The Regulation of Free Passage

The plan establishes that the shoreline protection law gives the public access to coasts and lakes and that protection of shoreline areas safeguards the right to public access to nature. A counter-proposal that wants to establish clear rules about free passage along beaches realizes precisely that commitment. The plan does not address the legal technique, but its principle that access shall apply to everyone and not only landowners leads to support.

• shoreline protection gives public accessdecisive»Samma sak gäller strandskyddet, som ger allmänheten« (party programme ↗)“The same applies to shoreline protection, which gives the public”
• access to coasts and lakes»tillträde till kuster och sjöar, bevarar känsliga djur- och växtliv och« (party programme ↗)“access to coasts and lakes, preserves sensitive animals and plants and”
• protection of shoreline areas»Skyddet av skogs- och strandområden är en viktig del för att värna den svenska allemansrätten och den biologiska mångfalden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protection of forest and shoreline areas is an important part of safeguarding the Swedish right to public access to nature and biological diversity.”
• the right to public access applies to all»Allemansrätten, som ger var och en fritt« (party programme ↗)“The right to public access to nature, which gives everyone free”

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 does not address free passage through shore protection, but the party's fundamental view is that access to common resources should apply to all and should not be determined by one's wallet, and that natural values should be protected from exploitation beyond what is long-term sustainable. Clear rules guaranteeing free passage along the beaches follow from that attitude. The conclusion is derived and uncertain.

• equal access for alldecisive»Tillgången till fritidsaktiviteter till rimliga kostnader, både vad gäller idrott och kultur, behöver öka. Föräldrarnas plånbok ska inte avgöra.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Access to recreational activities at reasonable costs, both for sports and culture, must increase. Parents' wallet should not decide.”
• limit on sustainable use»naturtillgångar och ekosystem utnyttjas i dag över gränsen för det långsiktigt hållbara, och« (party programme ↗)“natural resources and ecosystems are today used beyond the limit of what is long-term sustainable, and”
• protection of natural values»biologiska mångfalden måste skyddas.« (party programme ↗)“biological diversity must be protected”

The election manifesto explicitly promises to defend the right to roam freely and strengthen beach protection, which is precisely what legal rules for guaranteed free passage along beaches do. The party programme furthermore establishes that protection of beaches should be expanded and strengthened, not kept unchanged. The counter-proposal's demand thus aligns with the plan.

• strengthened beach protectiondecisive»försvara allemansrätten och stärka strandskyddet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“defend the right to roam freely and strengthen beach protection”
• expanded protection of beaches»Skyddet av hav, skogar, våtmarker, stränder och flera andra biotoper måste utvidgas och skärpas.« (party programme ↗)“Protection of seas, forests, wetlands, beaches and several other biotopes must be expanded and strengthened.”
• right to roam freely threatened»Också allemansrätten hotas av ekonomiska intressen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The right to roam freely is also threatened by economic interests.”
• public access»Vi vill att både du och dina barn ska kunna njuta av våra sandstränder« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want both you and your children to be able to enjoy our sandy beaches”

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 requires that the shoreline protection be reformed so that it becomes easier to build and live in rural areas and that rural residents have more self-determination over their own land. A new statutory requirement for guaranteed free passage goes in the opposite direction and adds precisely the kind of regulation the party wants to remove. The plan certainly values the public's access to nature, but the growth-friendly shoreline protection is the explicit commitment and weighs most here.

• more growth-friendly shoreline protectiondecisive»Strandskyddet ska reformeras så att det blir lättare att bygga och bo på landsbygden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The shoreline protection should be reformed to make it easier to build and live in rural areas.”
• self-determination over own land»Det är dags att ge landsbygdsborna mer självbestämmande över sin egen mark, och genom regelförenklingar göra det enklare att bygga och bo på landsbygden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is time to give rural residents more self-determination over their own land, and through regulatory simplifications make it easier to build and live in rural areas.”
• fewer rules in rural areas»Dyra, krångliga och innovationshämmande regelverk ligger som en våt filt över delar av landsbygden. Vi ska rensa upp bland överflödiga regler och byråkrati.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Expensive, complicated and innovation-hindering regulations lie like a wet blanket over parts of rural areas. We will clean up unnecessary rules and bureaucracy.”
• public access to nature»Naturen har unika värden som alla måste kunna ta del av.« (party programme ↗)“Nature has unique values that everyone must be able to share in.”

The party programme states that the public's access to shores should be cherished and that public access is central. The election manifesto wants to reform shore protection but at the same time maintain protection where pressure is high. A law-fixed requirement for free passage secures precisely the access the plan cherishes without preventing shore-near building in rural areas, and the plan therefore speaks for the counter-proposal's demand.

• public's access to shoresdecisive»Allmänhetens tillgång till skog, mark och stränder ska värnas.« (party programme ↗)“The public's access to forests, land and shores shall be cherished.”
• public access is cherished»Allemansrätten ska värnas.« (party programme ↗)“Public access shall be cherished.”
• reformed but maintained shore protection»Allemansrätten och det svenska skogsbruket ska värnas, samtidigt som strandskyddet reformeras så att det blir enklare att bygga strandnära på landsbygden medan skyddet upprätthålls där det finns känsliga ekosystem och högt tryck på byggande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Public access and Swedish forestry shall be cherished, while shore protection is reformed so it becomes easier to build near shores in rural areas while protection is maintained where there are sensitive ecosystems and high pressure for building.”

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 keeps coastal protection in tight reins: it shall not be applied generally but only where there is reason, and the rules shall be applied equally. A new statutory addition guaranteeing free passage would place an additional general restriction on the property owner, which goes against the plan's line on property rights and that coastal protection rules must not create unnecessary obstacles. The counter-proposal's demand for new mandatory legal rules is therefore rejected.

• restrictive coastal protectiondecisive»Ett strandskydd bör inte tillämpas generellt utan användas i områden där det finns skäl för det.« (party programme ↗)“Coastal protection should not be applied generally but be used in areas where there is reason for it.”
• uniform application»Strandskyddsregler ska tillämpas lika där förutsättningarna är lika.« (party programme ↗)“Coastal protection rules shall be applied equally where conditions are equal.”
• property rights as a right»Rätten till egendom är en mänsklig rättighet och därför ska en regel finnas i grundlagen som garanterar fullgod ersättning vid olika former av inskränkningar i äganderätten.« (party programme ↗)“The right to property is a human right and therefore a rule should exist in the constitution that guarantees full compensation for various forms of restrictions on property rights.”
• protect landowner's right»äganderätten över skogen hotas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“the right to property in the forest is threatened”

The plan's operative commitment on coastal areas is that today's coastal protection shall be abolished to enable increased building, and that the owner of land shall be allowed to use their ownership as they see fit. A new statutory requirement for guaranteed free passage instead adds regulation and restricts the landowner. The plan does wish to protect the right of public access to nature, but does not bear the requirement for new legislation.

• abolished coastal protectiondecisive»Avskaffa dagens strandskydd för att möjliggöra ökat byggande« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Abolish today's coastal protection to enable increased building”
• owner's right to dispose»rätt att använda sitt ägande efter eget huvud ska vara vägledande« (party programme ↗)“the right to use your ownership as you see fit shall be guiding”
• protected right of public access»Vi ska slå vakt om allemansrätten« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall protect the right of public access to nature”

The election manifesto establishes that shore protection regulations need to be relaxed so it becomes easier to live and build near water, especially in rural areas. The counter-proposal's demand for new legal rules guaranteeing free passage instead imposes a new restriction on top of the easements. The plan certainly values public access rights, but the balance should be maintained against private property rights. Therefore, the plan speaks against the demand.

• relaxed shore protectiondecisive»För att det ska bli verklighet behöver strandskyddsreglerna mildras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“For this to become reality, shore protection regulations need to be relaxed.”
• building near water»Det är attraktivt att få bo och att få bygga nära vatten, därför är ett rimligt strandskydd som i högre grad tillåter byggande, en viktig landsbygdsfråga.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is attractive to live and build near water, therefore a reasonable shore protection that to a higher degree permits building is an important rural question.”
• reformed shore protection»Reformera strandskyddet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reform shore protection”
• valued public access rights»Sverigedemokraterna slår vakt om allemansrätten« (party programme ↗)“The Sweden Democrats stand guard over public access rights”