2024-04-032023/24:KU16 · p.3KUConstitution
Party financing
The transparency committee's mandate on party financing and lobbying regulation
What's at stake: How parties are financed and who can influence them through lobbying affects citizens' ability to know who funds politics and how vulnerable the system is to foreign influence or internal concentration of power within parties.
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, through supplementary directives, expand the mandate of the transparency committee already appointed — for instance to stop local party contributions being channelled up to party leaderships and to examine state-owned companies' indirect funding of parties' opinion-shaping work — or whether the committee's current mandate on openness in party financing and lobbying contacts is sufficient.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that a committee has already been tasked with examining stronger transparency in party financing, including questions on anonymous and foreign donations and transparency around lobbying contacts, and considers that several motions are thereby addressed; the committee sees no reason to expand the committee's mandate further at this time.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 3 (S)
The reservation (S) wants the government to expand the transparency committee's mandate through supplementary directives so that it also examines measures against local party contributions being channelled up to party leaderships and reviews whether it is reasonable for state-owned companies to indirectly fund parties' opinion-shaping work through fees to employer associations.
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.
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: LLiberalerna
Ja 152–93Ja 138–107
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 | Abstain 0/0/21/3 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | No 0/92/0/14 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| MP | No | Abstain 0/0/14/4 | differs | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | No | Abstain 0/0/21/3 | differs | confidence: high | explicit |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 15/0/0/4 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | differs | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 63/0/0/9 | differs | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdagen rejects the motions 2023/24:440 by Jessica Wetterling et al. (V) demands 14 and 15, 2023/24:1137 by Oliver Rosengren and Lars Beckman (both M), 2023/24:1791 by Niels Paarup-Petersen (C) demands 1 and 2, 2023/24:1793 by Rickard Nordin (C), 2023/24:2490 by Malin Björk et al. (C) demands 12 and 13, 2023/24:2669 by Märta Stenevi et al. (MP) demands 161 and 162 and 2023/24:2685 by Ida Karkiainen et al. (S) demand 6.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2023/24:440 av Jessica Wetterling m.fl. (V) yrkandena 14 och 15, 2023/24:1137 av Oliver Rosengren och Lars Beckman (båda M), 2023/24:1791 av Niels Paarup-Petersen (C) yrkandena 1 och 2, 2023/24:1793 av Rickard Nordin (C), 2023/24:2490 av Malin Björk m.fl. (C) yrkandena 12 och 13, 2023/24:2669 av Märta Stenevi m.fl. (MP) yrkandena 161 och 162 samt 2023/24:2685 av Ida Karkiainen m.fl. (S) yrkande 6.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdagen said no to approximately 90 proposals in motions regarding constitutional matters from the general motion period 2023. The motions deal, among other things, with membership in the EU, the subsidiarity review within the EU and party financing, regulation of lobbyists and changes in legislation regarding cooling-off periods for government ministers and senior state officials. The Riksdagen refers, among other things, to ongoing work.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to prevent party contributions for local work from being directed upward to party leadership and review the financing of party opinion-building activities. (S) — 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 starts from the assumption that democratically elected decision-makers adapt themselves to powerful economic interests beyond popular control and that politics' role must be restored through accountability.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan starts from the assumption that democratically elected decision-makers adapt themselves to powerful economic interests beyond popular control and that politics' role must be restored through accountability. Examining whether state-owned companies indirectly finance parties' opinion-formation also lies close to the plan's requirement that publicly owned businesses shall be steered by a democratically decided ownership strategy with the public benefit at the centre. Increased transparency in party financing follows from these commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Planen utgår från att demokratiskt valda beslutsfattare anpassar sig till mäktiga ekonomiska intressen bortom folkets kontroll och att politikens roll måste återupprättas genom ansvarsutkrävande. Att granska om statligt ägda bolag indirekt finansierar partiers opinionsbildning ligger dessutom nära planens krav på att samhällsägda företag ska styras av en demokratiskt beslutad ägarstrategi med samhällsnyttan i centrum. Ökad insyn i partifinansiering följer av dessa åtaganden.
- capital's power over politicsdecisive»beslutsfattare anpassar sig till mäktiga ekonomiska intressen bortom« (party programme ↗)“decision-makers adapt themselves to powerful economic interests beyond”
- democratic governance of state enterprises»Samhällsägda företag ska ha en demokratiskt beslutad ägarstrategi« (party programme ↗)“Publicly owned companies shall have a democratically decided ownership strategy”
- hold the powerful accountable»Att återupprätta politikens roll, och utkräva ansvar från de som bestämmer, är något som du är med och gör.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To restore politics' role, and hold those who decide accountable, is something you are part of doing.”
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 demands that parties openly disclose the contributions they receive from external organisations, interests and companies, and that all actors with all their might prevent any form of improper influence.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly demands that parties openly disclose the contributions they receive from external organisations, interests and companies, and that all actors with all their might prevent any form of improper influence. Testing whether local contributions are funnelled upward and whether state-owned companies indirectly finance parties' opinion formation is to realise precisely that commitment. The plan also bases the entire democratic process on transparency and openness.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver uttryckligen att partier öppet ska redovisa de bidrag de får från utomstående organisationer, intressen och företag, och att alla aktörer med all kraft ska förhindra varje form av otillbörlig påverkan. Att pröva om lokala bidrag slussas uppåt och om statligt ägda bolag indirekt finansierar partiers opinionsbildning är att förverkliga just det åtagandet. Planen bygger dessutom hela den demokratiska processen på offentlighet och insyn.
- open disclosure of party contributionsdecisive»Partierna ska vara skyldiga att öppet redovisa de bidrag de erhåller« (party programme ↗)“Parties must be obliged to openly disclose the contributions they receive”
- prevent improper influence»ett gemensamt ansvar att med all kraft förhindra all form av otillbörlig påverkan« (party programme ↗)“a shared responsibility to with all force prevent all forms of improper influence”
- openness and transparency»Den demokratiska processen och samhällsförvaltningen måste bygga på offentlighet« (party programme ↗)“The democratic process and public administration must be based on openness”
The party programme explicitly requires a law that political parties and candidates should disclose their donors, that all forms of corruption be combated especially in the political sphere and that influence should not be determined by economic resources.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme explicitly requires a law that political parties and candidates should disclose their donors, that all forms of corruption be combated especially in the political sphere and that influence should not be determined by economic resources. That verification of foreign direct investment also covers circumvention via local party donations and indirect financing from state-owned companies is precisely the transparency the plan requires.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet kräver uttryckligen en lag om att partier och kandidater ska offentliggöra sina bidragsgivare, att alla former av korruption motarbetas inte minst i den politiska sfären och att inflytande inte ska avgöras av ekonomiska resurser. Att pröva kringgående via lokala partibidrag och indirekt finansiering från statligt ägda bolag är precis den insyn planen kräver.
- transparency about party donationsdecisive»Vi vill ha en lag om att politiska partier och enskilda kandidater ska offentliggöra sina bidragsgivare.« (party programme ↗)“We want a law that political parties and individual candidates should disclose their donors.”
- corruption in politics must be fought»Alla former av korruption måste motarbetas. Det gäller inte minst inom den politiska sfären.« (party programme ↗)“All forms of corruption must be combated. That applies especially within the political sphere.”
- regulated lobbying»Inflytande ska inte avgöras av vilka ekonomiska resurser man har, och därför ska lobbyismen regleras« (party programme ↗)“Influence should not be determined by what economic resources one has, and therefore lobbying should be regulated”
- public scrutiny of power»Medborgarna ska alltid kunna granska makten.« (party programme ↗)“Citizens should always be able to scrutinize power.”
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 states that the rules for funding political parties should be tightened and that parties' resilience against influence should be strengthened, and wants Sweden to become even more transparent.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto states that the rules for funding political parties should be tightened and that parties' resilience against influence should be strengthened, and wants Sweden to become even more transparent. Testing measures against local contributions being funneled upward and examining indirect financing through state-owned enterprises is a direct application of that commitment. The party programme makes openness the protection against corruption.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att reglerna för finansiering av politiska partier bör skärpas och att partiernas motståndskraft mot påverkan ska rustas, och vill att Sverige blir ännu mer transparent. Att pröva åtgärder mot att lokala bidrag slussas uppåt och att granska indirekt finansiering via statligt ägda bolag är en direkt tillämpning av det åtagandet. Partiprogrammet gör öppenhet till skyddet mot korruption.
- tightened rules for party fundingdecisive»Reglerna för finansiering av politiska partier bör skärpas och deras motståndskraft mot yttre påverkan och infiltration rustas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The rules for funding political parties should be tightened and their resilience against external influence and infiltration strengthened.”
- increased transparency»Sverige ska bli ännu mer transparent.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should become even more transparent.”
- openness against corruption»Öppenhet och transparens är grundförutsättningar för frihet, demokrati och för att förhindra korruption och övergrepp.« (party programme ↗)“Openness and transparency are fundamental requirements for freedom, democracy and to prevent corruption and abuses.”
- anti-corruption measures»Vi vill inrätta en antikorruptionsmyndighet, skärpa regler mot korruption och införa ett lobbyregister.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to establish an anti-corruption authority, tighten anti-corruption rules and introduce a lobby register.”
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 demands that parties' obligation to disclose sources for their financing is regulated in law, which supports the requirement to also examine hidden ways for party contributions.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan demands that parties' obligation to disclose sources for their financing is regulated in law, which supports the requirement to also examine hidden ways for party contributions. To examine whether state-owned enterprises indirectly finance parties' opinion-forming follows from the plan's line that the public should only conduct business when there is strong public interest and from the importance of the principle of public access. An expansion of the committee's mandate is thereby in line with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att partiernas skyldighet att redovisa källorna för sin finansiering regleras i lag, vilket bär kravet på att också dolda vägar för partibidrag prövas. Att granska om statligt ägda bolag indirekt finansierar partiers opinionsbildning följer av planens linje att det offentliga bara ska driva affärsverksamhet vid starkt samhällsintresse och av offentlighetsprincipens vikt. En utvidgning av kommitténs uppdrag ligger därför i linje med planen.
- law-regulated party financingdecisive»källorna för sin finansiering ska vara reglerad i lag.« (party programme ↗)“sources for their financing shall be regulated in law.”
- public access and transparency»Offentlighetsprincipen har en grundläggande betydelse« (party programme ↗)“The principle of public access has fundamental importance”
- limited state business»Det offentliga ska endast driva affärsverksamhet om det finns ett starkt samhällsintresse.« (party programme ↗)“The public should only conduct business if there is strong public interest.”
- living democracy»Demokratin förutsätter aktiva medborgare och ett levande demokratiskt samtal.« (party programme ↗)“Democracy presupposes active citizens and a living democratic conversation.”
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 party programme builds its view of democracy on secrecy being used restrictively and power not being concentrated with one party, and the election manifesto highlights honesty as a guiding value.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme builds its view of democracy on secrecy being used restrictively and power not being concentrated with one party, and the election manifesto highlights honesty as a guiding value. Testing whether local party contributions are funnelled upwards and whether state-owned companies indirectly finance parties' opinion formation is insight of exactly the kind the plan advocates. The demand for politically independent organisations supports the same conclusion.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet bygger demokratisynen på att sekretess ska användas restriktivt och att för mycket makt inte får samlas hos ett parti, och valmanifestet lyfter hederlighet som ett bärande värde. Att pröva om lokala partibidrag slussas uppåt och om statligt ägda bolag indirekt finansierar partiers opinionsbildning är insyn av just det slag planen förordar. Kravet på partipolitiskt oberoende organisationer stödjer samma slutsats.
- openness and transparencydecisive»Sekretessmöjligheten ska nyttjas restriktivt.« (party programme ↗)“Secrecy possibilities should be used restrictively.”
- honesty in politics»främja goda värden som medmänsklighet ansvarstagande, förvaltarskap, hederlighet, måttfullhet och jämställdhet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“promote good values such as human kindness, responsibility, stewardship, honesty, moderation and equality”
- against power concentration»makt inte får läggas i en enskild människas, grupps eller partis händer.« (party programme ↗)“power shall not be placed in the hands of a single person, group or party.”
- politically independent organisations»Starka och partipolitiskt oberoende fackföreningar« (party programme ↗)“Strong and politically independent trade unions”
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 documents do not address party financing.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The documents do not address party financing. The closest principle is that all public exercise of power must be followed by accountability that can be enforced, and that public waste and improper use of tax money must be combated. To examine whether local party contributions are channelled upwards and whether state-owned companies indirectly finance parties' opinion-building is in line with that transparency principle.
Original (Swedish)
Dokumenten behandlar inte partifinansiering. Närmast liggande princip är att med all offentlig maktutövning ska följa ett ansvar som går att utkräva, och att offentligt slöseri och otillbörlig användning av skattemedel ska bekämpas. Att pröva om lokala partibidrag slussas uppåt och om statligt ägda bolag indirekt finansierar partiers opinionsbildning ligger i linje med den insynsprincipen.
- accountability in public exercise of powerdecisive»Skärpa tjänstemannaansvaret så att du som skattebetalare vet att med all offentlig maktutövning följer ett ansvar för de beslut som fattas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen public official accountability so that you as a taxpayer know that all public exercise of power is followed by accountability for the decisions that are made”
- respect for tax money»Offentligt slöseri i alla former ska bekämpas.« (party programme ↗)“Public waste in all forms must be combated.”
- control over tax money»Stoppa utbetalningar av skattemedel till extremister« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop payments of tax money to extremists”
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 explicitly points out that trade unions and other organizations with public missions are linked to party politics in a way that risks distorting the democratic prerequisites.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly points out that trade unions and other organizations with public missions are linked to party politics in a way that risks distorting the democratic prerequisites. The counter-proposal's demand to examine whether state-owned companies indirectly finance parties' opinion-forming via employer contributions, and to stop the funneling of local party contributions upwards, hits precisely this. The plan furthermore wants to increase transparency and reduce political control of opinion-forming.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet pekar uttryckligen ut att fackförbund och andra organisationer med samhällsuppdrag är partipolitiskt knutna på ett sätt som riskerar att snedvrida de demokratiska förutsättningarna. Motförslagets krav på att granska om statligt ägda bolag indirekt finansierar partiers opinionsbildning via arbetsgivaravgifter, och att stoppa slussning av lokala partibidrag uppåt, träffar just detta. Planen vill dessutom öka transparensen och minska den politiska styrningen av opinionsbildningen.
- against party political distortiondecisive»Inom civilsamhället är både fackförbund och andra organisationer med viktiga samhällsuppdrag i hög grad partipolitiskt knutna på ett sätt som riskerar att snedvrida de demokratiska förutsättningarna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Within civil society, both trade unions and other organizations with important public missions are to a high degree linked to party politics in a way that risks distorting the democratic prerequisites.”
- increased transparency»Tjänstemannaansvar ska införas och åtgärder ska genomföras för att öka transparensen och möjligheten att utkräva politiskt ansvarsutkrävande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Official responsibility shall be introduced and measures shall be implemented to increase transparency and the possibility to exercise political accountability.”
- reliable electoral system»Det svenska valsystemet bör stärkas för att garantera att allmänna val kan genomföras på ett tillförlitligt sätt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Swedish electoral system should be strengthened to guarantee that general elections can be conducted in a reliable manner.”
- reduced political control»Mediernas oberoende ska öka genom minskad politisk styrning från statsmakten och åtgärder för en ökad mångfald.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Media independence should increase through reduced political control from the state and measures for increased diversity.”
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:KU16)
- Committee report full text (HB01KU16)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2023/24:1121 — Karensregler för tunga regeringsföreträdare av Jan Ericson (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1137 — Skydd för arbetare mot påtvingad partisponsring av Oliver Rosengren och Lars Beckman (båda M)
- Motion 2023/24:1149 — Former för att säkerställa medborgarnas informerade och fria åsikter vid folkomröstning av Staffan Eklöf (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1156 — En mer demokratisk process vid ingående av avtal för Sveriges räkning av Staffan Eklöf (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1157 — Folklig granskning inför ratificering av internationella avtal av Staffan Eklöf (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1247 — Ett modernt statsskick av Niels Paarup-Petersen m.fl. (C, S, L, MP, V)
- Motion 2023/24:1299 — Grundlagsfästning av public service av Hanna Westerén (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1354 — Skydd för gemensam egendom av Niklas Karlsson och Joakim Sandell (båda S)
- Motion 2023/24:1395 — Värn för demokratin av Ann-Sofie Alm (M)
- Motion 2023/24:1457 — Riksrevisionens uppgift av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1472 — Löpande och transparent redovisning av korruptionsärenden vid svenska utrikesmyndigheter av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1473 — Förtroendevaldas närvaro och arvodessystemet av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2023/24:160 — Kristendomen formaliserad i regeringsformen av Erik Hellsborn (SD)
- Motion 2023/24:1702 — Demokratiskt val av statschef av Teresa Carvalho m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:1791 — Avskaffande av anonyma partibidrag av Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)
- Motion 2023/24:1793 — Öppenhet kring lokala partiers finansiering av Rickard Nordin (C)
- Motion 2023/24:1963 — Anmälningsplikt för medlemskap i ordenssällskap och hemliga sällskap av Tomas Kronståhl m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2007 — Reglering av pr-byråer och lobbyister av Peter Hultqvist m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2023/24:2108 — Ändamålsenlig grundlag av Jesper Skalberg Karlsson och Johan Hultberg (båda M)
- Motion 2023/24:2374 — Grundlagsskydd för public service av Magnus Manhammar (S)
Source: The Swedish Parliament