Child Poverty

The election manifesto explicitly points out that many children grow up in poverty and that the solution is redistribution from rich to poor people and areas. It also states that children should have the same right to good lives as working people, and the party programme requires that the child's best interests are put first. The counter-proposal's requirement for an action plan against child poverty with child impact analyses and targeted initiatives is thus in the plan's direction.

• eliminate child povertydecisive»Många barn växer upp i fattigdom och Sverige har högst andel fattigpensionärer av de nordiska länderna, oftast är det kvinnor som drabbas av orättvisan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Many children grow up in poverty and Sweden has the highest share of poor pensioners of the Nordic countries, mostly it is women who are hit by the injustice.”
• redistribution to the poor»det kräver en annan politik och att vi omfördelar resurserna från rika till fattiga människor, från rika områden till fattiga områden och förorter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“it requires a different policy and that we redistribute resources from rich to poor people, from rich areas to poor areas and suburbs”
• children's right to good lives»Barn, sjuka och arbetslösa måste självklart ha samma rätt som arbetande människor att ha goda liv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Children, sick people and unemployed people must of course have the same right as working people to have good lives.”
• children's best interests first»Vänsterpartiets politik ska utformas så att barnens bästa kommer i första rummet.« (party programme ↗)“The Left Party's politics should be designed so that the child's best interests come first.”

The plan explicitly says that the party is prepared to strengthen the economy for Sweden's families with children and that targeted support shall reach those hardest hit by price increases. An action plan against child poverty with child impact analyses and targeted measures against families with narrow margins follows from that. The plan also requires that the child's best interest is considered in all decisions and that the most vulnerable get more resources.

• strengthened economy for families with childrendecisive»Vi är beredda att stärka ekonomin för Sveriges barnfamiljer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We are prepared to strengthen the economy for Sweden's families with children.”
• targeted support to those affected»Stöd till de som drabbas hårdast av prisökningarna. Med riktade och smarta stöd kan vi stötta människor utan att driva på inflationen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Support for those hardest hit by price increases. With targeted and smart support we can support people without driving inflation.”
• child's best interest in all decisions»bästa ska beaktas vid alla beslut« (party programme ↗)“best shall be considered in all decisions”
• resources to the most vulnerable»De mest utsatta skolorna och förskolorna måste få mer resurser.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The most vulnerable schools and preschools must receive more 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 election manifesto states that not a single child shall grow up in poverty, and the party programme that economic hardship shall not be inherited and that political decisions should be preceded by a child impact analysis. A national action plan against child poverty with long-term child impact analyses and targeted measures is precisely what these commitments point to.

• no child in povertydecisive»I det nya gröna folkhemmet ska inte ett enda barn växa upp i fattigdom« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In the new green welfare state not a single child shall grow up in poverty”
• poverty must not be hereditary»Ekonomisk utsatthet ska inte gå i arv.« (party programme ↗)“Economic hardship must not be inherited.”
• child impact analysis of decisions»Barn ska vara med och utforma samhället. FN:s barnkonvention ska bli svensk lag och politiska beslut bör föregås av en barnkonsekvensanalys.« (party programme ↗)“Children shall be part of shaping society. The UN child convention shall become Swedish law and political decisions should be preceded by a child impact analysis.”
• targeted support for families with children»höja bostadsbidraget för barnfamiljer och bostadstillägget för pensionärer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“raise housing allowances for families with children and housing supplements for pensioners.”

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 plan builds a shared responsibility to level out the injustices that heredity and upbringing have created and highlights families with tight margins where children miss preschool and community. An action plan with child impact analyses and targeted efforts against economic vulnerability is in that line. The plan primarily points to jobs and tax reforms as the way there, which is why the certainty is low.

• level out injustices from upbringingdecisive»När vi stärker möjligheterna för dem som har det sämst lyfter vi hela samhället.« (party programme ↗)“When we strengthen the opportunities for those who have it worst we lift the whole society.”
• support for families with tight margins»För många familjer med små marginaler är kostnaden ett problem som gör att många barn inte får tillgång till den gemenskap och förberedelse för skolan som förskolan är.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“For many families with tight margins, the cost is a problem that means many children do not get access to the community and school preparation that preschool is.”
• child perspective in decisions»Av största betydelse är då barnens rättigheter och perspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Of paramount importance is then children's rights and perspective.”
• every child's right»Särskilt viktigt är att värna varje barns rätt att bli respekterad och att bli sedd för den man är.« (party programme ↗)“It is particularly important to protect every child's right to be respected and to be seen for who they are.”

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 wants to improve conditions for economically vulnerable children and young people and establishes that social liberal economic policy combats poverty. Targeted efforts for families with small margins thereby lie in line with the plan, as does the state's increased responsibility for housing for homeless people with focus on children. The plan simultaneously emphasizes that parents' own support is the most important factor, which limits how far an action plan against inequality can go.

• support for economically vulnerable childrendecisive»behövs för att förbättra villkoren för ekonomiskt utsatta barn och unga.« (party programme ↗)“is needed to improve conditions for economically vulnerable children and young people.”
• combat poverty»Den socialliberala ekonomiska politiken syftar till att bekämpa fattigdom, inte rikedom.« (party programme ↗)“Social liberal economic policy aims to combat poverty, not wealth.”
• housing for homeless families with children»Staten bör ta ett ökat ansvar för att finansiera bostäder för hem« (party programme ↗)“The state should take increased responsibility for financing housing for home”
• parental support decisive»Den viktigaste faktorn för att ge barn en ekonomiskt trygg uppväxt« (party programme ↗)“The most important factor for giving children an economically secure upbringing”

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 requires that all political decisions be analysed for their consequences for families and close relationships, which is exactly the child and family impact assessment the counter-proposal wants. The programme also establishes that a social market economy requires distribution policy measures directed towards those with the greatest need and that the child's best interest shall guide all decisions concerning children. Targeted interventions for families with small margins therefore align with the plan.

• family impact assessment of decisionsdecisive»Därför bör alla politiska beslut analyseras utifrån vilka konsekvenser de får för familjer och nära relationer.« (party programme ↗)“Therefore all political decisions should be analysed for what consequences they have for families and close relationships.”
• targeted distribution policy»En social marknadsekonomi kräver fördelningspolitiska åtgärder som riktas till den som har störst behov av stöd och hjälp.« (party programme ↗)“A social market economy requires distribution policy measures directed at those who have the greatest need for support and help.”
• the child's best interest guiding»Barnets bästa ska vara styrande i all familjepolitik och vid alla beslut som rör barn.« (party programme ↗)“The child's best interest shall be guiding in all family policy and all decisions concerning children.”
• social policy support for families»Målet för socialpolitiken är att stödja gemenskaperna och de enskilda människorna till egen försörjning och god omvårdnad.« (party programme ↗)“The goal of social policy is to support communities and individuals towards self-sufficiency and good care.”

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 answer to children's economic hardship is the work ethic, not an action plan based on analyses of economic inequality. It instead wants to limit total benefits through a benefit ceiling and abolish the child supplement from the fourth child, since work incentives are considered decisive. Targeted measures for families with tight margins thus go in the opposite direction from the plan's benefit reform.

• benefit ceilingdecisive»Införa ett bidragstak så att de samlade bidragen aldrig kan bli högre än lönen från ett arbete« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce a benefit ceiling so that total benefits never exceed income from work”
• abolished child supplement»Avskaffa flerbarnstillägget från och med barn fyra så att inte kvinnor i stora familjer fastnar i hemmet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Abolish the child supplement from the fourth child onwards so that women in large families do not get stuck at home”
• work ethic before benefits»Genom att sänka skatten på låga inkomster och införa ett bidragstak, så att det alltid lönar sig bättre att jobba än att leva på staplade bidrag, kommer Moderaterna att stärka arbetslinjen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“By lowering tax on low incomes and introducing a benefit ceiling, so that it always pays better to work than to live on stacked benefits, the Moderates will strengthen the work ethic.”
• benefit reform against exclusion»Genomföra en stor bidragsreform för att bryta utanförskapet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Implement a major benefit reform to break exclusion”

The election manifesto states that economically vulnerable families exist and that children are caught in the squeeze, which is why children's best interests must be the focus of family policy. The party programme establishes that large class gaps must be counteracted and that all children regardless of their parents' income shall have good basic prerequisites. The counter-proposal's requirement for an action plan against child poverty with targeted measures for families with narrow margins follows from these principles, although the plan prefers work to benefits.

• vulnerable child families in focusdecisive»Många familjer i synnerhet ensamstående föräldrar har det också tufft ekonomisk. I familjer som på olika sätt har det svårt är det barnen som hamnar i kläm och kan fara illa därför måste också barnens bästa stå i fokus i familjepolitiken.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Many families in particular single parents also have it economically tough. In families that in various ways have it difficult it is the children who get caught in the squeeze and can fare poorly therefore children's best interests must also be in focus in family policy.”
• counter class gaps»Stora klassklyftor och sociala orättvisor hotar tryggheten och sammanhållningen, riskerar att slita isär nationen och måste därför motverkas.« (party programme ↗)“Large class gaps and social injustices threaten safety and cohesion, risk tearing the nation apart and must therefore be counteracted.”
• equal basic prerequisites for children»alla barn, oavsett familjebakgrund, bostadsort och föräldrarnas inkomst, skall ha goda grundförutsättningar att lyckas i livet« (party programme ↗)“all children, regardless of family background, place of residence and their parents' income, shall have good basic prerequisites to succeed in life”
• the child's best interests»Att barnets bästa alltid ska beaktas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That the child's best interests must always be considered”

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.