Suitability of firearms for hunting

The election manifesto makes the fight against access to firearms a part of crime prevention and raises parents' concern about gun violence. A statutory ban on military-like semi-automatic weapons in hunting reduces the quantity of such weapons in circulation and aligns with the plan's stance that the world needs fewer weapons in circulation. The plan does not specifically address hunting weapons, so the conclusion is derived.

• limit access to firearmsdecisive»kamp mot tillgången till illegala skjutvapen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“fight against access to illegal firearms”
• stop gun violence»Föräldrar ska inte behöva oroa sig över skjutvapenvåld och drömma mardrömmar om att deras barn ska drabbas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Parents should not have to worry about gun violence and have nightmares about their children being affected.”
• fewer weapons in circulation»Världen behöver gå mot fred, nedrustning« (party programme ↗)“The world needs to move towards peace, disarmament”

The plan wants to take decisive action against weapons in society, double the penalty for serious weapons offences and forcefully combat the organized crime that has built its capital of violence on access to weapons. A statutory ban on military-like semi-automatic weapons for hunting aligns with the restrictive weapons line and with the state maintaining the monopoly on violence. The plan does not, however, mention hunting weapons specifically.

• restrictive weapons policydecisive»Vi vill ta krafttag mot införsel av vapen och narkotika, bland annat genom stärkt gränskontroll.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to take decisive action against the import of weapons and narcotics, among other things through strengthened border control.”
• toughened weapons crime penalties»Vi vill fördubbla straffet för grova vapenbrott.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to double the penalty for serious weapons offences.”
• the state's monopoly on violence»Statens våldsmonopol upprätthålls.« (party programme ↗)“The state's monopoly on violence is upheld.”
• combated organized crime»Kraftfullt bekämpande av organiserad kriminell verksamhet.« (party programme ↗)“Forceful combat of organized criminal activity.”

The plan does not address weapon types, but establishes that all hunting shall be conducted with good hunting ethics and distances itself from forms of hunting where animals risk being exposed to suffering. Military-like semi-automatic weapons have no place in such careful hunting with respect for animals and ecosystems. The plan therefore supports a legal prohibition, but the conclusion is inferred.

• good hunting ethics requireddecisive»All jakt ska bedrivas med god jaktetik. Miljöpartiet tar avstånd från jaktformer där djuren löper stor risk att utsättas för lidande.« (party programme ↗)“All hunting shall be conducted with good hunting ethics. The Green Party distances itself from forms of hunting where animals run a great risk of being exposed to suffering.”
• only careful hunting»Varsam jakt som bedrivs med respekt för djur och ekosystem är ett bra sätt att ta vara på delar av det som naturen kan ge oss.« (party programme ↗)“Careful hunting conducted with respect for animals and ecosystems is a good way to take advantage of parts of what nature can offer us.”
• animals' intrinsic value»Alla djur är kännande varelser med ett egenvärde oavsett deras nytta för människan.« (party programme ↗)“All animals are sentient beings with an intrinsic value regardless of their use for humans.”

The plan does not address weapons legislation for hunting. The nearest-lying principles are instead strong ownership, active game management and that unnecessary rules that lie like a wet blanket over rural areas should be cleared away. On the basis of these principles, the documents give no support for a new statutory ban aimed at legal hunters' weapons, especially when permits are already not being granted.

• fewer rules in the countrysidedecisive»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 regulation lies like a wet blanket over parts of the countryside. We shall clear away unnecessary rules and bureaucracy.”
• ownership and game management»Det man äger har man också ett ansvar för att vårda.« (party programme ↗)“What one owns one also has responsibility for tending.”
• strengthened ownership»Vi vill stärka bland annat äganderätten, diskrimineringsförbudet, minoritetsskyddet och minoritetsspråkens ställning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to strengthen among other things ownership, the ban on discrimination, minority protection and minority language position”
• measures against gang crime»Samhället ska inte vika sig för gängen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Society shall not give way to gangs.”

The plan says nothing about which types of weapons may be used for hunting. The closest principle is its consistently restrictive stance towards firearms in society, with strengthened sentences for firearms offences and the requirement that Sweden shall be a safe country where legal security applies to all. Based on that principle, a statutory ban on military-style semi-automatic weapons for hunting is in line with the plan, but the basis is weak.

• strengthened sentences for firearms offencesdecisive»skärpa straffen för bland annat vapenbrott, våldtäkt och utpressning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen sentences for, among other things, firearms offences, rape and extortion”
• safe country and strong rule of law»Rättsstaten ska stärkas. Sverige ska vara ett tryggt land att leva i.« (party programme ↗)“The rule of law shall be strengthened. Sweden shall be a safe country to live in.”
• legal security for all»Alla har rätt att leva i ett samhälle präglat av rättstrygghet.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone has the right to live in a society characterized by legal security.”

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 what types of weapons may be used for hunting. The closest principles are, on one hand, the strict line against weapons crimes in the election manifesto, and on the other hand, that hunting and wildlife management are motivated as applied stewardship of natural resources — a purpose that does not require military-like semi-automatic weapons. The counter-proposal's requirement for a statutory prohibition for hunting therefore lies closest to the plan, but the conclusion is uncertain.

• strict line against weapons crimesdecisive»Skärp straffet för vapenbrott till lägst fem års fängelse.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase the penalty for weapons crimes to at least five years in prison.”
• hunting as wildlife management»Jakt, fiske och viltvård är en del i bevarandet av den biologiska mångfalden.« (party programme ↗)“Hunting, fishing and wildlife management are part of preserving biological diversity.”
• hunting as stewardship»exempel på tillämpat förvaltarskap av naturliga resurser.« (party programme ↗)“examples of applied stewardship of natural resources.”

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 states that weapons legislation must not be shaped so that hunters, sport shooters and weapons collectors are negatively affected, and instead wants to shorten handling times for weapons licences. A statutory prohibition on a weapons type for hunting is precisely such a restriction on legal weapons owners. The plan's tightening measures are instead directed at serious weapons crimes and illegal weapons in criminal environments.

• no restrictions for huntersdecisive»Det är viktigt att EU:s vapendirektiv inte genomförs i svensk lagstiftning så att du som är jägare, sportskytt eller vapensamlare drabbas negativt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is important that the EU's weapons directive is not implemented in Swedish legislation in a way that you as a hunter, sport shooter or weapons collector are negatively affected.”
• simpler weapons licences»Arbeta för kortade handläggningstider för vapenlicenser« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work to shorten handling times for weapons licences”
• hunting as cultural heritage»Den svenska jakten är också en viktig del av vår kultur.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Swedish hunting is also an important part of our culture.”
• harder stance on illegal weapons»Skärpa minimistraffen för grova vapenbrott från dagens 2 års fängelse till 6 års fängelse« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Tighten minimum sentences for serious weapons crimes from today's 2 years in prison to 6 years in prison”

The plan demands that the witch hunt against hunters and legal weapon owners is stopped and points out magazine regulation as an example of measures that unnecessarily complicate legal weapon ownership. The counter-proposal's demand for a legislated ban on military-like semi-automatic weapons for hunting is precisely such a restriction directed at legal weapon owners instead of at illegal weapons. The plan also establishes that the possibility of owning hunting weapons should be protected.

• protection for legal weapon ownershipdecisive»Stoppa hetsjakten på jägare och legala vapeninnehavare« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop the witch hunt against hunters and legal weapon owners”
• criticism of weapon restrictions»Magasinsreglering och förbud mot bly i ammunition är exempel på åtgärder som görs för att försvåra legalt vapenägande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Magazine regulation and bans on lead in ammunition are examples of measures taken to complicate legal weapon ownership.”
• direct measures at illegal weapons»Samtidigt har politiska åtgärder som borde riktats mot illegala vapen och gängbrottslighet istället riktats mot legalt vapeninnehav, svenska jägare och sportskyttar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time, political measures that should have been directed at illegal weapons and gang crime have instead been directed at legal weapons, Swedish hunters and sport shooters.”
• protected hunting rights»Möjligheten att äga jaktvapen och att ägna sig åt jakt ska värnas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The possibility of owning hunting weapons and engaging in hunting should be protected.”