Guidelines for economic policy and budget policy

The election manifesto requires investment support for increased housing construction, infrastructure investments in railways and roads as well as full employment as a goal, which is exactly what the counter-proposal's direction seeks. The plan also wants those with large capital assets to contribute more and prioritizes joint investments before tax cuts for a few. Long-term investments and structural reforms before reduced tax on work and benefit caps are thus the plan's line.

• state investment support for housingdecisive»Vänsterpartiet vill se ett statligt byggbolag, investeringsstöd för ökat bostadsbyggande och en aktiv markpolitik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to see a state housing company, investment support for increased housing construction and an active land policy.”
• full employment as a goal»Ändå är det bara ett parti i riksdagen som har en politik för full sysselsättning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Yet it is only one party in the Riksdag that has a policy for full employment”
• investments in railways and roads»det kommer också skapa väldigt många nya jobb över hela landet genom infrastruktursatsningar på järnväg, vägar, energi, bostäder och välfärd« (2022 manifesto ↗)“it will also create a huge number of new jobs across the country through infrastructure investments in railways, roads, energy, housing and welfare”
• rejects reduced tax on work»Vänsterpartiet tycker att det är viktigare med en arbetstidsförkortning som kommer alla till del än sänkta skatter för ett fåtal.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party believes it is more important with shorter working time that benefits everyone than tax cuts for a few.”

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 counter-proposal's core requirements — full employment as a goal, a cross-party energy agreement, broad tax bases, investments in roads and railways, and state investment support for housing construction — correspond point for point to the plan's own commitments. The election manifesto makes full employment its overarching goal and explicitly calls for a new energy agreement across party lines, while the party programme requires broad tax bases and state support against housing shortage. The plan thereby stands behind the growth and investment orientation the counter-proposal requires.

• full employment as goaldecisive»Full sysselsättning är vårt övergripande mål.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Full employment is our overarching goal.”
• cross-party energy agreement»Efter valet vill vi se en ny energiöverenskommelse för Sveriges bästa, och vill därför föra energipolitiska samtal med andra partier om allt från vindkraft till kärnkraft.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“After the election we want to see a new energy agreement for Sweden's benefit, and therefore want to conduct energy policy discussions with other parties about everything from wind power to nuclear power.”
• broad tax bases»Robust, hållbart och rättvist skattesystem med breda skattebaser som ger ökat utrymme« (party programme ↗)“Robust, sustainable and fair tax system with broad tax bases that give increased room”
• state housing investment support»Statligt stöd för att häva bostadsbristen, särskilt för unga.« (party programme ↗)“State support to end housing shortage, particularly for young people.”

Worldstate weighed in: Unemployment at 9.3 per cent — The plan's commitment to active labour market policy and full employment weighs more heavily than the orientation towards tax cuts

The counter-proposal's core is to shift policy from tax cuts and benefit caps to long-term investments in railways, infrastructure and housing construction, which the plan explicitly demands: expanded railways and new trunk lines, plus developed and expanded state investment support for rental housing. The plan also states that the transition requires large investments that the state must bear. The fact that the counter-proposal is framed as growth-oriented pulls in another direction, since the plan does not see growth as an end in itself; however, the investment commitments weigh more heavily in substance.

• expanded railwaysdecisive»bygga ut och rusta upp järnvägsnätet för snabba tåg i hela landet och skynda på bygget av nya stambanor för höghastighetståg« (2022 manifesto ↗)“build out and upgrade the railway network for fast trains throughout the country and speed up the construction of new trunk lines for high-speed trains”
• state investment support for housing»bygga fler klimatsmarta hyresrätter med rimliga hyror, utveckla och utöka investeringsstödet som gjorde det billigare att bygga« (2022 manifesto ↗)“build more climate-smart rental housing with reasonable rents, develop and expand the investment support that made it cheaper to build”
• large long-term investments»Klimatomställningen kräver stora investeringar.« (party programme ↗)“Climate transition requires large investments.”
• growth not an end in itself»Ekonomisk tillväxt är i sig inte ett mål – det viktiga är vad som växer« (party programme ↗)“Economic growth is not an end in itself – what matters is what grows”

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's decisive commitment is long-term, cross-block agreements and structural reforms over short-term efforts, combined with cheaper employment in small businesses and major investments in roads and railways. The counter-proposal's growth pact, cross-block energy agreement, infrastructure investments and high-cost protection for sick-leave costs lie close to these commitments, while the committee's direction builds on temporary household support. The plan's requirement for lowered total tax burden speaks however against a broadened tax base, which makes the support conditional.

• long-term cross-block solutionsdecisive»Ett resultatinriktat ledarskap som säger nej till kortsiktiga populistiska satsningar och istället söker långsiktiga och konstruktiva överenskommelser förankrade i mitten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Results-focused leadership that says no to short-term populist efforts and instead seeks long-term and constructive agreements rooted in the centre.”
• lower employment costs small business»Arbetsgivaravgiften behöver sänkas, i ett första skede för ett företags första anställda, för människor som står långt från arbetsmarknaden liksom de som har låga inkomster.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The employer contribution needs to be lowered, in a first stage for a company's first employee, for people standing far from the labour market as well as those with low incomes.”
• investments in road and rail»Vi vill rusta upp regionala järnvägar, bygga nya stambanor från norr till söder, höja standarden på det nationella stambanenätet i hela landet och storsatsa på morgondagens tågtrafik — för klimatets och landsbygdens bästa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to upgrade regional railways, build new main lines from north to south, raise the standard of the national main line network throughout the country and make major investments in tomorrow's train traffic — for the climate and the countryside's sake.”
• lowered total tax burden»Det totala skattetrycket måste ner nästa mandatperiod. Vi kommer inte att medverka till några skattehöjningar som skadar jobben, det egna sparandet eller gör det dyrare att bo.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The total tax burden must come down next parliamentary term. We will not participate in any tax increases that damage jobs, personal saving or make housing more expensive.”

Worldstate weighed in: Unemployment 9.3 percent — Reinforces the plan's jobs and entrepreneurship focus over temporary household support.; Inflation down to 0.9 percent — Reduces reasons for acute price-dampening measures and shifts focus to structural reforms.

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 counter-proposal's package is based, among other things, on state investment support for housing construction, which the plan explicitly opposes when it wants to abolish today's expensive building subsidies. The plan's own approach is lower tax on work and enterprise rather than state-controlled investment packages and growth pacts. The fact that the plan shares individual elements, such as eased employer responsibility for sick pay, does not change that the whole is rejected.

• abolished building subsidiesdecisive»Dagens dyra byggsubventioner ska avskaffas och ett nytt system med behovsbostäder ska införas för grupper med särskilt stora bostadsbehov, såsom våldsutsatta och familjer med mycket svag ekonomi.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Today's expensive building subsidies shall be abolished and a new system with need-based housing shall be introduced for groups with particularly large housing needs, such as victims of violence and families with very weak finances.”
• reduced tax on work»Vi vill sänka din skatt oavsett om du är företagare eller anställd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to lower your tax whether you are an entrepreneur or an employee.”
• general measures before targeted»Viktigast är generella åtgärder för att förbättra företagsklimatet och infrastrukturen, samt en fungerande offentlig service.« (party programme ↗)“Most important are general measures to improve the business climate and infrastructure, and functioning public services.”
• eased employer sick pay responsibility»Företagens sjuklöneansvar bör slopas på sikt« (party programme ↗)“Employers' responsibility for sick pay should be abolished in the long term”

The plan makes full employment an important political goal and requires that the state's level of investment in roads, railways and electronic communications remains high in the long term and that energy supply is secured through long-term energy policy with fixed rules. The counter-proposal's growth and investment direction with energy agreement and infrastructure investments is therefore in line with the plan. However, the plan rejects direct business subsidies, which pulls in the other direction when it comes to state investment support, so the conclusion is uncertain.

• full employment as goaldecisive»Därför är full sysselsättning ett viktigt politiskt mål.« (party programme ↗)“Therefore, full employment is an important political goal.”
• high level of investment in infrastructure»kommunikationssystemens infrastruktur såsom vägar, järnvägar och elektroniska« (party programme ↗)“the infrastructure of communication systems such as roads, railways and electronic”
• long-term energy policy»Sveriges energiförsörjning ska tryggas genom långsiktig energipolitik med fasta spelregler.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden's energy supply must be secured through long-term energy policy with fixed rules.”
• no to direct subsidies»Direkta företagssubventioner avvisas.« (party programme ↗)“Direct business subsidies are rejected.”

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's economic direction is lower tax on work and pensions, a high-cost protection against high electricity prices and a benefit reform with benefit caps and full-time requirements to strengthen incentives to work. The counter-proposal's alternative with growth pact, broadened tax base and government investment support for housing construction rests on different logic than the plan's work line and tax-increase cap. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's demands.

• lower tax on workdecisive»Sänka skatten på arbete så att din ansträngning lönar sig bättre« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lower the tax on work so your effort is better rewarded”
• benefit cap»Införa ett bidragstak så att de samlade bidragen aldrig kan bli högre än lönen från ett arbete« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce a benefit cap so that total benefits never can be higher than income from work”
• activity requirement»Kräva aktivitet på heltid av den som lever på försörjningsstöd« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Require full-time activity from those living on maintenance support”
• high-cost protection for electricity»Skydda hushållen mot vinterns elräkningar genom ett högkostnadsskydd« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect households against winter electricity bills through a high-cost protection”

The plan requires lowered sick leave costs and employer contributions for small businesses, upgraded roads and railways throughout the country and taxes that do not hinder Swedish companies in competition. The counter-proposal's growth orientation with cost protection for sick leave, infrastructure investments and a more efficient tax base responds to these commitments. The plan sees growth and good business conditions as the prerequisite for welfare.

• lowered sick leave costsdecisive»Sänka arbetsgivaravgiften och sjuklönekostnaderna för småföretag« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Lower employer contributions and sick leave costs for small businesses”
• upgraded infrastructure»Rusta upp väg- och järnvägsnätet i hela landet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Upgrade the road and railway network throughout the country”
• viable industry»Skapa förutsättningar för en livskraftig industri« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Create conditions for a viable industry”
• competitive taxes»Ha skatter på en nivå som inte hämmar svenska företag i den internationella konkurrensen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Have taxes at a level that does not hinder Swedish companies in international competition”

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.