Cooperative enterprise

The election manifesto explicitly requires that wage earners and social cooperatives be given legal right and public financial support to take over operations threatened by closure or relocation. The party programme wants worker ownership and consumer cooperation to be stimulated through legislation and tax policy and highlights the worker-owned cooperative enterprise as the natural form for local power. The counter-proposal's requirement for an investigation into state forms for employee ownership and takeover of threatened production directly responds to this.

• right to take over threatened productiondecisive»Som ett skydd mot kortsiktig vinstjakt så vill Vänsterpartiet ge löntagare och samhällskooperativ laglig rätt och offentligt finansiellt stöd att ta över verksamheter och industrier som hotas stängas ner och flytta utomlands.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“As a protection against short-term profit hunting, the Left Party wants to give wage earners and social cooperatives legal right and public financial support to take over operations and industries threatened with closure and relocation abroad.”
• stimulate worker ownership»Arbetarägande och konsumentkooperation ska stimuleras« (party programme ↗)“Worker ownership and consumer cooperation shall be stimulated”
• cooperative as model»det arbetarägda, kooperativa företaget där företagsledningen väljs demokratiskt« (party programme ↗)“the worker-owned, cooperative enterprise where management is democratically elected”
• employees' takeover right»möjlighet att ta över verksamheten.« (party programme ↗)“opportunity to take over the operation.”

The party programme explicitly states that society should support the development of cooperative activities and that cooperatives and social enterprise shall be stimulated. Cooperatives are described as jointly owned and democratically structured enterprises, and the plan wants wage earners to gain increased say over conditions at the workplace. An investigation into how the state can facilitate worker ownership and takeover of threatened production thus follows from the plan.

• support for cooperativesdecisive»Samhället bör stödja utvecklingen av de kooperativa« (party programme ↗)“Society should support the development of cooperative”
• stimulate cooperative enterprise»entreprenörskap och kooperativ och social företagsamhet ska stimuleras.« (party programme ↗)“entrepreneurship and cooperatives and social enterprise shall be stimulated.”
• jointly owned enterprises»olika former av kooperativ, som ger människor möjlighet att förverkliga sina idéer i företag,« (party programme ↗)“various forms of cooperative, which give people the opportunity to realize their ideas in enterprises,”
• worker influence»bestämmande över förhållandena på arbetsplatserna.« (party programme ↗)“say over conditions at the workplace.”

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 explicitly wants to see new business forms within the social economy and points to cooperatives and local enterprise funds as a way to let the local community participate in the economy, and also wants to promote social enterprises and alternative operational forms. The programme also wants to strengthen workers' influence at the workplace. An investigation into how the state can facilitate worker ownership and takeover of threatened production thus aligns with the plan.

• promote cooperativesdecisive»Vi vill se nya företagsformer inom den sociala ekonomin. Kooperativ och lokala företagsfonder är ett sätt att låta närsamhället ta del i den framväxande ekonomin.« (party programme ↗)“We want to see new business forms within the social economy. Cooperatives and local enterprise funds are a way to let the local community participate in the emerging economy.”
• alternative operational forms»Vi vill främja sociala företag, andra alternativa driftsformer och idéburna organisationer.« (party programme ↗)“We want to promote social enterprises, other alternative operational forms and idea-driven organisations.”
• workers' influence»vill vi verka för decentralisering och stärka arbetstagarnas inflytande på sin arbetsplats.« (party programme ↗)“we want to work for decentralisation and strengthen workers' influence at their workplace.”
• support for small business»Vi vill stärka möjligheterna för människor med goda idéer att starta och driva företag.« (party programme ↗)“We want to strengthen opportunities for people with good ideas to start and run businesses.”

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 explicitly wants to encourage people to collectively own and operate activities and sees personal ownership as a path to both freedom and security. It also wants to give increased space for associational work and social entrepreneurship. An investigation into how the state can facilitate employee ownership and takeover of threatened production is in line with this.

• collective ownership encourageddecisive»uppmuntra att människor genom föreningslivet tillsammans äger och driver viktiga samhällsfunktioner som« (party programme ↗)“encourage people through associational life to collectively own and operate important social functions such as”
• ownership means freedom and security»Personligt ägande är, även för den med knappa resurser, ett sätt att öka både« (party programme ↗)“Personal ownership is, even for those with limited resources, a way to increase both”
• space for social entrepreneurship»Demokratin, den demografiska utvecklingen och människors önskan om ökad makt över sin egen vardag kräver ökat utrymme för ideella insatser, föreningsarbete och socialt och kulturellt entreprenörskap.« (party programme ↗)“Democracy, demographic development and people's desire for increased power over their own everyday life require increased space for voluntary work, associational work and social and cultural entrepreneurship.”
• easy to run business»Det ska vara lätt att starta och driva företag; det ska löna sig att ta klivet och satsa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It should be easy to start and run a business; it should be worth taking the step and investing.”

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's line is general conditions and structural transformation: when old jobs disappear a competitive business climate should let new jobs emerge, and the public should only run business operations at strong public interest. State support directed at a particular ownership form and at takeover of threatened production lies outside that line. The plan's openness to value-driven actors at the same time speaks for removing obstacles to cooperative forms.

• structural transformation over preservationdecisive»Globaliseringen förändrar arbetsmarknaden. När gamla jobb och arbetsuppgifter försvinner behövs« (party programme ↗)“Globalization changes the labour market. When old jobs and work tasks disappear there is a need for”
• limited public ownership»Det offentliga ska endast driva affärsverksamhet om det finns ett starkt samhällsintresse.« (party programme ↗)“The public shall only run business operations if there is a strong public interest.”
• general conditions for business»Regelbördan för små företag ska minska, genom ansträngningar på både kommunal, statlig och europeisk« (party programme ↗)“The regulatory burden on small businesses should decrease, through efforts at both municipal, state and European”
• value-driven actors needed»Idéburna organisationer och sociala företag som bedriver vård och omsorg utan vinstsyfte är viktiga aktörer i« (party programme ↗)“Value-driven organizations and social enterprises that provide care without profit motive are important actors in”

The election manifesto explicitly requires that employee ownership and generation transfers be facilitated so that more companies can be continued by employees when the owner wants to retire, which is the core of the counter-proposal's investigation requirement. The party programme also wants work effort to entitle influence and cooperatives to be given equal conditions as other operational forms. The plan's rejection of direct company subsidies sets the framework for which support forms can become relevant.

• facilitate employee ownershipdecisive»Underlätta personalägande och generationsskifte av företag - så att fler företag kan drivas vidare av personalen om ägaren vill sluta.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Facilitate employee ownership and generation transfer of companies - so that more companies can be continued by employees if the owner wants to retire.”
• work effort gives influence»Det goda företagandet ska vara så utformat att såväl kapital- som arbetsinsats berättigar till« (party programme ↗)“Good entrepreneurship should be structured so that both capital and work effort entitle”
• equal conditions for cooperatives»stiftelser, kooperativ och ideella organisationer ges lika« (party programme ↗)“foundations, cooperatives and non-profit organizations are given equal”
• no to direct subsidies»regler ska motverkas. Direkta företagssubventioner avvisas. Tillkommande lagar bör prövas ur ett småföretagarperspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“rules should be countered. Direct company subsidies are rejected. Future laws should be reviewed from a small business perspective.”

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 limits the state's role in the economy to protecting its fundamental institutions and promoting competition, and the plan's way for more and growing businesses is general conditions: lower taxes on business and rewarded risk-taking. State support directed at a particular ownership form and at taking over threatened production lies outside that role and risks keeping unprofitable activities afloat. The plan does not address cooperative enterprises specifically, so the conclusion is derived.

• limited state roledecisive»Statens roll i ekonomin är att värna dess grundläggande« (party programme ↗)“The state's role in the economy is to protect its fundamental”
• general business conditions»Stärka drivkrafterna för investeringar, forskning och entreprenörskap, genom lägre skatter på företagande« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen incentives for investment, research and entrepreneurship, through lower taxes on business”
• risk-taking, not state takeover»Risktagande ska därför belönas.« (party programme ↗)“Risk-taking should therefore be rewarded.”

The plan wants to create conditions for new business ventures and entrepreneurship and goes so far as to propose a start-your-own-business grant for self-employed. Its position on operational forms is explicitly pragmatic and results-oriented, which makes an investigation into how the state can facilitate employee ownership compatible with the plan. Cooperative forms are not addressed, which is why the conclusion is uncertain.

• promote new business venturesdecisive»Skapa förutsättningar för nyföretagande och entreprenörskap« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Create conditions for new business ventures and entrepreneurship”
• start-your-own-business grant»I ett steg att sänka trösklarna och för att fler personer ska ta steget och förverkliga sin drivkraft vill Sverigedemokraterna ta fram ett starta eget-bidrag för yrkesverksamma.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In a step to lower the thresholds and for more people to take the step and realize their drive Sweden Democrats want to introduce a start-your-own-business grant for self-employed.”
• pragmatism about operational form»pragmatiskt och resultatinriktat förhållningssätt« (party programme ↗)“pragmatic and results-oriented approach”
• businesses keep the village alive»Företag skapar arbetstillfällen, tillväxt och ett levande lokalsamhälle.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Businesses create jobs, growth and a vibrant local community.”

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.