Nuclear power and total defence

The plan rejects nuclear power expansion and wants instead to build a robust society that is more self-sufficient in energy and can act independently of great powers. The counter-proposal's requirement for additional risk assessments of nuclear power from a total defence perspective, citing dependence on foreign state financing and fuel supply, follows directly from these commitments. A radical expansion of renewable electricity is the plan's answer to both climate and crisis preparedness.

• rejects expanded nuclear powerdecisive»planerna på att bygga ut kärnkraften som en väg ut ur fossilberoendet.« (party programme ↗)“plans to expand nuclear power as a way out of fossil dependence.”
• independence from great powers»Det är viktigt att Sverige kan agera självständigt från stormakter som« (party programme ↗)“It is important that Sweden can act independently of great powers such as”
• self-sufficiency in energy»bli mer självförsörjande på energi och livsmedel.« (party programme ↗)“become more self-sufficient in energy and foodstuffs.”
• renewables for crisis preparedness»En radikal utbyggnad av den förnybara elproduktionen är avgörande« (party programme ↗)“A radical expansion of renewable electricity production is decisive”

The plan puts society's resilience and citizens' security before market interests and warns against dependence on supplies from other countries in vital areas. Additional risk assessments of nuclear power from a total defence perspective follow directly from that commitment, as does the requirement for an upgraded civil defence. That the plan sees nuclear power as part of electricity production does not prevent analysis of its vulnerabilities.

• resilience before market interestsdecisive»Svensk motståndskraft liksom medborgarnas säkerhet och trygghet sätts före« (party programme ↗)“Swedish resilience as well as citizens' security and safety are put before”
• strengthened civil defence»Rusta upp det civila försvaret.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Upgrade civil defence.”
• reduced energy dependence on foreign countries»Stopp för svenskt beroende av fossila bränslen från andra länder.« (party programme ↗)“Stop for Swedish dependence on fossil fuels from other countries.”
• nuclear power part of the electricity mix»Kärnkraften är en viktig del av svensk elproduktion och kommer att så vara under lång tid framöver.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Nuclear power is an important part of Swedish electricity production and will continue to be so for a long time to come.”

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 wants to see additional risk assessments of nuclear power from a total defence perspective and points out dependence on foreign financing and fuel supply. The plan explicitly highlights that nuclear power involves serious security risks, especially in times characterized by geopolitical tensions, and opposes new nuclear power. It also requires that society secures control over critical infrastructure and reduces dependence on imports.

• security risks in tense situationdecisive»långsiktigt hållbar lösning. Kärnkraften innebär även allvarliga säkerhetsrisker, särskilt i« (party programme ↗)“long-term sustainable solution. Nuclear power also involves serious security risks, especially in”
• nuclear power's risks and costs»Kärnkraften tar minst 15 år att bygga, kräver hundratals miljarder av staten i investeringar och har enorma säkerhetsrisker.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Nuclear power takes at least 15 years to build, requires hundreds of billions from the state in investments and has enormous security risks.”
• control over critical infrastructure»läkemedel, kritiska råmaterial och viktig teknologi. Samhället måste säkra kontroll över« (party programme ↗)“medicines, critical raw materials and important technology. Society must secure control over”
• no to new nuclear power»Miljöpartiet motsätter sig ny kärnkraft i svensk« (party programme ↗)“The Greens oppose new nuclear power in Swedish”

The manifesto's long-term vision is an energy system completely without nuclear power, and it requires that energy trade with Russia be halted and that Sweden's energy independence be strengthened. That nuclear power's dependence on foreign state financing and fuel supply be risk-assessed from a total defence perspective follows from that commitment, as does the requirement to strengthen civil defence. The counter-proposal's requirements are therefore supported.

• vision of society without nuclear powerdecisive»Sverige har både möjlighet och skyldighet att inom mindre än en generation bli ett samhälle med hundra procent förnybar energi, helt fritt från fossil energi, där Centerpartiets vision är ett samhälle utan kärnkraft.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden has both the opportunity and obligation to within less than a generation become a society with a hundred percent renewable energy, completely free from fossil energy, where the Centre Party's vision is a society without nuclear power.”
• strengthened energy independence»Stryp Putins krigskassa nu. Vi vill stoppa all energihandel med Ryssland och fasa ut fossila bränslen. Sveriges energioberoende måste stärkas, bland annat genom att mångdubbla produktionen av biobränslen och biogas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Starve Putin's war chest now. We want to stop all energy trade with Russia and phase out fossil fuels. Sweden's energy independence must be strengthened, among other things by multiplying the production of biofuels and biogas.”
• strengthened civil defence»Även det civila försvaret är livsviktigt. Vi måste rusta civilförsvaret och samhällets beredskap inför krig och kris.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Civil defence is also vital. We must strengthen civil defence and society's preparedness for war and crisis.”
• adaptation to new threats»Därför måste vi också anpassa vår försvarsförmåga efter nya hot mot landet.« (party programme ↗)“We must therefore also adjust our defence capability to new threats to the country.”

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 states that nuclear power is needed and that the state shall facilitate its expansion; the counter-proposal's requirement for additional risk assessments rests on an opposite view of nuclear power's role. The total defence question is instead addressed in the plan with clear security requirements for all energy sources and with a security policy perspective on undemocratic states' acquisition of strategic assets.

• nuclear power is neededdecisive»Kärnkraften behövs för klimatets skull och för att minska världens utsläpp.« (party programme ↗)“Nuclear power is needed for the climate and to reduce global emissions.”
• more new reactors»I stället vill vi möjliggöra fler nya reaktorer på fler ställen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Instead, we want to enable more new reactors in more places”
• security policy view of ownership»Den utveckling där odemokratiska eller rentav totalitära stater förvärvar strategiska tillgångar i demokratiska länder, till exempel hamnar, elnät eller liknande, måste ses i ett säkerhetspolitiskt perspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“The development where undemocratic or even totalitarian states acquire strategic assets in democratic countries, such as ports, electricity networks or similar, must be viewed from a security policy perspective.”
• security requirements for all energy sources»För alla energislag ska finnas tydliga miljö- och säkerhetskrav.« (party programme ↗)“For all energy sources, there shall be clear environmental and security requirements.”

The election manifesto commits to investing in nuclear power with long-term conditions and building new reactors, and the party programme establishes that base power shall be protected. The counter-proposal wants to add further risk assessments of nuclear power from a total defence perspective with arguments that question the expansion in substance. The plan's requirement for assured self-sufficiency without dependence on electricity imports speaks for nuclear power rather than against it.

• expanded nuclear powerdecisive»Satsa på kärnkraften med långsiktiga villkor att utvecklas. Förläng befintliga reaktorers drift och bygg ut med nya reaktorer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Invest in nuclear power with long-term conditions to develop. Extend existing reactors' operation and build new reactors.”
• protected base power»Denna baskraft ska värnas.« (party programme ↗)“This base power shall be protected.”
• assured self-sufficiency in electricity»Självförsörjningen behöver tryggas för att Sverige inte ska bli beroende av elimport från andra länder med högre klimatavtryck.« (party programme ↗)“Self-sufficiency needs to be assured so that Sweden does not become dependent on electricity imports from other countries with higher carbon footprints.”
• sufficient total defence resources»Det samlade totalförsvaret måste ha tillräckliga resurser för att kunna garantera befolkningen ett gott skydd mot effekterna av såväl civila katastrofer som aktuella militära hotbilder.« (party programme ↗)“The comprehensive total defence must have sufficient resources to guarantee the population good protection against the effects of both civilian disasters and current military threats.”

The plan points to new nuclear power as the solution to the energy system and wishes the state to actively facilitate financing of ten new reactors. The counter-proposal's demand for further risk assessments proceeding from nuclear power's safety risks aims to brake this expansion and lacks support in the plan. The plan instead meets the total defence aspect through long-term planning of civil preparedness.

• expanded nuclear powerdecisive»Ny kärnkraft är lösningen för att reparera Sveriges energisystem på lång sikt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“New nuclear power is the solution to repair Sweden's energy system in the long term.”
• state financing of nuclear power»Införa gröna kreditgarantier för ny kärnkraft – staten ska underlätta finansieringen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce green credit guarantees for new nuclear power – the state shall facilitate financing”
• long-term nuclear power operation»Ge nybyggd kärnkraft rätten till drift och elproduktion under hela sin tekniska livslängd« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Give newly built nuclear power the right to operate and electricity production for its entire technical lifespan”
• civil preparedness»Säkra en långsiktig planering för det civila försvaret« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure long-term planning for civil preparedness”

The plan binds the party to creating conditions for new nuclear power and to changing the regulatory frameworks that prevent new construction. The counter-proposal's demand for additional risk assessments of nuclear power from a total defence perspective is such a brake, and its arguments about nuclear power's security risks go against the plan's fundamental stance. The plan instead meets dependence on authoritarian states through clear defence-policy rearmament, not by questioning nuclear power.

• expanded nuclear powerdecisive»Skapa förutsättningar för ny kärnkraft i Sverige och en färdplan för byggandet av SMR-reaktorer« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Create conditions for new nuclear power in Sweden and a roadmap for building SMR reactors”
• remove obstacles to nuclear power»Det finns idag regelverk i behov av förändring som förhindrar nybyggnation och omöjliggör moderna mindre reaktorer i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“There are today regulatory frameworks in need of change that prevent new construction and make modern smaller reactors impossible in Sweden.”
• defence-policy rearmament»Rusta Sverige inför en ny säkerhetspolitisk situation i vårt närområde« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Equip Sweden for a new security-policy situation in our near region”
• stop harmful symbolic politics»Stoppa symbolpolitik som går ut över möjligheten att bedriva industri och näring« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop symbolic politics that harm the ability to conduct industry and business”