The guidelines for economic and budget policy for 2026
What's at stake: The direction of economic policy affects how quickly household purchasing power recovers after the prolonged economic downturn, as well as how unemployment, housebuilding and state investment in infrastructure and energy develop in the coming years.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is what direction economic and budget policy should take: supporting household finances through tax cuts and targeted support while strengthening incentives to work through a benefits reform, or prioritising a more growth-oriented policy with long-term investment, a growth pact between the state and business, and a broader tax reform.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee shares the government's assessment that economic policy should focus on supporting household finances through measures including lower tax on work and pensions, a temporary cut in VAT on food, higher housing allowances, lower energy tax on electricity and a cap on high electricity and gas costs, while strengthening the earned-income tax credit and implementing a benefits reform with a benefits cap and activity requirements to reinforce incentives to work.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (S)
The reservation wants a more growth-oriented policy with long-term investment and structural reforms, including a growth pact bringing the state and business together, a cross-party energy agreement, a broader and more efficient tax base, investment in infrastructure, roads and railways, state investment support for housebuilding, and a cap on high sick-pay costs to protect smaller companies, with full employment as the goal.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
V–
S–
MP–
C–
L–
KD–
M–
SD–
YesNoAbstainAbsent
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: approving what the committee proposes and rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 1 by S.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The plan's stance / Actual vote
AI
Vote
Confidence
Evidence
V
–
Abstain 0/0/17/5
Sown reservation
–
No 0/93/0/13
MP
–
Abstain 0/0/14/4
C
–
Abstain 0/0/20/4
L
–
Yes 12/0/0/4
KD
–
Yes 16/0/0/3
M
–
Yes 60/0/0/8
SD
–
Yes 61/0/0/11
Committee proposal
Parliament approves the guidelines for economic policy and budget policy that the government proposes.
Parliament thereby approves Proposition 2025/26:1 Finance Plan point 2 and rejects motions
2025/26:2792 by Nooshi Dadgostar et al. (V) motion 1,
2025/26:3551 by Magdalena Andersson et al. (S) motion 1,
2025/26:3770 by Amanda Lind et al. (MP) motion 1 and
2025/26:3811 by Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist et al. (C) motion 1.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen godkänner de riktlinjer för den ekonomiska politiken och budgetpolitiken som regeringen föreslår.
Därmed bifaller riksdagen proposition 2025/26:1 finansplanen punkt 2 och avslår motionerna
2025/26:2792 av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V) yrkande 1,
2025/26:3551 av Magdalena Andersson m.fl. (S) yrkande 1,
2025/26:3770 av Amanda Lind m.fl. (MP) yrkande 1 och
2025/26:3811 av Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist m.fl. (C) yrkande 1.
Riksdag decision: Parliament approved expenditure frameworks and income calculation in the government's budget proposition for the year 2026. The expenses are calculated to amount to 1,542 billion kronor and income is estimated at 1,375 billion kronor. This means a deficit in the state budget of 167 billion kronor for 2026.
Parliament also approved the expenditure ceiling for the state and agreed to replace the current surplus target with a balance target as of 2027, as well as proposals for tax and fee rules that include among other things
strengthening of the ordinary labor tax deduction, the increased basic deduction and the tax reduction for sick and activity benefits
increased amount limit for deductions for certain types of travel
reduced special income tax for non-residents
that a basic deduction in risk tax is introduced and the tax rate is increased
simpler and better tax rules for shareholders in small-cap companies
that a tax reduction is introduced for gifts from legal entities to non-profit activities
increased property tax for wind power facilities
reduced energy tax on electricity
extended temporarily increased reduction of tax on agricultural diesel
eliminated vehicle tax and caravan tax for certain trailers
modernized taxation of gases.
All law changes begin to apply on January 1, 2026 except those concerning modernized taxation of gases, which begin to apply on July 1, 2026 and eliminated vehicle tax and caravan tax for certain trailers which begin to apply on February 1, 2026.
Parliament also approved the government's direction for economic policy and budget policy.
Policy shall be directed at supporting hard-working people's economy so that the prolonged recession can be broken and recovery can resume. A benefit reform shall make it more profitable to work. Companies' conditions shall be improved. Resources for schools shall increase, crime shall continue to be combated and waiting times for healthcare shall be shortened. Defense shall be strengthened as well as support to Ukraine. Fossil fuels shall be phased out and Sweden shall reach net-zero emissions by 2045.
Financial policy is expansive in 2026 to counteract the recession from having prolonged negative consequences on the Swedish economy. With stable public finances and low government debt, Sweden stands strong and therefore has the opportunity to implement measures that strengthen Sweden and Swedish households' economy and break the recession.
Parliament's decision on expenditure frameworks for the state budget is guiding when Parliament in the next step decides on appropriations for the 27 expenditure areas in the budget.
Counter-proposals
The counter-proposal wants growth-oriented economic policy with long-term investments, a growth pact between the state and industry, and a system change for welfare. (S) — Reservation 1
Motion 2025/26:270 — med anledning av prop. 2024/25:188 Ett grundavdrag i riskskatten av Martin Ådahl (C)
Motion 2025/26:2792 — En ny regering - För ett starkare och tryggare Sverige av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
Motion 2025/26:3422 — En grön klimathandlingsplan 2026 av Katarina Luhr m.fl. (MP)
Motion 2025/26:3551 — Ny riktning för Sverige av Magdalena Andersson m.fl. (S)
Motion 2025/26:3770 — Sverige förtjänar bättre - Miljöpartiets budgetmotion för 2026 av Amanda Lind m.fl. (MP)
Motion 2025/26:3811 — En budget för framtiden - fler jobb och lägre utsläpp av Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist m.fl. (C)
Motion 2025/26:3837 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:32 Sänkt skatt på arbetsinkomster, pension och sjuk- och aktivitetsersättning av Martin Ådahl (C)
Motion 2025/26:3839 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:31 Ytterligare höjd beloppsgräns vid avdrag för resor till och från arbetet av Martin Ådahl (C)
Motion 2025/26:3840 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:32 Sänkt skatt på arbetsinkomster, pension och sjuk- och aktivitetsersättning av Janine Alm Ericson m.fl. (MP)