2024-02-072023/24:NU4 · p.7NUBusiness & energy
Lernia AB
State ownership of Lernia AB – divestment or a new public-service mandate
What's at stake: Lernia AB currently works with adult education, staffing, recruitment and career transition; whether the company is sold or retained affects what tools the state has to address skills shortages in occupations facing shortages, particularly in regions where major industrial investment makes it hard to find the right skills.
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 continue to have the Riksdag's authorisation to sell the state's shares in Lernia AB, or whether that authorisation should instead be withdrawn so the company can be given a public-service mandate linked to skills supply for the green transition.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee rejects the motions on Lernia AB and thus does not take a different view of the existing authorisation to divest the state's shares in the company.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 11 (S)
The reservation wants the government not to use its authorisation to sell the state's shares in Lernia AB, since the company could become an important actor in the green transition. It instead wants the company to be given a public-service mandate focused on occupations facing labour shortages that require vocational training, which is expected to have particularly positive effects in regions where industrial transition and major investment make it hard to find the right skills.
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 11 by S.
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 127–89Ja 109–107
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 18/0/0/6 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | No | No 0/89/0/18 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 11/0/0/7 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| C | Yes | Yes 20/0/0/4 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | Yes | Yes 11/0/0/5 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| KD | Yes | Yes 12/0/0/7 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 55/0/0/13 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | No | Abstain 0/0/62/10 | differs | confidence: low | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2023/24:444 by Tobias Andersson et al. (SD) amendment 5 and 2023/24:2683 by Fredrik Olovsson et al. (S) amendment 3.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:444 av Tobias Andersson m.fl. (SD) yrkande 5 och 2023/24:2683 av Fredrik Olovsson m.fl. (S) yrkande 3.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag has reviewed the government's statement on the 2023 report on companies with state ownership. The Riksdag emphasizes the importance of this annually recurring statement and stresses the importance of the government continuing to develop its content so that the Riksdag obtains a good picture of developments in companies with state ownership. The Riksdag said no to approximately 60 proposals in motions concerning, among other things, state ownership and management of companies, which were submitted during the general motion period 2023. The Riksdag thereupon laid the statement to the records, that is, concluded the matter.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to ensure that board members in state-owned companies have knowledge of climate transition. (S) — Reservation 11
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 the share of the economy held by collectively owned enterprises increases, that state-owned companies are used as tools for purposes other than high returns and that incorporation cannot be used to prepare for privatisations.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that the share of the economy held by collectively owned enterprises increases, that state-owned companies are used as tools for purposes other than high returns and that incorporation cannot be used to prepare for privatisations. Not utilising the authorisation to sell the company and instead giving it a public mission in occupations with shortages and the green transition follows directly from this, as does the plan's requirement for massive investment in transition support and skills development.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att de gemensamt ägda företagens andel av ekonomin ökar, att statliga bolag används som verktyg för andra mål än hög avkastning och att bolagisering inte får användas för att förbereda privatiseringar. Att inte utnyttja bemyndigandet att sälja bolaget och i stället ge det ett samhällsuppdrag inom bristyrken och den gröna omställningen följer direkt av detta, liksom planens krav på massiva satsningar på omställningsstöd och kompetensutveckling.
- increase collective ownershipdecisive»utnyttjas fullt ut. De gemensamt ägda företagens andel av ekonomin« (party programme ↗)“utilised fully. The share of the economy held by collectively owned enterprises”
- state-owned companies as social tools»ägda bolag ska utgöra viktiga verktyg för att uppnå andra mål än så« (party programme ↗)“owned companies should be important tools to achieve other purposes than so”
- no to privatisation preparations»marknad, men bolagisering får inte användas för att anpassa den offentliga sektorn till det privata näringslivet eller förbereda privatiseringar.« (party programme ↗)“market, but incorporation cannot be used to adapt the public sector to the private business world or prepare for privatisations.”
- transition support and skills»Arbetare, som idag är anställda i privata företag och offentlig verksamhet ska inte drabbas av arbetslöshet när samhället ställer om från fossilberoende.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Workers, who today are employed in private companies and public activities, should not be hit by unemployment when society transitions from fossil fuel dependency.”
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 makes clear that the state has a responsibility to secure skills provision and that the connection between education and society's personnel needs shall become stronger.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan makes clear that the state has a responsibility to secure skills provision and that the connection between education and society's personnel needs shall become stronger. To refrain from selling the company and instead give it a societal mission directed towards occupations in shortage follows from this and from the plan's line that society shall move forward positions. The plan also links education initiatives to the green transition's need for skills.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att staten har ett ansvar för att säkra kompetensförsörjningen och att kopplingen mellan utbildning och samhällets personalbehov ska bli starkare. Att avstå från att sälja bolaget och i stället ge det ett samhällsuppdrag riktat mot bristyrken följer av detta och av planens linje att samhället ska flytta fram positionerna. Planen kopplar också utbildningssatsningar till den gröna omställningens behov av kompetens.
- state responsibility for skills provisiondecisive»Staten har ett ansvar för att säkra kompetensförsörjningen, inte minst i välfärden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The state has a responsibility to secure skills provision, not least in welfare.”
- education according to society's needs»Det ska finns en starkare koppling mellan de utbildningar som erbjuds och de behov av personal som finns i samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“There shall be a stronger connection between the education offered and the personnel needs that exist in society.”
- society takes back control»Samhället ska flytta fram positionerna för att ta tillbaka kontrollen över utvecklingen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Society shall move forward positions to take back control of development.”
- skills for green transition»Vi vill satsa på grön teknik, digitalisering och utbildning så att företagsklimatet stärks och kompetensförsörjningen förbättras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to invest in green technology, digitalisation and education so that the business climate is strengthened and skills provision improved.”
The party programme establishes that in certain cases there are reasons for the state to own and operate business activities and that when the state is owner it should be active and used to promote sustainability.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that in certain cases there are reasons for the state to own and operate business activities and that when the state is owner it should be active and used to promote sustainability. The plan also points out the green transition as creating new demands for competence and wants vocational education provided where there is a large need for labor. To refrain from selling the company and instead give it a societal assignment towards shortage occupations thus follows from the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att det i vissa fall finns skäl för staten att äga och driva affärsverksamhet och att ägarskapet då ska vara aktivt och användas för att främja hållbarhet. Planen pekar också ut den gröna omställningen som ställer nya krav på kompetens och vill att yrkesutbildning ges där behovet av arbetskraft är stort. Att avstå från att sälja bolaget och i stället ge det ett samhällsuppdrag mot bristyrken följer därför av planen.
- state ownership can be justifieddecisive»I vissa fall kan det dock finnas skäl för staten« (party programme ↗)“In certain cases there may however be reasons for the state”
- competence for green transition»gröna omställningen, som ställer nya krav på« (party programme ↗)“green transition, which creates new demands for”
- vocational education against shortage occupations»Yrkeshögskolan ska ge möjlighet till« (party programme ↗)“Vocational college shall provide the possibility for”
- active state ownership»ska ägarskapet vara aktivt och inflytandet« (party programme ↗)“the state's ownership should be active and the influence”
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 party programme requires a market economy free from command-economy directives and means that public activities can advantageously be exposed to competition, as well as that tax money is used sparingly.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme requires a market economy free from command-economy directives and means that public activities can advantageously be exposed to competition, as well as that tax money is used sparingly. That binding the state to continued ownership of the company and giving it a new politically formulated social task goes against this. The plan's requirement that the education system to a far greater extent should depart from the labour market's needs supports the purpose of shortage occupation education, but not state ownership as a tool.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet kräver en marknadsekonomi fri från planekonomiska pekpinnar och menar att offentlig verksamhet med fördel kan konkurrensutsättas, samt att skattemedel används sparsamt. Att binda staten till fortsatt ägande av bolaget och ge det ett nytt politiskt formulerat samhällsuppdrag går emot detta. Planens krav att utbildningssystemet utgår från arbetsmarknadens behov stöder syftet med bristyrkesutbildning, men inte statligt ägande som medel.
- expose public activities to competitiondecisive»Offentlig verksamhet kan med fördel konkurrensutsättas« (party programme ↗)“Public activities can advantageously be exposed to competition”
- frugality with tax money»Beskattning begränsar dock människors självbestämmande, därför bör skattemedel användas sparsamt« (party programme ↗)“Taxation limits, however, people's self-determination, therefore tax money should be used sparingly”
- education according to labour market needs»Utbildningssystemet behöver i betydligt större utsträckning utgå från arbetsmarknadens behov.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The education system needs to to a far greater extent depart from the labour market's needs.”
flags: citat_blockerat
The plan allows state enterprise only at a strong societal interest, does not wish public activities to crowd out functioning private alternatives and requires that authority mandates remain separate from the delivery role in the labour market.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan allows state enterprise only at a strong societal interest, does not wish public activities to crowd out functioning private alternatives and requires that authority mandates remain separate from the delivery role in the labour market. The counter-proposal wishes to keep the state's shares and give the company a societal mandate in vocational training, which goes against this. The plan's wish to expand vocational training in shortage occupations supports the aim, however, not the method.
Original (Swedish)
Planen tillåter statligt företagande endast vid ett starkt samhällsintresse, vill inte att offentlig verksamhet tränger ut fungerande privata alternativ och kräver att myndighetsuppdrag hålls skilt från utförarrollen på arbetsmarknaden. Motförslaget vill behålla statens aktier och ge bolaget ett samhällsuppdrag inom yrkesutbildning, vilket går emot detta. Planens vilja att bygga ut yrkesutbildning i bristyrken stöder däremot syftet, men inte medlet.
- restrictive state enterprisedecisive»Det offentliga ska endast driva affärsverksamhet om det finns ett starkt samhällsintresse.« (party programme ↗)“The public shall only operate businesses if there is a strong societal interest.”
- authority separate from delivery»Arbetsförmedlingens myndighetsuppdrag ska tydligt skiljas från utförarrollen.« (party programme ↗)“The Public Employment Service's authority mandate shall be clearly separated from the delivery role.”
- not crowding out private actors»offentliga ska inte driva verksamheter som tränger ut fungerande privata alternativ eller försvårar« (party programme ↗)“the public should not operate activities that crowd out functioning private alternatives or complicate”
- vocational training in shortage occupations»kompletterande yrkesutbildningar i bristyrken samt en utbyggd yrkeshögskola med hög kvalitet.« (party programme ↗)“complementary vocational training in shortage occupations and an expanded vocational university with high quality.”
The plan wishes personal ownership to be encouraged at the expense of institutional and that public activities that are not government administration be procured through competition, with a diversity of actors in the employment service area.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wishes personal ownership to be encouraged at the expense of institutional and that public activities that are not government administration be procured through competition, with a diversity of actors in the employment service area. The counter-proposal wishes instead to retain the state's shares and give the company a public mission, which goes against these commitments. The plan's support for a developed apprenticeship system does not bear state ownership.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill att personligt ägande uppmuntras på bekostnad av institutionellt och att offentlig verksamhet som inte är myndighetsutövning upphandlas i konkurrens, med en mångfald av aktörer på arbetsförmedlingsområdet. Motförslaget vill i stället behålla statens aktier och ge bolaget ett samhällsuppdrag, vilket går emot dessa åtaganden. Planens stöd för ett utvecklat lärlingssystem bär inte statligt ägande.
- personal before institutional ownershipdecisive»Det är också angeläget att det personliga ägandet uppmuntras på bekostnad av det institutionella ägandet.« (party programme ↗)“It is also important that personal ownership be encouraged at the expense of institutional ownership.”
- public activities in competition»upphandlas i konkurrens.« (party programme ↗)“procured through competition.”
- diversity of employment services»en mångfald av aktörer som agerar arbetsförmedlare« (party programme ↗)“a diversity of actors who act as employment services”
- developed apprenticeship system»Ett utvecklat lärlingssystem bör finnas« (party programme ↗)“A developed apprenticeship system should exist”
The plan establishes that the public sector should not perform what can be done equally well or better by others and wants to reduce state ownership, including by selling off state forest land.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that the public sector should not perform what can be done equally well or better by others and wants to reduce state ownership, including by selling off state forest land. The counter-proposal's demand to refrain from sale and instead give the company a societal mission conflicts with this. According to the plan, competency supply should instead be solved through national coordination of educational places.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att det offentliga inte ska utföra det som kan göras lika bra eller bättre av andra och vill minska det statliga ägandet, bland annat genom att sälja av statlig skogsmark. Motförslagets krav på att avstå från försäljning och i stället ge bolaget ett samhällsuppdrag strider mot detta. Kompetensförsörjningen ska enligt planen i stället lösas genom nationell samordning av utbildningsplatser.
- limited public commitmentdecisive»Om något kan göras lika bra eller bättre av« (party programme ↗)“If something can be done equally well or better by”
- market economy and private ownership»Grunden för Sveriges välstånd är en marknadsekonomi baserad« (party programme ↗)“The basis for Sweden's prosperity is a market economy based”
- reduced state ownership»Sälja av en större andel av statliga Sveaskogs innehav till personer med regional anknytning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sell off a larger share of state-owned Sveaskog's holdings to people with regional ties”
- coordinated competency supply»Få på plats en nationell samordning över samhällets behov av antalet utbildningsplatser för att förbättra kompetensförsörjningen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Put in place a national coordination of society's need for the number of educational places to improve competency supply”
The plan requires that education is provided according to the labour market's actual needs, that everyone is given the foundation for a profession that is in demand and that labour supply better responds to companies' needs.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that education is provided according to the labour market's actual needs, that everyone is given the foundation for a profession that is in demand and that labour supply better responds to companies' needs. A public assignment focused on shortage occupations requiring vocational training aligns with this, and the plan is explicitly pragmatic on the question of who performs the task. The counter-proposal's requirements are therefore supported in substance, albeit without support for its restructuring motives.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att utbildning sker efter arbetsmarknadens faktiska behov, att alla ges grunden till ett yrke som efterfrågas och att arbetskraftsutbudet bättre svarar mot företagens behov. Ett samhällsuppdrag inriktat på bristyrken som kräver yrkesutbildning ligger i linje med detta, och planen är uttalat pragmatisk i frågan om vem som utför uppgiften. Motförslagets krav stöds därför i sak, om än utan stöd för dess omställningsmotiv.
- education according to labour market needsdecisive»Utbilda efter de behov som finns på arbetsmarknaden« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Educate according to the needs that exist in the labour market”
- profession in demand»Ge alla grunden till ett yrke som efterfrågas på arbetsmarknaden« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Give everyone the foundation for a profession that is in demand in the labour market”
- labour supply according to needs»Verka för ett arbetskraftsutbud som bättre svarar mot behoven på arbetsmarknaden« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for a labour supply that better responds to the needs in the labour market”
- pragmatic state ownership»Sverigedemokraterna ett pragmatiskt och resultatinriktat förhållningssätt.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden Democrats have a pragmatic and results-oriented approach.”
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:NU4)
- Committee report full text (HB01NU4)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:1123 — Opinionsbildande myndigheter och statliga bolag av Helena Storckenfeldt och Lars Püss (båda M)
- Motion 2023/24:1409 — Översyn av möjligheten att sälja fler statliga bolag av Carl Nordblom (M)
- Motion 2023/24:150 — Avyttring av statens ägande i AB Svensk Bilprovning av Magnus Jacobsson (KD)
- Motion 2023/24:1861 — De statliga bolagens medlemskap i Svenskt Näringsliv av Joakim Sandell m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1877 — Statliga bolag för en hållbar utveckling av Elin Söderberg m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:1878 — För en framtidssäkrad hållbar svensk järnväg av Daniel Helldén m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2023/24:2005 — Utveckling av naturvårdsområdet Malingsbo-Kloten av Sofie Eriksson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2068 — Skogspolitik med helhetssyn av Mattias Eriksson Falk m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:2107 — Statens företag av Jesper Skalberg Karlsson och Louise Meijer (båda M)
- Motion 2023/24:2346 — En järnväg för framtiden av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2023/24:2492 — En näringspolitik för tillväxt av Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2023/24:2537 — Försäljning av statliga bolag av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:2539 — Åtgärder för ett robust elsystem av Lars Engsund (M)
- Motion 2023/24:2683 — Statliga bolag av Fredrik Olovsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:294 — Försäljning eller avveckling av statliga bolag av Joar Forssell (L)
- Motion 2023/24:310 — Försäljning av SAS av Cecilia Rönn (L)
- Motion 2023/24:372 — Bevarande och utveckling av torvbruket av Martin Kinnunen m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:400 — En konkurrenskraftig svensk järnväg av Patrik Jönsson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:415 — Post och it i hela landet av Jimmy Ståhl m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:444 — Statligt ägande av Tobias Andersson m.fl. (SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament