The Status of the Swedish Language

The party programme establishes that a strong welfare society shall give everyone language skills and practical opportunities to work and live on the same secure conditions as others, and sees school and public education as democratic infrastructure that builds togetherness. A broad review of how society can increase linguistic participation serves that commitment, which according to the plan must not stop at school. The plan does not mention any such review, so the position is inferred.

• language skills for everyonedecisive»som ger alla språkkunskaper och praktiska möjligheter att arbeta« (party programme ↗)“which gives everyone language skills and practical opportunities to work”
• participation as a democracy question»som kan bygga sammanhållning och stärka förmågan att delta« (party programme ↗)“which can build togetherness and strengthen the ability to participate”
• public education throughout society»Därför är det särskilt viktigt att satsa på och utveckla folkbiblioteken, folkbildningen och public services oberoende ställning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore it is especially important to invest in and develop public libraries, public education and public services' independent position.”
• minority language position»de nationella minoriteternas rättigheter till identitet, språk, kulturarv« (party programme ↗)“the rights of national minorities to identity, language, cultural heritage”

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 makes language a central integration issue: learning good Swedish is decisive, language requirements are introduced in preschool and elderly care with accompanying language education and a language boost for childcare is promised. A broad review of how society can increase linguistic participation throughout society, not just in schools and libraries, directly addresses this commitment. The role of folk education reinforces the conclusion.

• Swedish language as keydecisive»Att lära sig god svenska, delta i arbetsmarknadsinsatser och studier är centralt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Learning good Swedish, participating in labour market initiatives and studies is central”
• language requirements with language education»Vi vill införa språkkrav för anställda inom förskola och äldreomsorg, med möjlighet till språkutbildning för den som inte har tillräckliga kunskaper« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to introduce language requirements for employees in preschool and elderly care, with the possibility of language education for those without sufficient skills”
• language boost in childcare»Vi vill se ett språklyft för barnomsorgen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to see a language boost for childcare”
• folk education for participation»Folkbildning ger stark demokrati och möjligheter till personlig utveckling vid sidan av den formella utbildningen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Folk education provides strong democracy and opportunities for personal development alongside formal education”

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 establishes that all who need it shall be offered high-quality Swedish language instruction and that other mother tongues shall be seen as resources; the election manifesto wants to strengthen the establishment of foreign-born women through SFI combined with practice and vocational training. A broad review of how society can contribute to increased language inclusion lies in line with this, even though the plan does not mention such a review.

• high-quality Swedish language instructiondecisive»Alla som behöver ska erbjudas en högkvalitativ« (party programme ↗)“All who need it shall be offered high-quality”
• SFI and establishment»stärk utrikesfödda kvinnors etablering genom SFI kombinerad med praktik och yrkesutbildning och jämställda insatser från arbetsförmedlingen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen the establishment of foreign-born women through SFI combined with practice and vocational training and equal efforts from the employment service.”
• multilingualism as a resource»Andra modersmål än svenska ska ses som fördelar« (party programme ↗)“Other mother tongues than Swedish shall be seen as advantages”
• libraries for reading and democracy»stärka biblioteken i deras viktiga arbete för läsning och demokrati.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen libraries in their important work for reading and democracy.”

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 builds on language being the key to participation and requires intensive language studies, Swedish at work and special initiatives for foreign-born women. A broad review of how society outside schools and libraries can contribute to increased linguistic participation aligns with that. The plan therefore supports the requirement.

• language for participationdecisive»Det kräver intensiva språkstudier, praktik, en effektiv matchning och jobb — inklusive möjligheten att lära sig svenska på jobbet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It requires intensive language studies, practice, effective matching and work — including the opportunity to learn Swedish at work.”
• language and empowerment»Fler utrikes födda kvinnor måste få en chans att jobba, lära sig svenska och till fullo komma in i det svenska samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More foreign-born women must get a chance to work, learn Swedish and fully enter Swedish society.”
• quick access to language»Att snabbt kunna få tillgång till språk,« (party programme ↗)“To quickly be able to get access to language,”
• language education in integration»Integrationen ska präglas av intensiv praktik och språkutbildning, med hårt arbete och höga förväntningar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Integration shall be characterised by intensive practice and language education, with hard work and high expectations.”

The election manifesto makes the Swedish language the key to Sweden because inadequate language skills perpetuate exclusion, and the party programme establishes Swedish as the society-bearing language while authorities shall provide important information in the largest immigrant languages. Linguistic participation throughout society, not just in schools and libraries, is thus the plan's own line. A comprehensive review of how society can increase that participation is therefore supported.

• language as the key to integrationdecisive»Svenska språket är nyckeln till Sverige. Bristande språkkunskaper permanentar utanförskap.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Swedish language is the key to Sweden. Inadequate language skills perpetuate exclusion.”
• Swedish as the society-bearing language»Svenska är och ska vara det samhällsbärande språket.« (party programme ↗)“Swedish is and shall be the society-bearing language.”
• multilingual government information»tillhandahålla viktig information på de största invandrarspråken.« (party programme ↗)“provide important information in the largest immigrant languages.”
• responsibility and right to Swedish»Den som är nyanländ har både ansvar och rättighet att skaffa sig kunskaper i svenska.« (party programme ↗)“Those newly arrived have both responsibility and the right to acquire knowledge of Swedish.”

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 identifies knowledge of the Swedish language as one of the keys to integration and requires that immigrants are guaranteed good opportunities for teaching in Swedish and about Swedish society. It also wants the Swedish language's position as majority language to be protected in the constitution. A broad review of how society can contribute to increased linguistic participation follows from these commitments.

• language as key to integrationdecisive»Jobb, kunskap i svenska språket och det civila samhället är viktiga nycklar till integration.« (party programme ↗)“Work, knowledge of the Swedish language and civil society are important keys to integration.”
• teaching in Swedish»undervisning i svenska språket och om det svenska« (party programme ↗)“teaching in the Swedish language and about Swedish”
• Swedish language position»det svenska språket, vars ställning som majoritetsspråk bör vara grundlagsskyddat.« (party programme ↗)“the Swedish language, whose position as majority language should be constitutionally protected.”
• improved integration»FÖRBÄTTRAD INTEGRATION« (2022 manifesto ↗)“IMPROVED INTEGRATION”

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 makes the Swedish language a central social policy issue far beyond school: language requirements for permanent residence and citizenship, language requirements for staff in healthcare and elderly care and early interventions in preschool. The counter-proposal's demand for a broad review of how society can increase language participation is in line with that stance. The plan states that the Swedish language is one of the most important measures against segregation.

• Swedish language breaks segregationdecisive»De enskilt viktigaste åtgärderna för att bryta segregationen handlar om kvaliteten i undervisningen och det svenska språket.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The single most important measures to break segregation are about the quality of teaching and the Swedish language.”
• language requirements in society»Kräva grundläggande kunskaper i svenska för permanent uppehållstillstånd och medborgarskap« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Require basic knowledge of Swedish for permanent residence and citizenship”
• language requirements in work»Införa språkkrav för personal inom vård och äldreomsorg« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce language requirements for staff in healthcare and elderly care”
• early language interventions»Införa obligatorisk språkförskola för barn som visar en bristande språkutveckling« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce mandatory language preschool for children showing inadequate language development”

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 makes the Swedish language the key to participation in society: newly arrived immigrants should be met with normative social information, welfare should be provided in pace with language learning and language requirements should be introduced in home care and elderly care. A comprehensive review of how society can increase linguistic participation is in line with this, even though the plan does not mention any such review.

• normative social informationdecisive»Den som är ny i Sverige ska mötas av tydligt normerande samhällsinformation som förklarar vad som krävs för att passa in och lyckas i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Anyone who is new to Sweden should be met with clear normative social information that explains what is required to fit in and succeed in Sweden.”
• welfare in pace with language learning»nyanlända få del av välfärden i takt med språkinlärning, arbete och slutligen medborgarskap« (2022 manifesto ↗)“newly arrived immigrants receive welfare in pace with language learning, work and finally citizenship”
• language requirements in welfare»Införa språkkrav för personal inom hemtjänsten och äldreomsorgen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce language requirements for staff in home care and elderly care.”
• Swedish language prioritized»Prioritera svenska språket inom barnomsorgen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prioritize the Swedish language in childcare”

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.