara kulturskapare och inte politiker som fattar besluten om stöd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore we want the state to govern less and cultural creators, not politicians, to make decisions on support.”
- independence from detailed control»ske i former som garanterar kulturlivets oberoende gentemot politisk detaljstyrning« (party programme ↗)“take place in forms that guarantee cultural life's independence from political detailed control”
- long-term conditions for folk education»goda och långsiktiga villkor för den fristående folkbildningen« (party programme ↗)“good and long-term conditions for independent folk education”
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 plan establishes that activities conducted by civil society shall be supported by the public but not controlled, and that folk high schools must be given freedom to develop on their own terms.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that activities conducted by civil society shall be supported by the public but not controlled, and that folk high schools must be given freedom to develop on their own terms. Adult education's task is highlighted as unique and democracy-vitalizing. A statement in support of arm's length distance thus lies directly in the plan's line.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att verksamhet som bedrivs av det civila samhället ska stödjas av det offentliga men inte styras, och att folkhögskolorna måste ges frihet att utvecklas på egna villkor. Folkbildningens uppdrag lyfts som unikt och demokrativitaliserande. Ett uttalande till stöd för armlängds avstånd ligger därmed direkt i planens linje.
- support but not controldecisive»civila samhället ska stödjas av det offentliga, men inte« (party programme ↗)“civil society shall be supported by the public, but not”
- folk high schools' freedom»måste ges frihet och möjligheter att utvecklas på egna« (party programme ↗)“must be given freedom and opportunities to develop on their own”
- adult education's task»Folkbildningens unika och viktiga uppdrag bidrar till människors möjligheter till utveckling och ny« (party programme ↗)“Adult education's unique and important task contributes to people's opportunities for development and new”
- strengthened civil society»STÄRKT CIVILSAMHÄLLE« (2022 manifesto ↗)“STRENGTHENED CIVIL SOCIETY”
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 the goal shall be independent institutions that in their operations stand free from state and politics, and that public financing and political ambitions in themselves constitute a risk in culture and education policy.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that the goal shall be independent institutions that in their operations stand free from state and politics, and that public financing and political ambitions in themselves constitute a risk in culture and education policy. This is precisely the principle of arm's length distance that the counter-proposal wants to confirm. Popular education is not explicitly mentioned, but the principle is unambiguous and recurs in the promise to protect free research from political direction.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att målet ska vara självständiga institutioner som i sin verksamhet står fria från stat och politik, och att offentlig finansiering och politiska ambitioner i sig utgör en risk i kultur- och bildningspolitiken. Det är precis den princip om armlängds avstånd som motförslaget vill bekräfta. Folkbildningen nämns inte uttryckligen, men principen är entydig och återkommer i löftet att värna fri forskning från politiska pekpinnar.
- arm's length distancedecisive»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 operations stand free from state and politics.”
- risk with political control»offentlig finansiering och politiska ambitioner utgör en risk.« (party programme ↗)“public financing and political ambitions constitute a risk.”
- free spheres as power balance»sfärer som media, akademin och kulturen är viktiga motvikter« (party programme ↗)“spheres such as media, academia and culture are important counterweights”
- free education without direction»Värna den fria forskningen från politiska pekpinnar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect free research from political direction”
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 establishes that independent cultural institutions' freedom from political interference shall be protected and that public economic control over culture shall decrease.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that independent cultural institutions' freedom from political interference shall be protected and that public economic control over culture shall decrease. A statement supporting arm's length distance between politics and popular education is the same principle applied to the education sector, where the plan also wants to safeguard academic independence. However, according to the plan, freedom does not apply to activities that are extremist or segregating.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att oberoende kulturinstitutioners frihet från politiska pekpinnar ska värnas och att det offentligas ekonomiska kontroll över kulturen ska minska. Ett uttalande till stöd för armlängds avstånd mellan politiken och folkbildningen är samma princip tillämpad på bildningsområdet, där planen också vill slå vakt om akademins självständighet. Friheten gäller dock enligt planen inte verksamhet som är extremistisk eller segregerande.
- arm's length distance from culturedecisive»Samtidigt ska oberoende kulturinstitutioners frihet från politiska pekpinnar värnas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time, independent cultural institutions' freedom from political interference shall be protected.”
- reduced political control»Minska det offentligas ekonomiska kontroll över samtidskulturen och mediesfären« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce public economic control over contemporary culture and the media sphere”
- free education and academia»Slå vakt om den högre akademins självständighet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Safeguard the independence of higher education”
- freedom without support for extremism»Stoppa bidrag till extremistiska idéorganisationer inom civilsamhället« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop funding for extremist idea organizations 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.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2023/24:KrU4)
- Committee report full text (HB01KrU4)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:1080 — Stärkande av folkbildningen av Niklas Sigvardsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1175 — Folkhögskolans frihet och framtid av Johanna Haraldsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1186 — Studieförbundens, folkhögskolornas och Folkbildningsrådets brister i fråga om att leva upp till ställda krav av Ann-Sofie Alm (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1297 — En väg till stärkt demokrati, integration och individuell utveckling av Anna Wallentheim och Hanna Westerén (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1359 — Högre utbildning för hela landet av Lars Isacsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1488 — Offentliga satsningar på musik av Mirja Räihä och Per-Arne Håkansson (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1590 — Folkhögskolornas betydelse för personer med funktionsnedsättning av Karin Sundin (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1863 — Säkerställande av folkhögskolornas uppdrag och finansiering av Heléne Björklund m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1885 — Kulturpolitiska frågor av Amanda Lind och Jacob Risberg (båda MP)
- Motion 2023/24:2020 — Kompetensförsörjning i den gröna industriella omvandlingen av Isak From m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2061 — Folkbildningen är grundläggande för demokratin av Linus Sköld m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2457 — Livskraft och framtidstro i Sveriges landsbygder av Muharrem Demirok m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2482 — En skola för livsresor av Muharrem Demirok m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2483 — Kultur, civilsamhälle, idrott och medier i hela landet av Catarina Deremar m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2531 — Slopat skattefinansierat stöd och utökad granskning av trossamfund av Markus Wiechel m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:2536 — Satsning på Stockholms skärgård av Markus Wiechel m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:254 — En konkurrenskraftig och säker taxibransch i Sverige av Serkan Köse (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2691 — En tydlig väg till integration av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:2705 — Ett rikare liv för äldre av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:347 — Folkbildningsfrågor av Jonas Andersson m.fl. (SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament