The second amortization requirement

The plan addresses the housing shortage with massive construction, state financing support and reduced rents, not with easier credit for home purchases. The party programme demands that the power of financial capital is broken through regulations and increased democratic control, which argues against loosening amortization requirements. The election manifesto also criticizes that the construction pace is kept down so that housing prices will continue to rise; relaxed credit restrictions drive prices further instead of solving the shortage.

• regulation of financial capitaldecisive»Finanskapitalets makt måste brytas genom regleringar och ökad demokratisk kontroll.« (party programme ↗)“The power of financial capital must be broken through regulations and increased democratic control.”
• construction and reduced rents»Vänsterpartiets nästa steg handlar om en politik för massivt bostadsbyggande, klimatsmarta renoveringar och sänkta hyror som går hand i hand med den gröna omställningen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party's next step concerns a policy of massive housing construction, climate-smart renovations and reduced rents that go hand in hand with the green transition.”
• criticism of rising housing prices»Byggtakten har hållits nere för att bostadspriserna ska fortsätta att stiga, hyresgäster krävs på allt högre hyror medan den som köper bostadsrätt lägger allt större del av sin inkomst på bostaden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The construction pace has been kept down so that housing prices will continue to rise, tenants are charged ever higher rents while those buying cooperative apartments devote an ever-larger share of their income to housing.”
• state financing for construction»Det behövs statligt generellt finansieringsstöd och byggande, förnyelse och förvaltning utan vinstsyfte.« (party programme ↗)“State general financing support is needed and construction, renewal and management without profit motive.”

The plan's response to people not being able to get a home is to build more rental apartments that ordinary people can afford, not to ease credit restrictions. The party programme sees rising household debt as the root of the unstable debt economy that triggered the financial crisis, and the election manifesto promises never to help undermine Sweden's economy. Easing the amortisation requirement thus runs counter to the plan.

• build more rental apartmentsdecisive»Vi ska fortsätta att bygga hyresrätter som vanligt folk har råd att bo i.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall continue to build rental apartments that ordinary people can afford to live in.”
• households' indebtedness as risk»Svåra fördelningskonflikter har tillfälligt kunnat undvikas genom att skuldsättningen i den rika delen av världen har vuxit: när reallönerna inte har ökat i samma takt som det totala välståndet, har människor kompenserat detta med att ta större lån.« (party programme ↗)“Difficult distribution conflicts have been temporarily avoided because indebtedness in the wealthy part of the world has grown: when real wages have not risen at the same pace as total wealth, people have compensated by taking out larger loans.”
• the instability of debt economies»Detta har bidragit till den instabila skuldekonomi som utlöste den stora finanskrisen i slutet på 00-talet.« (party programme ↗)“This has contributed to the unstable debt economy that triggered the great financial crisis in the late 2000s.”
• responsibility for economic stability»Socialdemokraterna kommer aldrig att medverka till att underminera Sveriges ekonomi.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Social democrats will never participate in undermining Sweden's economy.”

Worldstate weighed in: The policy rate stands at 4.0 per cent — high interest rates increase households' vulnerability and sharpen the plan's objection to eased credit requirements

The plan establishes that excessively high private debt is a risk for the individual and the economy and that over-indebtedness shall be countered; relaxing the amortization requirement increases household debt. The plan's answer to the difficulty of entering the housing market is more rental apartments with reasonable rents and a protected, regulated rental market, not larger mortgages. The counter-proposal's demands therefore go against the plan.

• risk with high debtdecisive»hög privat skuldsättning är en risk för individen« (party programme ↗)“high private debt is a risk for the individual”
• counter over-indebtedness»Girighet, överskuldsättning och spekulation ska motverkas.« (party programme ↗)“Greed, over-indebtedness and speculation shall be countered.”
• more rental apartments as solution»bygga fler klimatsmarta hyresrätter med rimliga hyror« (2022 manifesto ↗)“build more climate-smart rental apartments with reasonable rents”
• protected rental apartment»det särskilt viktigt att värna hyresrätten och en« (party programme ↗)“it especially important to protect the rental apartment and a”

Worldstate weighed in: Policy rate 4.0 per cent and inflation 4.5 per cent — High interest rates strengthen the plan's warning that increased household debt is a risk for individual and economy.

The election manifesto explicitly states that the stricter amortization requirement is forced savings for those with lowest incomes and should be abolished, and that the amortization requirement should be reviewed. The counter-proposal's demand to ease the amortization requirement to simplify entry to the housing market is precisely this commitment. The plan therefore supports the demand.

• abolish stricter amortization requirementdecisive»Det förstärkta amorteringskravet — ett påtvingat sparande för dem med lägst inkomster — bör avskaffas när ränteläget nu normaliseras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The stricter amortization requirement — forced savings for those with lowest incomes — should be abolished when the interest rate environment now normalizes.”
• review the amortization requirement»Därför vill vi se över amorteringskravet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore we want to review the amortization requirement.”
• housing as life investment»Boendet är den största investeringen många människor gör.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Housing is the largest investment many people make.”
• low thresholds in housing market»präglas av rörlighet, låga trösklar, långsiktighet och mångfald.« (party programme ↗)“characterized by mobility, low thresholds, long-term thinking and diversity.”

The election manifesto explicitly promises to abolish the elevated amortization requirement and introduce an incentive to save for the first deposit. The counter-proposal's demand to ease the amortization requirement to simplify entry into the housing market is thus the plan's own line. The plan moreover points out the lock-in effects that particularly affect young people and newcomers.

• abolish elevated amortization requirementdecisive»Vi vill införa en stimulans för att spara ihop till den första insatsen, slopa det förhöjda amorteringskravet, korta överklagandeprocesserna och fortsätta förenkla byggreglerna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to introduce an incentive to save for the first deposit, abolish the elevated amortization requirement, shorten appeal processes and continue simplifying building rules.”
• more should be able to afford housing»Att få uppleva frihetskänslan av en egen bostad är något många fler ska få göra.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To experience the sense of freedom of owning one's own home is something many more should be able to do.”
• lock-in effects in the housing market»Bostadsmarknaden på expansiva orter präglas av inlåsningseffekter och stelhet.« (party programme ↗)“The housing market in expanding places is characterized by lock-in effects and rigidity.”
• young people and newcomers into the market»särskilt dem som vill få fotfäste och komma in på bostadsmarknaden: ungdomar, invandrare och« (party programme ↗)“particularly those who want to get a foothold and enter the housing market: young people, immigrants and”

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 indicates that it is important to give those who wish the opportunity to own their home and that the state and municipalities shall ensure housing supply for all ages and economic circumstances. The counter-proposal's requirement for eased mortgage requirements is intended precisely to make entry into the property market possible for young people, newly separated and single persons, which aligns with the commitment that even weak groups shall achieve good housing standards. The plan says nothing about macroprudential oversight or mortgage requirements, which is why the position is derived.

• opportunity to own one's homedecisive»ge dem som så önskar möjlighet att äga sin bostad« (party programme ↗)“give those who wish the opportunity to own their home”
• ensure housing supply»bostadsförsörjningen åt alla, i olika åldrar och med olika sociala och ekonomiska förutsättningar« (party programme ↗)“housing supply for all, of different ages and with different social and economic circumstances”
• good housing also for weak groups»Lågavlönade barnfamiljer, pensionärer och studerande måste ges möjligheter till en god bostadsstandard.« (party programme ↗)“Low-income families with children, pensioners and students must be given opportunities for good housing standards.”

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 everyone shall dare to dream of owning their own home, that mortgage interest deduction shall be retained and that households' finances shall not be destroyed by worsened mortgage terms. To ease the amortisation requirement so that more can enter the housing market aligns with that commitment and with the view of a functioning housing market as a growth prerequisite. However, the amortisation requirement is not mentioned, so the conclusion is inferred.

• home ownershipdecisive»I Moderaternas Sverige ska alla våga drömma om att äga sin egen bostad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In the Moderates' Sweden everyone shall dare to dream of owning their own home.”
• protect mortgage borrowers»Behålla ränteavdraget för bolån« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Retain mortgage interest deduction for mortgages”
• functioning housing market»En fungerande bostadsmarknad är en förutsättning för ökad tillväxt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A functioning housing market is a prerequisite for increased growth.”
• pressured households»Räntehöjningar pressar hushållen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Interest rate increases pressure households”

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 notes that many groups, including Swedish young people, have difficulty acquiring housing, and wants to slow housing costs and enable more financing options for young people and first-time buyers. A relaxation of the amortization requirement lowers precisely the threshold that the plan identifies. The commitment to improve young people's opportunities to acquire their first home supports the same conclusion.

• more financing options for buyersdecisive»Sverigedemokraterna vill stoppa planerna på återinförd fastighetsskatt, sänka elpriserna och möjliggöra fler finansieringsformer för unga och förstagångsköpare av bostäder.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to stop plans for reintroduced property tax, reduce electricity prices and enable more financing options for young people and first-time home buyers.”
• young people's first home»Förbättra möjligheterna för unga att skaffa sin första bostad« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Improve opportunities for young people to acquire their first home”
• lower housing costs»Åtgärder behöver också vidtas för att bromsa de skenande boendekostnaderna så att fler har råd till ett hem.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Measures also need to be taken to slow the soaring housing costs so that more people can afford a home.”
• thresholds for young Swedes»Många grupper, däribland svenska ungdomar, har idag svårt att skaffa bostad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Many groups, including Swedish young people, have difficulty acquiring housing today.”

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.