Follow-up

The plan sees market power's grip on media and internet as a democracy problem and demands a diversity of channels as well as an independent public service. Reviewing ownership changes and foreign direct investments in media companies, and monitoring whether oversight regulations work, follows from that commitment. The plan says nothing about the specific review procedure.

• break market power over mediadecisive»Marknadsmakten har ett starkt grepp om Internet, tv och kultur.« (party programme ↗)“Market power has a strong grip on the internet, television and culture.”
• media diversity as a democratic requirement»Samhällets demokratisering kräver en mångfald av kanaler för information, nyheter, åsiktsbrytning och opinionsbildning.« (party programme ↗)“Society's democratization requires a diversity of channels for information, news, debate and opinion formation.”
• protection against controlled information»Vi lever i en tid då högerpopulistiska krafter försöker styra information och innehåll allt hårdare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We live in a time when right-wing populist forces try to control information and content ever harder.”
• independent media»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 the independent position of public service.”

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 makes it a central task for media policy to counteract concentration of power and protect independent news provision, and wants to safeguard public service constitutionally. Given the security situation the plan describes, with hybrid threats and espionage, an oversight function for ownership changes and foreign direct investments in media companies aligns with the commitments. Therefore the counter-proposal's requirement for early follow-up is supported.

• counteract media concentrationdecisive»Att motverka maktkoncentration och att upprätthålla mångfald ska vara centrala delar av samhällets medie- och IT-politik.« (party programme ↗)“To counteract concentration of power and maintain diversity shall be central parts of society's media and IT policy.”
• protect public service»Vi vill grundlagsskydda public service.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to safeguard public service constitutionally.”
• protection against hybrid threats»Vi måste kunna försvara oss militärt, men också mot hybridattacker, spionage och cyberangrepp.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We must be able to defend ourselves militarily, but also against hybrid attacks, espionage and cyber attacks.”
• independent news provision»Mediestödet ska ge förutsättningar för oberoende och lokalt förankrad nyhetsförmedling i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Media support shall provide conditions for independent and locally rooted news provision throughout the country.”

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 requires that freedom of expression be strengthened, that independent media be supported throughout the country and that an independent public service be protected in the constitution. A review system for media transfers and foreign direct investments in media enterprises follows from the same concern for media independence and factual public accountability. The plan therefore speaks in favour of the counter-proposal's demand, but does not express itself on the specific timing of a follow-up.

• independent media supporteddecisive»förstärka yttrandefriheten och stödja oberoende medier i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen freedom of expression and support independent media throughout the country.”
• protection for public service»skydda ett oberoende public service i grundlagen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect an independent public service in the constitution.”
• factual public accountability»Ett demokratiskt samhälle kräver saklig information« (party programme ↗)“A democratic society requires factual information”

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 makes independent and vital media oversight into a democracy question and wants to protect freedom of the press. It also establishes that Sweden must be equipped against both internal and external threats and that the democracy-bearing institutions must stand strong. The counter-proposal's requirements for early follow-up of supervision and sanctions rules and for a scrutiny function for foreign acquisitions in media companies follow from these commitments.

• independent media protecteddecisive»En allsidig, oberoende och livskraftig mediebevakning i hela landet är avgörande för demokratin. Pressfriheten ska skyddas och oberoende public service försvaras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Comprehensive, independent and vital media oversight throughout the country is crucial for democracy. Freedom of the press shall be protected and independent public service defended.”
• protection of democratic institutions»Sverige måste rustas även mot dessa hot. Våra demokratiska institutioner och principer — oberoende domstolar, äganderätten, den fria pressen, likheten inför lagen och många fler — ska stå starka oavsett politiskt styre.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden must be equipped against these threats as well. Our democratic institutions and principles — independent courts, the right to property, the free press, equality before the law and many others — must stand strong regardless of political rule.”
• protection for media workers»Hat, hot, trakasserier och våld riktade mot demokratibärande institutioner måste upphöra. Vi ska stärka skyddet för personer verksamma bland annat i media, religiösa samfund och offentlig förvaltning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Hate, threats, harassment and violence directed at democracy-bearing institutions must cease. We shall strengthen protection for persons working in, among other things, media, religious communities and public administration.”

The party programme establishes that acquisitions of strategic assets by undemocratic states in democratic countries must be viewed from a security policy perspective, and the election manifesto explicitly wants to prevent foreign non-democratic actors from owning operations in Sweden. That speaks for both a review function for foreign direct investment in media companies and for early follow-up on whether oversight and sanctions rules work. Media independence is according to the plan the foundation of democracy and makes the question even more urgent.

• security review foreign acquisitionsdecisive»odemokratiska eller rentav totalitära stater förvärvar strategiska tillgångar i demokratiska länder« (party programme ↗)“undemocratic or even totalitarian states acquire strategic assets in democratic countries”
• stop non-democratic foreign ownership»Vi vill sätta stopp för religiösa friskolor och hindra utländska icke-demokratiska aktörer från att äga skolor i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to put a stop to religious free schools and prevent foreign non-democratic actors from owning schools in Sweden.”
• independent media»Mediernas oberoende roll och kritiska granskning är grunden i varje demokrati.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Media's independent role and critical review is the foundation of every 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 counter-proposal wants to see an early review of supervision and sanctions rules and a review function for foreign direct investment in media companies. The party programme makes evaluation and control a central political task and requires that Sweden can meet threats within an expanded security concept. Protecting independent media from foreign control is in line with the plan, which however does not address this particular regulation.

• monitoring and control as a taskdecisive»Utvärdering, kostnadsuppföljning och kvalitetskontroll är därför viktiga politiska« (party programme ↗)“Evaluation, cost monitoring and quality control are therefore important political”
• expanded security concept»Nya typer av konflikter och hot leder till ett vidgat« (party programme ↗)“New types of conflicts and threats lead to an expanded”
• independent media»Betydelsen av oberoende och reklamfria radio- och« (party programme ↗)“The importance of independent and advertisement-free radio and”

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 wants to strengthen the state's and the Security Police's ability to meet espionage, cyberattacks and acquisition attempts by foreign powers, and at the same time states that free and independent media are crucial for the open society. An early follow-up of supervisory and sanctioning rules and a scrutiny function for foreign acquisitions in media companies aligns with both commitments. The requirement is therefore supported substantively.

• protection against foreign powersdecisive»Ge företag som är engagerade i säkerhetskänslig verksamhet bättre stöd från staten att kunna möta cyberattacker, spionage och stöldförsök från främmande makt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Provide better support from the state to companies engaged in security-sensitive activities to meet cyberattacks, espionage and theft attempts by foreign powers”
• independent media»En mångfald av fria och oberoende medier som håller hög kvalitet spelar en helt avgörande roll för det öppna och demokratiska samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A diversity of free and independent media that maintain high quality play a completely crucial role for the open and democratic society.”
• strengthened security police»Stärka Säkerhetspolisen för att öka deras förmåga att skydda den liberala demokratin och landets alla medborgare« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the Security Police to increase their ability to protect liberal democracy and all citizens of the country”
• counter hybrid threats»Införa en handlingsplan med konkreta åtgärder mot hybridhot och cyberattacker« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce an action plan with concrete measures against hybrid threats and cyberattacks”

Worldstate weighed in: Russia's war against Ukraine and hybrid threats in the region — Sharpens the need to scrutinize foreign acquisitions in Swedish media companies and to follow up the regulatory framework early

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 counter-proposal wishes for early monitoring of supervision and sanctions rules taking the security situation into account, as well as a review function for foreign direct investment in media companies. The plan requires that Sweden be prepared for a deteriorated security situation and that the state's and large corporations' ability to influence information flows be reduced, which argues for review of foreign acquisitions in the media sector. The plan is however silent on supervision rules in this area, so the conclusion is derived.

• protection against influence on information flowsdecisive»Minska möjligheten för staten eller privata storbolag att påverka informationsflöden utifrån politiska intressen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce the possibility for the state or private large corporations to influence information flows based on political interests”
• heightened security policy situation»Rusta Sverige inför en ny säkerhetspolitisk situation i vårt närområde« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prepare Sweden for a new security policy situation in our region”
• independent media»Mediernas oberoende ska öka genom minskad politisk styrning från statsmakten och åtgärder för en ökad mångfald.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Media independence shall increase through reduced political control from state power and measures for increased plurality.”
• resist hybrid threats»Förstärka det europeiska samarbetet mot islamistiska organisationer, hybridhot och terrorism« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen European cooperation against Islamist organizations, hybrid threats and terrorism”

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.