Application of the Regulations

The plan explicitly works to prohibit arms exports to states conducting wars of aggression and to regimes committing human rights violations, and wants the world to move toward peace, disarmament and fewer weapons in circulation. The counter-proposal demands the opposite: that the restrictive export practice be reviewed to enable increased exports and defence industry cooperation. The plan also opposes militarisation and arms races.

• prohibition on arms exportsdecisive»förbjuda vapenexport till diktaturer, stater som för angreppskrig och« (party programme ↗)“prohibit arms exports to dictatorships, states conducting wars of aggression and”
• fewer weapons in circulation»Världen behöver gå mot fred, nedrustning« (party programme ↗)“The world needs to move toward peace, disarmament”
• against militarisation and arms races»och deeskalering. Vi vänder oss emot militarisering och kapprustning.« (party programme ↗)“and de-escalation. We oppose militarisation and arms races.”
• voice for peace, not militarisation»Vänsterpartiet anser att Sverige ska vara en röst för fred och rättvisa, inte för ökad militarisering.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party believes Sweden should be a voice for peace and justice, not for increased militarisation.”

Worldstate weighed in: The International Court of Justice orders Israel to stop its offensive in Rafah while the country is investigated for crimes against the Genocide Convention — The plan's prohibition criterion on human rights violations becomes directly applicable to one of the states the counter-proposal wants to increase exports to

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 counter-proposal wants to review the restrictive export practice to enable increased arms export to states in armed conflict. The party programme makes military disarmament a fundamental task and makes respect for human rights a precondition, which speaks against a loosened export practice. The election manifesto wants to develop international defense cooperation but also ties Sweden's voice to international law and a rules-based order. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's demand.

• military disarmamentdecisive»Militär nedrustning är en fundamental uppgift för det internationella samarbetet.« (party programme ↗)“Military disarmament is a fundamental task for international cooperation.”
• human rights as condition»Respekten för de mänskliga rättigheterna är en förutsättning för demokrati.« (party programme ↗)“Respect for human rights is a precondition for democracy.”
• rules-based world order»Vi kommer att fortsätta arbetet för att öka respekten för de mänskliga rättigheterna, demokratin och en regelbaserad världsordning och global säkerhet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We will continue the work to increase respect for human rights, democracy and a rules-based world order and global security.”
• international defense cooperation»Vi vill fortsätta internationella samarbeten och utveckla cyberförsvaret och underrättelseförmågan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to continue international cooperation and develop cyber defense and intelligence capabilities.”

The party programme's goal is a phased-out arms export, and export to countries in armed conflict or where serious breaches of human rights occur should be abolished. The election manifesto furthermore states that Sweden should not start selling weapons to Turkey. The counter-proposal's requirement for relaxed export practice for increased exports to, among others, Israel goes directly counter to these commitments.

• phased-out arms exportdecisive»Miljöpartiet de grönas mål är därför en avvecklad vapenexport.« (party programme ↗)“The Green Party's goal is therefore a phased-out arms export.”
• export ban in armed conflict»Export av vapen och annan krigsmateriel till diktaturer, länder som befinner sig i väpnad konflikt eller där grova och omfattande kränkningar av mänskliga rättigheter förekommer ska avskaffas.« (party programme ↗)“Export of weapons and other war materiel to dictatorships, countries in armed conflict or where serious and extensive breaches of human rights occur should be abolished.”
• restrictive export practice»Sverige ska inte börja sälja vapen till Turkiet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should not start selling weapons to Turkey.”
• consistent peace policy»Sveriges insatser för fred är inte heller trovärdiga när vi samtidigt exporterar vapen till diktaturer och länder i fattigdom.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden's efforts for peace are also not credible when we at the same time export weapons to dictatorships and countries in poverty.”

Worldstate weighed in: ICJ orders Israel to stop its offensive in Rafah — Activates the plan's ban on export to countries in armed conflict and with human rights violations

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 manifesto describes an ongoing struggle between liberal democracy and authoritarian forces that must be won, and the party programme builds security through close cooperation with democracies and own defence capacity. Increased defence-industrial cooperation with threatened democracies can be derived from this, as can the line on free trade and more open markets. At the same time, the plan requires that human rights are protected in foreign policy, which makes support uncertain.

• support for liberal democraciesdecisive»Runtom i världen pågår en kamp mellan anhängare av den liberala demokratin och auktoritära krafter. Den måste vi vinna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Around the world there is a struggle between advocates of liberal democracy and authoritarian forces. We must win it.”
• own defence capacity»Sverige måste därför kunna försvara sitt eget territorium.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden must therefore be able to defend its own territory.”
• free trade with conditions»Sverige klarar sig inte utan frihandel. Öppna upp fler marknader för svenska varor och tjänster. Ställ hårdare krav på arbetsvillkor, miljö och klimat i handelsavtal.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden cannot manage without free trade. Open up more markets for Swedish goods and services. Set stricter demands on working conditions, environment and climate in trade agreements.”
• human rights in foreign policy»Utrikes- och säkerhetspolitiken syftar ytterst till att värna universella mänskliga fri- och rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“Foreign and security policy ultimately aims to protect universal human rights and freedoms.”

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's only explicit restriction for arms exports is that Sweden shall not export weapons to dictatorships, which leaves cooperation with democracies open. The plan moreover requires that Sweden do much more for cooperation in the free world and that trade policy benefit from free trade's advantages without naivety regarding Chinese power politics. The counter-proposal's requirement for oversight of export practice toward democracies under threat of war thus lies in line with the plan, even though no countries are named.

• export ban only against dictatorshipsdecisive»Sverige ska inte exportera vapen till diktaturer.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall not export weapons to dictatorships.”
• cooperation in the free world»Därför vill vi att Sverige gör mycket mer, både som enskilt land och inom internationella samarbeten, för fri- och rättigheter, frihandel, fria val och samarbete i den fria världen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore we want Sweden to do much more, both as a single country and within international cooperation, for freedoms and rights, free trade, free elections and cooperation in the free world.”
• free trade without naivety»Handels- och främjandepolitiken ska stärka Sverige som aktör för en friare värld och dra nytta av frihandelns fördelar utan den naivitet som alltför länge uppvisats för kinesisk och rysk maktpolitik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Trade and promotion policy shall strengthen Sweden as an actor for a freer world and benefit from free trade's advantages without the naivety that has for too long been shown toward Chinese and Russian power politics.”
• counter the threat from China»Globalt behöver försvarsalliansen vidare stärka sitt arbete mot hotet från Kina.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Globally, the defence alliance needs to further strengthen its work against the threat from China.”

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 sets explicit limits for weapons exports: it shall occur under careful control and not go to countries conducting offensive warfare or to states with systematic violations of human rights. Opening up for increased exports to one of the identified states, which is currently being waged war on, is against that commitment. The plan on the other hand affirms a domestic defence industry. The demand is rejected.

• no export to warring statesdecisive»Export ska ej gå till offensivt krigförande länder« (party programme ↗)“Export shall not go to countries conducting offensive warfare”
• no human-rights-violating recipients»till stater där det förekommer systematiska kränkningar av mänskliga rättigheter« (party programme ↗)“to states where systematic violations of human rights occur”
• offensive warfare not defensible»Aggression och offensivt krig är inte etiskt försvarbart.« (party programme ↗)“Aggression and offensive warfare are not ethically defensible.”
• domestic defence industry needed»en inhemsk försvarsindustri« (party programme ↗)“a domestic defence industry”

Worldstate weighed in: International Court of Justice orders Israel to stop the offensive in Rafah — activates the plan's prohibition on exports to countries conducting offensive warfare

The plan commits to whole-heartedly supporting Ukraine with continued arms supplies and for Swedish defence industry and technological knowledge to serve allies and like-minded nations. The counter-proposal demands increased defence industrial cooperation with threatened democracies and a review of restrictive export practice towards them. The plan's line on cooperation with like-minded democracies bears that demand.

• arms support to threatened democracydecisive»Sverige ska helhjärtat stå upp för Ukraina, även med fortsatta vapenleveranser.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden must whole-heartedly stand up for Ukraine, also with continued arms supplies.”
• defence industrial cooperation»Verka för att Sveriges teknologiska kunnande och kompetenta försvarsindustri kommer hela Nato till del« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for Sweden's technological knowledge and competent defence industry to serve the whole NATO”
• cooperation with like-minded»Sverige ska fortsätta att tillsammans med likasinnade nationer« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall continue to together with like-minded nations”
• support for democracies»Sverige ska vara en stark röst för frihet, demokrati och« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall be a strong voice for freedom, democracy 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 explicitly wants to restore and nurture the relationship with Israel as the region's only democracy, strengthen Swedish defence industry, and improve Sweden's position in international trade. A review of the very restrictive export practice towards vulnerable democracies with strong high-tech defence industry follows from these commitments, because the export both strengthens the industry and Swedish interests.

• restored Israel relationsdecisive»Relationen till Israel, som den enda demokratin i sin region, bör återupprättas och vårdas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Relations with Israel, as the only democracy in its region, should be restored and nurtured.”
• strengthened defence industry»Svensk försvarsindustri ska också stärkas genom att fortsatt satsa på inhemsk försvarsteknologi och att tydligare värdera det strategiska intresset av svenska leverantörer vid inköp av försvarsmateriel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish defence industry should also be strengthened by continuing to invest in domestic defence technology and by more clearly valuing the strategic interest of Swedish suppliers in defence material procurement.”
• strengthened Swedish trade»Förbättra Sveriges ställning på den internationella marknaden och i handel« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Improve Sweden's position in the international market and in trade”
• Swedish interests first»Värna svenska intressen i internationella sammanhang« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect Swedish interests in international contexts”