2024-03-062023/24:FiU25 · p.4FiUEconomy & finance
Local state services
Local state service points
What's at stake: The outcome affects how easily residents in rural areas, smaller towns, and vulnerable areas can access basic services from agencies such as the Social Insurance Agency and the Public Employment Service.
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 actively expand the number of state service points to more municipalities, or whether this should remain a matter for the government's own judgment under the existing division of responsibility between parliament and government.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee points to the division of responsibility between parliament and government, whereby it is the government that establishes, reorganizes, and closes agencies and decides where state services should be located. The government states that it currently does not intend to proceed with requests for new service points in specific locations, and the committee therefore rejects the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 3 (S, MP)
The reservation holds that the state has an important responsibility to provide good service to residents across the whole country. With close to 150 state service points already established nationwide — in rural areas, smaller towns, and vulnerable areas — this work should continue, and the government should establish state service points in more municipalities for more equal access to state services.
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 3 by S, MP.
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: CCenterpartiet, KDKristdemokraterna, LLiberalerna
Ja 190–109Nej 142–157
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 | differs | confidence: high | not addressed |
| S | No | No 0/93/0/13 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| MP | No | No 0/15/0/3 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | No | Yes 19/0/0/5 | differsagainst own programme | 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 60/0/0/8 | differs | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 61/0/0/11 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2023/24:1358 by Lars Isacsson et al. (S) demand 5 and 2023/24:1874 by Amanda Lind et al. (MP) demand 1.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:1358 av Lars Isacsson m.fl. (S) yrkande 5 och 2023/24:1874 av Amanda Lind m.fl. (MP) yrkande 1.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 25 proposals on state administration and statistics matters. The motions deal, among other things, with the structure of state authorities, costs of state agencies, digitalization and IT within state administration and the state as an employer. The proposals were submitted during the general motion period in 2023. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to ongoing preparatory work and to the fact that state administration policy is largely based on the agencies themselves determining how activities should be organized to best meet society's needs.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the government to establish state service centers in more municipalities for equal access to government services. (S, MP) — Reservation 3
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 establishes that welfare should be for everyone and be everywhere and criticises that services are concentrated in the big cities.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that welfare should be for everyone and be everywhere and criticises that services are concentrated in the big cities. More state service offices in rural municipalities and disadvantaged areas are a direct application of the demand for equitable public service throughout the country, which the party programme wants to guarantee through national redistribution. Service offices are not specifically mentioned, therefore derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att välfärden ska vara till för alla och finnas överallt och kritiserar att service koncentreras till storstäderna. Fler statliga servicekontor i landsbygdskommuner och utsatta områden är en direkt tillämpning av kravet på likvärdig samhällsservice i hela landet, som partiprogrammet vill garantera genom nationell omfördelning. Just servicekontor nämns inte, därför härlett.
- welfare throughout the countrydecisive»Välfärden måste vara till för alla och finnas överallt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Welfare must be for everyone and be everywhere.”
- against centralisation of services»blir det allt svårare att bygga ett bra liv när service och välfärd koncentreras till storstäderna« (2022 manifesto ↗)“it becomes increasingly difficult to build a good life when service and welfare are concentrated to the big cities”
- equitable welfare throughout the country»ett nationellt omfördelningssystem och andra åtgärder ska samma välfärd garanteras över hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“a national redistribution system and other measures, the same welfare be guaranteed throughout the country.”
- services in small towns»Äldreomsorg, förskola, skola och matbutik behöver finnas på fler mindre orter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Elderly care, preschool, school and grocery shop need to exist in more small towns.”
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 establishes that the state shall be present throughout the country and that public service of high quality shall be guaranteed everywhere, even in small municipalities.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto establishes that the state shall be present throughout the country and that public service of high quality shall be guaranteed everywhere, even in small municipalities. More state service offices in more municipalities is precisely what the counter-proposal requires and what the plan promises. The party programme also requires equivalent access to society's services throughout the country.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att staten ska finnas närvarande i hela landet och att offentlig service av hög kvalitet ska garanteras överallt, även i små kommuner. Fler statliga servicekontor i fler kommuner är precis det motförslaget kräver och det planen utfäster. Partiprogrammet kräver dessutom likvärdig tillgång till samhällets tjänster i hela landet.
- state presence throughout the countrydecisive»Staten ska finnas närvarande i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The state shall be present throughout the country.”
- public service throughout the country»För att säkra välfärden i hela landet behöver vi se över skatteutjämningssystemet, så att det garanterar offentlig service av hög kvalitet i hela landet, även i små kommuner som kämpar med sitt befolkningsunderlag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To ensure welfare throughout the country, we need to review the fiscal equalization system so that it guarantees high-quality public service throughout the country, even in small municipalities struggling with their population base.”
- equivalent access»Alla invånare i hela landet ska ha likvärdig tillgång till skola, vård och omsorg.« (party programme ↗)“All inhabitants throughout the country should have equivalent access to school, healthcare and care.”
- the whole country shall thrive»Alla har ett gemensamt intresse av att hela landet kan leva och utvecklas.« (party programme ↗)“All have a common interest in the whole country being able to live and develop.”
The plan establishes that government functions such as police, employment agency and social insurance agency shall serve all residents and be accessible throughout the country.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that government functions such as police, employment agency and social insurance agency shall serve all residents and be accessible throughout the country. The counter-proposal's requirement that more municipalities get a state service center is exactly this. The plan also requires equivalent conditions for service throughout the country regardless of municipality size.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att samhällsfunktioner som polis, arbetsförmedling och försäkringskassa ska vara till för alla invånare och finnas tillgängliga över hela landet. Motförslagets krav på att fler kommuner får ett statligt servicekontor är just detta. Planen kräver dessutom likvärdiga förutsättningar för service i hela landet oavsett kommunstorlek.
- state service throughout the countrydecisive»Samhällsfunktioner som polis, arbetsförmedling och försäkringskassa ska vara till för Sveriges alla invånare och finnas tillgängliga över hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“Government functions such as police, employment agency and social insurance agency shall serve all Sweden's residents and be accessible throughout the country.”
- equivalence regardless of municipality size»Statliga regelverk ska fungera lika bra för små kommuner som för stora tillväxtkommuner.« (party programme ↗)“State regulations shall work equally well for small municipalities as for large growth municipalities.”
- equivalent service»Ett väl fungerande skattesystem ska ge likvärdiga ekonomiska förutsättningar att bedriva kommunal service i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“A well-functioning tax system shall provide equivalent economic conditions for providing municipal services throughout the country.”
- good local services»God närservice, informationsteknik, samåkningssystem, bilpooler och flexibla kollektivtrafiklösningar är viktiga komplement.« (party programme ↗)“Good local services, information technology, ride-sharing systems, car pools and flexible public transport solutions are important complements.”
The plan explicitly establishes that public service shall be close and reliable throughout the country and that public service shall be there when needed, regardless of where one lives.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly establishes that public service shall be close and reliable throughout the country and that public service shall be there when needed, regardless of where one lives. It also points to reduced government presence as a cause of declining trust. The party programme places on the public sector the task of guaranteeing basic social services throughout the country. More government service offices in more municipalities is thus the plan's own line.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår uttryckligen fast att offentlig service ska vara nära och pålitlig i hela landet och att den offentliga servicen ska finnas där när man behöver den, oavsett var man bor. Den pekar dessutom ut minskad myndighetsnärvaro som en orsak till sjunkande tillit. Idéprogrammet lägger på det offentliga att garantera grundläggande samhällsservice i hela landet. Fler statliga servicekontor i fler kommuner är därmed planens egen linje.
- close public service throughout the countrydecisive»Offentlig service ska vara nära och pålitlig i hela landet. Alla ska ha en trygg polisnärvaro, en likvärdig skola och en trygg och nära vård och omsorg — oavsett var de bor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Public service shall be close and reliable throughout the country. Everyone shall have safe police presence, equivalent schooling and safe and close healthcare and care — regardless of where they live.”
- government presence builds trust»På många håll har myndigheters närvaro och förståelse för människors livssituation minskat, vilket leder till lägre tillit.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In many places the presence and understanding of the authorities of people's life situation has decreased, which leads to lower trust.”
- guaranteed social services»Det offentliga ska garantera att en sådan grundläggande samhällsservice finns, i hela landet« (party programme ↗)“The public sector shall guarantee that such basic social services exist, throughout the country”
- equivalent access regardless of residence»Alla invånare ska ha tillgång till en likvärdig och pålitlig välfärd oavsett var de bor, och den offentliga servicen ska finnas där när man behöver den.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“All residents shall have access to equivalent and reliable welfare regardless of where they live, and public service shall be there when they need it.”
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 establishes that access to state services shall be secured across the entire country and that state authorities shall be present in all parts of Sweden.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly establishes that access to state services shall be secured across the entire country and that state authorities shall be present in all parts of Sweden. The counter-proposal's demand that more municipalities receive a state service office is precisely this commitment. The plan furthermore connects the right to equivalent quality in public services to the fact that it should not depend on place of residence.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår uttryckligen fast att tillgången till statlig service ska säkras i hela landet och att statliga myndigheter ska finnas närvarande i alla delar av Sverige. Motförslagets krav att fler kommuner får ett statligt servicekontor är just detta åtagande. Planen kopplar dessutom rätten till likvärdig kvalitet i offentliga tjänster till att den inte ska bero på bostadsort.
- state services across the entire countrydecisive»Tillgången till statlig service ska säkras i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“Access to state services shall be secured across the entire country.”
- state presence across the entire country»Vägnätet ska fungera och statliga myndigheter ska finnas närvarande i alla delar av Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The road network shall function and state authorities shall be present in all parts of Sweden.”
- equivalent services regardless of place of residence»Oavsett bostadsort har individer rätt att få likvärdig kvalitet på vården, omsorgen, socialtjänsten« (party programme ↗)“Regardless of place of residence, individuals have the right to receive equivalent quality in healthcare, care services, social services”
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 explicitly promises to establish more state service centres, and the plan establishes that the state has responsibility for state services being accessible throughout Sweden.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly promises to establish more state service centres, and the plan establishes that the state has responsibility for state services being accessible throughout Sweden. The counter-proposal's requirement that more municipalities get a service centre is thereby directly in line with the plan. The goal that all of Sweden shall thrive reinforces this conclusion.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar uttryckligen att inrätta fler statliga servicekontor, och planen slår fast att staten har ansvar för att den statliga servicen är tillgänglig i hela Sverige. Motförslagets krav på att fler kommuner får ett servicekontor är därmed direkt planenligt. Målet att hela Sverige ska leva förstärker slutsatsen.
- more state service centresdecisive»Fler poliser med lokal närvaro, utbyggd primärvård, enklare starta lokal läkarmottagning och inrätta fler statliga servicekontor. Du ska känna dig trygg i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More police with local presence, expanded primary care, easier to start local medical clinics and establish more state service centres. You should feel safe throughout the country.”
- state services throughout the country»den statliga servicen är tillgänglig i hela Sverige.« (party programme ↗)“state services are accessible throughout Sweden.”
- all of Sweden shall thrive»Målet är att hela Sverige ska leva« (party programme ↗)“The goal is that all of Sweden shall thrive”
- public services close to citizens»Viktig samhällsservice hamnar längre bort och avstånden till vård växer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Important public services end up further away and distances to care grow.”
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 that all of Sweden must function if it is to be possible to live and work in the whole country, and wants to streamline government agency tasks so that duties such as passport handling are performed by other agencies, which presupposes state service close to people.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that all of Sweden must function if it is to be possible to live and work in the whole country, and wants to streamline government agency tasks so that duties such as passport handling are performed by other agencies, which presupposes state service close to people. More service offices for equal access to the state's services aligns with this. At the same time, the plan wants to reduce state spending, so support is weak and derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att hela Sverige måste fungera om det ska gå att bo och verka i hela landet, och vill renodla myndighetsuppdrag så att uppgifter som passhantering sköts av andra myndigheter, vilket förutsätter statlig service nära människor. Fler servicekontor för en likvärdig tillgång till statens service ligger i linje med detta. Samtidigt vill planen minska statens utgifter, varför stödet är svagt och härlett.
- all of Sweden must functiondecisive»Men ska det gå att bo och verka i hela Sverige måste också hela Sverige fungera.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“But if it is to be possible to live and work in all of Sweden, all of Sweden must also function.”
- streamlined agency tasks»Renodla Polisens uppdrag med fokus på att upptäcka, utreda och klara upp brott« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Streamline the Police's task with focus on detecting, investigating and solving crimes”
- the state's core task»Den prioriterar sitt grunduppdrag« (party programme ↗)“That prioritises its core task”
- reduced state spending»Statens utgifter ska minska – vi ska stoppa slöseriet med skattepengar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“State spending should decrease – we should stop wasting tax money”
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 describes dismantled public service in rural areas as a problem and wants to relocate more government jobs to smaller towns as part of a policy for all of Sweden.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan describes dismantled public service in rural areas as a problem and wants to relocate more government jobs to smaller towns as part of a policy for all of Sweden. The party programme establishes that all citizens have the right to equivalent welfare and public services. That more municipalities receive state service offices therefore follows from the plan's commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Planen beskriver nedmonterad offentlig service på landsbygden som ett problem och vill utlokalisera fler myndighetsjobb till mindre orter inom ramen för en politik för hela Sverige. Partiprogrammet slår fast att alla medborgare har rätt till likvärdig välfärd och samhällsservice. Att fler kommuner får statliga servicekontor följer därför av planens åtaganden.
- relocate government jobsdecisive»Sverigedemokraterna ser potential för att utlokalisera fler myndighetsjobb till mindre orter men det främsta verktyget för tillväxt och jobb på landsbygd är enklare regler och möjligheter för landsbygden att växa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats see potential in relocating more government jobs to smaller towns but the primary tool for growth and jobs in rural areas is simpler rules and opportunities for rural areas to grow.”
- equivalent public services»medborgare skall ha rätt till en likvärdig välfärd och samhällsservice.« (party programme ↗)“citizens shall have the right to equivalent welfare and public services.”
- dismantled service in rural areas»offentlig service har monterats ned på landsbygd och i stora delar av landet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“public service has been dismantled in rural areas and in large parts of the country”
- policy for all of Sweden»Bedriva en politik för hela Sverige« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Pursue a policy for all of Sweden”
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:FiU25)
- Committee report full text (HB01FiU25)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:114 — Ny modell för att driva verksamheten i statens byggnader av Robert Stenkvist (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1358 — En kommunpolitik för hela landet av Lars Isacsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1586 — Gränsöverskridande statistik av Gunilla Svantorp (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1709 — Statens fastigheter utomlands av Teresa Carvalho och Hans Ekström (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1832 — Kronobergs slottsruin av Tomas Eneroth och Monica Haider (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1874 — Statliga jobb och statlig service i hela landet av Amanda Lind m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:1885 — Kulturpolitiska frågor av Amanda Lind och Jacob Risberg (båda MP)
- Motion 2023/24:2107 — Statens företag av Jesper Skalberg Karlsson och Louise Meijer (båda M)
- Motion 2023/24:2258 — Minskning och effektivisering av den svenska byråkratin av Sten Bergheden (M)
- Motion 2023/24:2414 — Statens myndigheter som drivkraft för flygets klimatomställning av Helena Gellerman (L)
- Motion 2023/24:2454 — Utbildning och forskning - för en stark kunskapsnation av Anders Ådahl m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2455 — Digitalisering för hela Sverige av Niels Paarup-Petersen m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2468 — Nya fastighetsmodeller hos Statens fastighetsverk för att bevara vårt kulturarv av Christofer Bergenblock och Catarina Deremar (båda C)
- Motion 2023/24:2537 — Försäljning av statliga bolag av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:2669 — Rättspolitik av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:2686 — Utgiftsområde 17 Kultur, medier, trossamfund och fritid av Lawen Redar m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2705 — Ett rikare liv för äldre av Ulrika Westerlund m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:39 — Öppen källkod av Mattias Bäckström Johansson (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:468 — Offentlig förvaltning av Matheus Enholm m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:553 — Myndigheters och verks förståelse för företagsamhet och näringslivets villkor av Sten Bergheden (M)
Source: The Swedish Parliament