Procurement and import of war materials

The plan treats arms trade as a political issue and demands a ban on arms exports to states that wage wars of aggression and regimes that commit human rights violations. The same standard speaks for also regulating and investigating imports, and for stopping trade with a state considered to violate international law. The plan further asserts that Sweden makes the greatest difference by consistently defending international law and human rights.

• arms trade conditional on human rightsdecisive»förbjuda vapenexport till diktaturer, stater som för angreppskrig och regimer som begår brott mot de mänskliga rättigheterna.« (party programme ↗)“ban arms exports to dictatorships, states that wage wars of aggression and regimes that commit human rights violations.”
• defend international law»Sverige kan ofta göra störst skillnad genom att konsekvent försvara internationell rätt, mänskliga rättigheter och gemensamma ekonomiska insatser.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden can often make the greatest difference by consistently defending international law, human rights and joint economic efforts.”
• disarmament and fewer weapons»Världen behöver gå mot fred, nedrustning och färre vapen i cirkulation.« (party programme ↗)“The world needs to move toward peace, disarmament and fewer weapons in circulation.”

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The election manifesto's binding commitment is that defence appropriations shall increase to two per cent of GDP as soon as practically possible, and the plan wants to promote free trade and counter protectionism. New import restrictions and an immediate stop to all weapons trade with a single country lack support in the plan and complicate rapid material supply. The plan's international law commitments pull in the other direction, so the assessment is uncertain.

• rapid military rearmamentdecisive»Anslagen till det militära försvaret ska öka till motsvarande två procent av BNP. Det ska ske så fort det är praktiskt möjligt och senast år 2028.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Appropriations for military defence shall increase to the equivalent of two per cent of GDP. This shall happen as soon as practically possible and at the latest by 2028.”
• free trade and export promotion»Insatser för att främja svensk export, värna frihandeln och motverka protektionism.« (party programme ↗)“Efforts to promote Swedish exports, protect free trade and counter protectionism.”
• open and fair trade»Vi står upp för en öppen, fri och rättvis handel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We stand up for open, free and fair trade.”
• accountability for war crimes»Ingen straffrihet för folkmord, krigsförbrytelser och brott mot mänskligheten.« (party programme ↗)“No impunity for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

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 Israel's actions in Gaza as genocide and demands that Sweden acts consistently to end the occupation. It also establishes that the Swedish weapons industry, the import and export of weapons must never undermine work for peace, democratization and human rights. The counter-proposal's demands for an investigation of import regulations and for ending weapons trade with Israel follow directly from these commitments.

• act against Israel's genocidedecisive»Omvärldens oförmåga att ingripa mot Israels folkmord i Gaza har allvarligt skadat« (party programme ↗)“The international community's inability to intervene against Israel's genocide in Gaza has seriously damaged”
• weapons trade subordinate to human rights»av vapen, får aldrig urholka arbetet för fred, demokratisering och mänskliga rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“of weapons, must never undermine work for peace, democratization and human rights.”
• the occupation shall end»Israels ockupation upphör, så att en rättvis och hållbar fred kan åstadkommas.« (party programme ↗)“Israel's occupation ends, so that a just and sustainable peace can be achieved.”
• restrictive weapons trade»Sverige ska inte exportera vapen till diktaturer eller länder där allvarliga kränkningar av« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall not export weapons to dictatorships or countries where serious violations of”

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 requires that defence be strengthened quickly and forcefully and builds foreign trade policy on free trade rather than new trade barriers. An investigation requirement on arms import regulation that leads to immediate cessation of all weapons trade with a single country lacks support in the plan. The plan does state that foreign policy ultimately aims to protect human rights, but it assigns stricter requirements in trade agreements, not trade bans.

• quick defence strengtheningdecisive»Sverige ska försvaras. Vi vill rusta det militära försvaret snabbt, kraftfullt och långsiktigt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall be defended. We want to strengthen military defence quickly, forcefully and long-term.”
• free trade with requirements in agreements»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 do without free trade. Open up more markets for Swedish goods and services. Set stricter requirements on working conditions, environment and climate in trade agreements.”
• against trade barriers»Tullar och handelshinder begränsar konsumenters och producenters val.« (party programme ↗)“Tariffs and trade barriers limit consumers' and producers' choices.”
• 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's only explicit limitation in arms trade concerns export to dictatorships, not import from democracies. At the same time, the plan requires a significantly stronger military defence with new material supplied, which presupposes functioning materiel procurement. The counter-proposal's demands for import regulation and an immediate stop for all arms trade with Israel thus lack support in the plan.

• export prohibition against dictatorshipsdecisive»Sverige ska inte exportera vapen till diktaturer.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall not export weapons to dictatorships.”
• significantly strengthened defence»Sverige behöver ett betydligt starkare militärt försvar än i dag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs a significantly stronger military defence than today.”
• increased defence capacity»Sveriges nationella försvarsförmåga måste öka.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden's national defence capacity must increase.”
• values-based foreign policy»Målet med vår utrikespolitik är en friare värld för alla.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The goal of our foreign policy is a freer world for everyone.”

The party programme establishes that positive means such as dialogue and cooperation shall be used in the first place for human rights and that boycotts and sanctions are a last resort. The counter-proposal's demand to immediately discontinue all weapons trade with a single country is such a last resort that the plan does not wish to take first. The plan also regulates weapons exports, not imports, and requires a domestic defence industrial capacity.

• boycott only as a last resortdecisive»I främjandet av mänskliga rättigheter ska i första hand positiva verkningsmedel användas, som till exempel finansiellt stöd, samarbetsprojekt, samtal och dialoger för att främja mänskliga rättigheter. Som en sista utväg kan bojkott och sanktioner bli aktuella.« (party programme ↗)“In the promotion of human rights, positive means shall in the first place be used, such as for example financial support, cooperation projects, talks and dialogues to promote human rights. As a last resort, boycotts and sanctions can become relevant.”
• restrictions apply to exports»Export ska ej gå till offensivt krigförande länder eller till stater där det förekommer systematiska kränkningar av mänskliga rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“Exports shall not go to offensively warring countries or to states where systematic human rights violations occur.”
• domestic defence industry is required»vilket förutsätter en inhemsk försvarsindustri.« (party programme ↗)“which requires a domestic defence industry.”

The plan's defence policy is to quickly strengthen capability and materiel and to reach two percent of GDP, and foreign policy shall protect Swedish interests. To further regulate the import of war materiel and immediately cease all arms trade with a single country would complicate the supply of materiel without support in the plan's commitments. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's demands.

• strengthened supply of materieldecisive(2022 manifesto)
• rapid rearmament»Verka för att försvarsanslagen uppgår till motsvarande 2 procent av BNP redan år 2025« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work towards defence appropriations corresponding to 2 percent of GDP already in 2025”
• Swedish interests guideweak support»Svensk utrikespolitik ska värna svenska intressen.« (party programme ↗)“Swedish foreign policy shall protect Swedish interests.”
• strong defence»Sverige ska ha ett starkt försvar och förmåga att freda våra« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall have a strong defence and ability to protect our”

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The plan states that relations with Israel, as the only democracy in its region, should be restored and maintained, while sanctions are directed at states with negative development. The counter-proposal demands that all arms trade with Israel cease immediately and that imports be regulated, which directly contradicts that commitment. The plan's demand for the acquisition and maintenance of materiel also speaks against new obstacles to materiel purchases.

• maintained relations with Israeldecisive»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 maintained.”
• sanctions against non-democracies»Sverige bör verka för tydliga sanktioner mot Turkiet, Belarus, Ryssland och andra länder med en negativ utveckling.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should work for clear sanctions against Turkey, Belarus, Russia and other countries with negative development.”
• materiel supply»Satsa på uppgradering, nyanskaffning och vidmakthållande av materiel« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Invest in upgrading, acquisition and maintenance of materiel”
• Swedish interests first»Sverigedemokraterna vill att inriktningen av utrikespolitiken i högre utsträckning än idag ska värna svenskarnas intressen på det globala planet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want the direction of foreign policy to a greater extent than today protect Swedish interests on the global stage.”