Scrutiny of investments in media companies

The plan establishes that society's democratization requires a diversity of channels for information and opinion formation and that worldwide media monopolies restrict freedom of speech. It sees it as strategically important to break market power's grip on the internet, TV and culture and wants to value public service's independence. Including media companies in the scrutiny of foreign direct investment follows from these commitments.

• diversity of media channelsdecisive»Samhällets demokratisering kräver en mångfald av kanaler för information, nyheter, åsiktsbrytning och opinionsbildning.« (party programme ↗)“Society's democratization requires a diversity of channels for information, news, debate and opinion formation.”
• against media monopolies»Världsomfattande mediemonopol begränsar det fria ordet och människors rätt till kunskap.« (party programme ↗)“Worldwide media monopolies restrict freedom of speech and people's right to knowledge.”
• break market power over media»Marknadsmakten har ett starkt grepp om Internet, tv och kultur.« (party programme ↗)“Market power has a strong grip on the Internet, TV and culture.”
• independent public service»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, public education and public service's independent position.”

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 states that the Swedish people are targets for influence campaigns and misinformation and that the ability to resist this should be strengthened, which carries the requirement that investments in media companies are also scrutinized. The plan further wishes to provide constitutional protection for public service and ensure independent news dissemination, and the party programme makes countering media concentration a central task. The counter-proposal's requirement is therefore supported in substance.

• protection against influence campaignsdecisive»Svenska folket är måltavla för påverkanskampanjer och desinformation.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Swedish people are targets for influence campaigns and misinformation.”
• strengthened resilience»Arbetet för att stärka förmågan att stå emot cyberattacker och desinformation ska stärkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work to strengthen the ability to resist cyberattacks and misinformation should be strengthened.”
• independent media are protected»Vi vill grundlagsskydda public service. Mediestödet ska ge förutsättningar för oberoende och lokalt förankrad nyhetsförmedling i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We wish to provide constitutional protection for public service. Media support should provide conditions for independent and locally anchored news dissemination throughout the country.”
• counter media concentration»Att motverka maktkoncentration och att upprätthålla mångfald ska vara centrala delar av« (party programme ↗)“Countering media concentration and maintaining diversity should be central parts of”

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 laws that counteract excessive ownership concentrations and establishes that a democratic society requires factual information and active societal scrutiny. That scrutiny of foreign direct investment also covers media companies protects precisely the media diversity the plan values. The election manifesto furthermore wants to strengthen freedom of expression, support independent media and constitutionally protect an independent public service.

• counteract ownership concentrationdecisive»public service samt lagar som motverkar för stora« (party programme ↗)“public service and laws that counteract excessive”
• factual information and scrutiny»Ett demokratiskt samhälle kräver saklig information, aktiv samhällsgranskning och grävande« (party programme ↗)“A democratic society requires factual information, active societal scrutiny and investigative”
• independent media»förstärka yttrandefriheten och stödja oberoende medier i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen freedom of expression and support independent media throughout the country.”
• independent public service»skydda ett oberoende public service i grundlagen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect an independent public service in the constitution.”

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 establishes that independent media monitoring is crucial for democracy and that Sweden must be strengthened against internal threats, and it wants to explicitly strengthen resistance to external influence and infiltration of democracy's institutions. That review of foreign direct investments also covers media companies follows from this. The plan does not mention the review system, which is why the conclusion is derived.

• independent media as democracy protectiondecisive»En allsidig, oberoende och livskraftig mediebevakning i hela landet är avgörande för demokratin. Pressfriheten ska skyddas och oberoende public service försvaras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Comprehensive, independent and vital media monitoring throughout the country is crucial for democracy. Freedom of the press shall be protected and independent public service shall be defended.”
• resistance to external influence»De politiska partierna är sårbara mot påverkan och infiltration. Reglerna för finansiering av politiska partier bör skärpas och deras motståndskraft mot yttre påverkan och infiltration rustas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Political parties are vulnerable to influence and infiltration. Rules for political party financing should be tightened and their resistance to external influence and infiltration should be strengthened.”
• strengthen against internal threats»Sverige måste rustas även mot dessa hot.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden must be strengthened even against these threats.”

The plan establishes that acquisitions of strategic assets by undemocratic or totalitarian states in democratic countries must be seen in a security policy perspective, with clear risk of political blackmail. The independent role of the media is described as the foundation of any democracy and should be protected by law, and the plan wants to stop covert financing that turns activities into tools for extremist forces. Including media companies in the review of foreign direct investment therefore follows from the plan.

• security review of acquisitionsdecisive»odemokratiska eller rentav totalitära stater förvärvar strategiska tillgångar i demokratiska länder, till exempel« (party programme ↗)“undemocratic or even totalitarian states acquire strategic assets in democratic countries, for example”
• protect media independence»Mediernas oberoende roll och kritiska granskning är grunden i varje demokrati.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The independent role of the media and critical examination is the foundation of any democracy.”
• stop covert influence financing»Vi vill både stärka uppföljningen av bidragsgivning och stoppa dold finansiering av trossamfund« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want both to strengthen monitoring of funding and stop covert financing of religious communities”
• strategic assets as security issue»hamnar, elnät eller liknande, måste ses i ett säkerhetspolitiskt perspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“ports, power grids, or similar, must be seen in a security policy perspective.”

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 is based on a broadened security concept where modern society's vulnerability is included and Sweden must be able to meet attacks from international crime and cyber warfare. Independent and objective news reporting is accorded great value, which speaks for protecting media companies from improper foreign ownership. The plan's prohibition against public authorities interfering with freedom of expression requires at the same time great caution.

• broadened security conceptdecisive»möta angrepp från internationell kriminalitet, terrorism, cyberkrigföring« (party programme ↗)“meet attacks from international crime, terrorism, cyber warfare”
• society's vulnerability»moderna samhällets sårbarhet.« (party programme ↗)“modern society's vulnerability.”
• independent news reporting»Betydelsen av oberoende och reklamfria radio- och« (party programme ↗)“The importance of independent and commercial-free radio and”
• protection against interference in freedom of expression»det allmänna inte får ingripa mot yttrandefriheten« (party programme ↗)“public authorities may not interfere with freedom of expression”

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 wants to give companies in security-sensitive operations better state support against espionage and attacks from foreign powers and promise an action plan against hybrid threats, while independent and free media are identified as the most important counter-measure against disinformation campaigns. Allowing the review of foreign direct investment to also cover media companies protects precisely that function against foreign powers. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's demands in substance.

• protection against foreign powersdecisive»Ge företag som är engagerade i säkerhetskänslig verksamhet bättre stöd från staten att kunna möta cyberattacker, spionage och stöldförsök från främmande makt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Give companies engaged in security-sensitive operations better support from the state to meet cyberattacks, espionage and theft attempts from foreign powers”
• action plan against hybrid threats»Införa en handlingsplan med konkreta åtgärder mot hybridhot och cyberattacker« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce an action plan with concrete measures against hybrid threats and cyberattacks”
• independent media as democracy foundation»En mångfald av fria och oberoende medier som håller hög kvalitet spelar en helt avgörande roll för det öppna och demokratiska samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A diversity of free and independent media that maintain high quality plays a completely decisive role in an open and democratic society.”
• strengthened security protection»Stärka Säkerhetspolisen för att öka deras förmåga att skydda den liberala demokratin och landets alla medborgare« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the Security Police to increase their capacity to protect liberal democracy and all the country's citizens”

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 points out that individual actors based abroad gain such influence over what information reaches people that it constitutes a major democratic vulnerability, and wants to reduce the possibility for the state or large private corporations to influence information flows for political reasons. The plan also wants to prevent foreign financing of extremist organisations and strengthen work against hybrid threats. Including media companies in the scrutiny of foreign direct investment therefore follows the plan's direction.

• foreign influence as vulnerabilitydecisive»Att enskilda aktörer, ofta med bas i utlandet, ges sådant inflytande över vilken information som når fram är ur ett demokratiskt perspektiv en stor sårbarhet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That individual actors, often based abroad, gain such influence over what information reaches people is, from a democratic perspective, a major vulnerability.”
• protect information flows»Minska möjligheten för staten eller privata storbolag att påverka informationsflöden utifrån politiska intressen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce the possibility for the state or large private corporations to influence information flows for political reasons”
• stop foreign financing»Hindra utländsk finansiering av extremistiska trossamfund och organisationer« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prevent foreign financing of extremist religious communities and organisations”
• counter hybrid threats»Förstärka det europeiska samarbetet mot islamistiska organisationer, hybridhot och terrorism« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen European cooperation against Islamist organisations, hybrid threats and terrorism”

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.