2024-03-142023/24:KrU4 · p.7KrUCulture
Follow-up and Impact Analysis
Follow-up and impact assessment of funding for popular education (folkbildning)
What's at stake: The decision affects how predictable funding is for folk high schools and study associations, and how thoroughly the consequences of cuts for participants and activities are mapped before more lasting changes to governance are made.
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 government should be required to await an ongoing review of the governance of popular education before making changes and to produce an impact assessment of the funding cuts, or whether the committee considers the current handling, including the raised grant level, sufficient.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that the state grant to folk high schools is being raised and that an inquiry into the governance and follow-up of popular education will shortly deliver its final report, and considers that this work should not be pre-empted, and therefore recommends rejecting the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 6 (MP)
The reserving party (MP) wants the government to await the inquiry's proposals before making further governance changes, and calls for a swift impact assessment of the cuts to core funding, which the reserving party argues harms both popular-education activities and the ongoing development work.
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 6 by MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have held
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: VVänsterpartiet
Ja 280–16Ja 260–36
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 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/16/0/2 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 56/0/0/12 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | Yes | Yes 63/0/0/9 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2023/24:917 by Beatrice Timgren (SD), 2023/24:1175 by Johanna Haraldsson et al. (S) motion 3, 2023/24:1590 by Karin Sundin (S) and 2023/24:1885 by Amanda Lind and Jacob Risberg (both MP) motions 2 and 4.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:917 av Beatrice Timgren (SD), 2023/24:1175 av Johanna Haraldsson m.fl. (S) yrkande 3, 2023/24:1590 av Karin Sundin (S) och 2023/24:1885 av Amanda Lind och Jacob Risberg (båda MP) yrkandena 2 och 4.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 30 proposals in motions on public education from the general motion period of 2023. The motions dealt with, among other things, preserving public education, the subsidy model for study associations, and promoting public education throughout the country. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to the fact that the motion demands have been partially addressed.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to protect folk education through study associations and folk high schools as a foundation for education, culture, and democracy. (MP) — Reservation 6
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 requires that folk education is invested in and developed and that folk high schools and Komvux exist throughout the country, as well as that the position of study associations is valued.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that folk education is invested in and developed and that folk high schools and Komvux exist throughout the country, as well as that the position of study associations is valued. An impact analysis of cutbacks in folk education's basic financing follows directly from that commitment, as does the demand not to change governance before the investigation is complete, because policy shall maintain arm's length distance.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att folkbildningen ska satsas på och utvecklas och att folkhögskolor och Komvux ska finnas i hela landet, liksom att studieförbundens ställning värnas. En konsekvensanalys av neddragningar i folkbildningens grundfinansiering följer direkt av det åtagandet, liksom kravet att inte förändra styrningen innan utredningen är klar, eftersom politiken ska hålla armlängds avstånd.
- invest in folk educationdecisive»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, folk education and public service's independent position.”
- folk high schools nationwide»Folkhögskolor och Komvux behövs i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Folk high schools and Komvux are needed throughout the country.”
- value study associations»Därför behöver vi också värna studieförbundens ställning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore we also need to value the position of study associations.”
- arm's length distance in governance»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. Policy shall create conditions for broad culture that reaches all and maintain arm's length distance to content.”
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 gives strong democracy and personal development, and the party programme gives ideologically-rooted popular education a central role in giving people tools to interpret and assess information.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto establishes that popular education gives strong democracy and personal development, and the party programme gives ideologically-rooted popular education a central role in giving people tools to interpret and assess information. A prompt impact assessment of cuts to base funding protects precisely this activity. The requirement is therefore in line with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att folkbildning ger stark demokrati och personlig utveckling, och partiprogrammet ger den idéburna folkbildningen en central roll i att ge människor redskap att tolka och värdera information. En skyndsam konsekvensanalys av neddragningarna i grundfinansieringen skyddar just denna verksamhet. Kravet ligger därför 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-rooted popular education central»I detta arbete har den idéburna folkbildningen en central roll.« (party programme ↗)“In this work, ideologically-rooted popular education has a central role.”
- civil society underpins democracy»Ett starkt och levande civilsamhälle är demokratins underbyggnad.« (party programme ↗)“A strong and vibrant civil society is the foundation of 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 plan affirms the value of popular education and highlights folk universities and study associations as important for lifelong learning and for education throughout the country; it even wants to see more folk universities.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan affirms the value of popular education and highlights folk universities and study associations as important for lifelong learning and for education throughout the country; it even wants to see more folk universities. The counter-proposal's demand for a prompt impact analysis of the cuts in base funding values precisely that activity. The plan therefore speaks for the demand.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast folkbildningens värde och lyfter folkhögskolor och studieförbund som viktiga för det livslånga lärandet och för utbildning i hela landet; den vill till och med se fler folkhögskolor. Motförslagets krav på en skyndsam konsekvensanalys av neddragningarna i grundfinansieringen värnar just den verksamheten. Planen talar därför för kravet.
- value of popular educationdecisive»Vi tror på folkbildningen och det livslånga lärandet.« (party programme ↗)“We believe in popular 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 universities and other voluntary educational forms, such as those offered by study associations, are important and provide an opportunity for lifelong learning.”
- more folk universities»Vi tror också att det finns ett behov av nya folkhögskolor i Sverige, inte minst i miljonprogrammets områden.« (party programme ↗)“We also believe there is a need for new folk universities in Sweden, not least in the areas of the Million Programme.”
- education throughout the country»Byskolor, folkhögskolor, regionala högskolor och distansutbildningar är viktiga för möjligheten till utbildning i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“Village schools, folk universities, regional universities and distance education are important for the opportunity for education throughout the country.”
The plan establishes that an independent popular education has very great importance in times when democratic values are questioned and that education is a bearing part of the democratic project.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that an independent popular education has very great importance in times when democratic values are questioned and that education is a bearing part of the democratic project. A requirement for consequence analysis of cutbacks in popular education's base financing, and for awaiting the investigation before steering is changed further, protect precisely that activity. The plan does however not speak about the analysis form as such.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att en fristående folkbildning har mycket stor betydelse i tider då demokratiska värden ifrågasätts och att bildningen är en bärande del av det demokratiska projektet. Ett krav på konsekvensanalys av neddragningarna i folkbildningens grundfinansiering, och på att invänta utredningen innan styrningen ändras vidare, värnar just den verksamheten. Planen talar dock inte om analysformen som sådan.
- independent popular educationdecisive»En fristående folkbildning har mycket stor betydelse i tider då demokratiska värden ifrågasätts.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“An independent popular education has very great importance in times when democratic values are questioned.”
- education as democracy project»Även bildning i bred mening, från förskolan till universiteten till den livslånga folkbildningen, är en bärande del av det demokratiska projektet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Even education in broad sense, from preschool to universities to lifelong popular education, is a bearing part of the democratic project.”
- civil society's role»Det civila samhället, människornas frivilliga organisering, är en fundamental del av varje väl fungerande demokrati och välfärdsstat.« (party programme ↗)“Civil society, people's voluntary organizing, is a fundamental part of every well-functioning democracy and welfare state.”
- arm's length distance»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 in a vital civil society. Politics shall contribute to good conditions but maintain arm's length distance.”
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 good and long-term conditions for independent adult education and establishes that adult education contributes to raised knowledge level in society.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires good and long-term conditions for independent adult education and establishes that adult education contributes to raised knowledge level in society. A consequence analysis of cuts in base funding before steering changes further follows from that commitment. The plan is however silent on exactly consequence analyses, therefore the position is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver goda och långsiktiga villkor för den fristående folkbildningen och slår fast att folkbildningen bidrar till höjd kunskapsnivå i samhället. En konsekvensanalys av neddragningarna i grundfinansieringen innan styrningen ändras vidare följer av det åtagandet. Planen är dock tyst om just konsekvensanalyser, varför ställningstagandet är härlett.
- long-term conditions for adult educationdecisive»goda och långsiktiga villkor för den fristående folkbildningen« (party programme ↗)“good and long-term conditions for independent adult education”
- the value of adult education»Folkbildningen bidrar till höjd kunskapsnivå i samhället.« (party programme ↗)“Adult education contributes to raised knowledge level in society.”
- support for free adult education»värnar liberaler bildningstanken, främjar bildningsresor och stödjer den fria folkbildningen« (party programme ↗)“liberals value the educational idea, promote educational journeys and support free adult education”
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 all political decisions are made according to the stewardship principle, which means that consequences shall be considered, which supports the demand for a consequence analysis of the cuts.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that all political decisions are made according to the stewardship principle, which means that consequences shall be considered, which supports the demand for a consequence analysis of the cuts. It highly values the mission of popular education and wants folk high schools to develop on their own terms. To await the investigation before further governance is implemented aligns with this.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att alla politiska beslut fattas enligt förvaltarskapsprincipen, vilket innebär att konsekvenserna ska beaktas, vilket bär kravet på en konsekvensanalys av neddragningarna. Den värderar folkbildningens uppdrag högt och vill att folkhögskolorna får utvecklas på egna villkor. Att invänta utredningen innan ytterligare styrning genomförs ligger i samma linje.
- stewardship in decision-makingdecisive»Alla politiska beslut bör fattas i enlighet med förvaltarskapsprincipen« (party programme ↗)“All political decisions should be made in accordance with the stewardship principle”
- the value of popular education»Folkbildningens unika och viktiga uppdrag bidrar till människors möjligheter till utveckling och ny« (party programme ↗)“Popular education's unique and important mission contributes to people's opportunities for development and renewal”
- 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”
- popular education vitalizes democracy»Ett rikt kulturliv vitaliserar även demokratin. I detta sammanhang spelar folkbildningen en omistlig roll.« (party programme ↗)“A rich cultural life also vitalizes democracy. In this context, popular education plays an indispensable role.”
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 the basic financing of folk education.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan says nothing about the basic financing of folk education. The closest governing commitment is that state spending shall decrease and waste of tax money shall be stopped, and that the major needs within the legal system, defense, and welfare require hard prioritizations. A demand for rapid impact analysis that questions cuts to a non-core commitment lies beside that line.
Original (Swedish)
Planen säger ingenting om folkbildningens grundfinansiering. Närmast liggande åtagande är att statens utgifter ska minska och att slöseriet med skattepengar ska stoppas, och att de stora behoven inom rättsväsende, försvar och välfärd kräver hårda prioriteringar. Ett krav på skyndsam konsekvensanalys som ifrågasätter neddragningar i ett icke-kärnåtagande ligger vid sidan av den linjen.
- reduced state spendingdecisive»Statens utgifter ska minska – vi ska stoppa slöseriet med skattepengar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“State spending shall decrease – we shall stop the waste of tax money”
- hard prioritizations»De stora behoven inom rättsväsendet, försvaret och välfärden ställer stora krav på prioriteringar under åren som kommer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The major needs within the legal system, defense, and welfare place great demands on prioritizations in the years to come.”
- prioritize the state's core tasks»Politiken har en viktig uppgift att prioritera och välja bort,« (party programme ↗)“Policy has an important task to prioritize and eliminate,”
The counter-proposal's substantive core is a defence of folkbildning's (adult education) basic financing through demanding impact analysis of the cuts.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal's substantive core is a defence of folkbildning's (adult education) basic financing through demanding impact analysis of the cuts. The plan points in the opposite direction: unnecessary public spending shall be scaled down, funds redirected to the heart of welfare and public economic control over culture and education shall be reduced. The plan says nothing about folkbildning itself, so the conclusion is drawn from the general spending principle.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslagets sakliga kärna är ett försvar av folkbildningens grundfinansiering genom krav på konsekvensanalys av neddragningarna. Planen går i motsatt riktning: onödiga offentliga utgifter ska skalas bort, medel riktas om till välfärdens hjärta och det offentligas ekonomiska grepp om kultur- och bildningssfären minska. Planen säger inget om folkbildningen i sig, så slutsatsen dras ur den allmänna utgiftsprincipen.
- away with unnecessary spendingdecisive»Skala bort onödiga utgifter i det offentliga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Scale down unnecessary public spending”
- spending on welfare's heart»Sverigedemokraterna vill koncentrera de offentliga utgifterna till välfärdens hjärta och begära tydlig medborgarnytta för alla satsningar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats wish to concentrate public spending on the heart of welfare and demand clear citizen benefit for every initiative.”
- reallocation of appropriations»Se över offentliga utgifter och rikta om medel till välfärden och rättsväsendet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Review public spending and redirect funds to welfare and the justice system”
- reduced public culture financing»Minska det offentligas ekonomiska kontroll över samtidskulturen och mediesfären« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce public economic control over contemporary culture and the media sphere”
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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