2023-05-102022/23:CU8 · p.21CUCivil law & housing
Consumer Guidance
Municipal consumer guidance
What's at stake: Fewer municipalities now offer consumer guidance, which particularly affects vulnerable consumers who struggle to make informed choices on their own or lack internet access and need personal, local support.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the government should be directed to ensure every municipality offers consumer guidance, or whether ongoing measures and the national Hallå konsument helpline are sufficient.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee considers municipal consumer guidance important as a complement to the Hallå konsument helpline, but notes that parliament has already asked the government to review how it can be strengthened and that the government has reported ongoing measures; the committee therefore sees no reason for a further initiative and rejects the motion.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 22 (S, V, MP)
S, V and MP want the government to prioritize the issue and promptly start work, in consultation with the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions, to ensure every municipality has functioning consumer guidance available, since the number of municipalities offering it has fallen sharply and local, personal guidance cannot be replaced by a national service.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 22 by S, V, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have gone the other way
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: LLiberalerna
Ja 154–128Nej 140–142
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/21/0/3 | match | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | No 1/93/0/13 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/14/0/4 | match | confidence: medium | explicit |
| C | No | Abstain 0/0/21/3 | differs | confidence: low | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 15/0/0/4 | differs | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | Yes | Yes 60/0/0/8 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 63/0/0/9 | differs | confidence: low | not addressed |
Broke with the party line
| SAnnika Strandhäll (S, Stockholms kommun) | Yes — party line: No |
MPs whose vote differs from their party's majority position in this division. Marked with a dark ring in the chamber view.
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2022/23:86 by Nadja Awad et al. (V) request 1, 2022/23:490 by Markus Wiechel and Alexander Christiansson (both SD) requests 3 and 4, 2022/23:865 by Alireza Akhondi et al. (C) requests 1 and 2, 2022/23:1007 by Mikael Eskilandersson et al. (SD) request 2 and 2022/23:2215 by Jennie Nilsson et al. (S) requests 1 and 2.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:86 av Nadja Awad m.fl. (V) yrkande 1, 2022/23:490 av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD) yrkandena 3 och 4, 2022/23:865 av Alireza Akhondi m.fl. (C) yrkandena 1 och 2, 2022/23:1007 av Mikael Eskilandersson m.fl. (SD) yrkande 2 och 2022/23:2215 av Jennie Nilsson m.fl. (S) yrkandena 1 och 2.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected 70 proposals on consumer rights in motions from the ordinary motion period of 2022, primarily on the grounds that work is already underway on the matters addressed by the proposals. The proposals concern, among other things, telephone sales of lotteries and other games, advertising directed at children, purchase of live animals, quick loans, the travel guarantee system, consumer information, and labeling matters.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the Consumer Authority to develop support and information for small businesses on protection against unfair sales methods. (S, V, MP) — Reservation 22
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The election manifesto establishes that welfare must be available to all and exist everywhere and that public services need to exist in more small towns, not be concentrated to the big cities.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto establishes that welfare must be available to all and exist everywhere and that public services need to exist in more small towns, not be concentrated to the big cities. The party programme requires that all municipalities have equivalent conditions to offer their citizens services. Ensuring that every municipality has functioning consumer guidance is an application of this principle of equivalent, locally accessible services.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet slår fast att välfärden måste vara till för alla och finnas överallt och att samhällsservice behöver finnas på fler mindre orter, inte koncentreras till storstäderna. Partiprogrammet kräver att alla kommuner har likvärdiga förutsättningar att erbjuda sina medborgare service. Att säkerställa att varje kommun har en fungerande konsumentvägledning är en tillämpning av denna princip om likvärdig, lokalt tillgänglig service.
- welfare throughout the countrydecisive»Välfärden måste vara till för alla och finnas överallt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Welfare must be available to all and exist everywhere.”
- services in small towns»Äldreomsorg, förskola, skola och matbutik behöver finnas på fler mindre orter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Elderly care, preschool, school and food shops need to exist in more small towns.”
- equivalent municipal services»alla kommuner och landsting ska ha likvärdiga förutsättningar« (party programme ↗)“all municipalities and regional councils shall have equivalent conditions”
The election manifesto commits to guaranteeing high-quality public services throughout the country, even in small municipalities, and that the state must be present throughout the country.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto commits to guaranteeing high-quality public services throughout the country, even in small municipalities, and that the state must be present throughout the country. The party programme builds its market view on conscious and active consumers whose reactions against rule-breaking have significance. Ensuring that each municipality has a functioning consumer guidance follows from these commitments, but the plan does not specifically address consumer guidance.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet åtar sig att garantera offentlig service av hög kvalitet i hela landet, även i små kommuner, och att staten ska finnas närvarande i hela landet. Partiprogrammet bygger sin marknadssyn på medvetna och aktiva konsumenter vars reaktioner mot regelbrott har betydelse. Att säkerställa att varje kommun har en fungerande konsumentvägledning följer av dessa åtaganden, men planen behandlar inte konsumentvägledning uttryckligen.
- public services throughout the countrydecisive»För att säkra välfärden i hela landet behöver vi se över skatteutjämningssystemet, så att det garanterar offentlig service av hög kvalitet i hela landet, även i små kommuner som kämpar med sitt befolkningsunderlag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To secure welfare throughout the country we need to review the tax equalization system, so that it guarantees high-quality public services throughout the country, even in small municipalities that struggle with their population base.”
- active consumers»Aktiva konsumentreaktioner mot företag som bryter mot reglerna kan påtagligt bidra till« (party programme ↗)“Active consumer reactions against companies that break the rules can significantly contribute to”
- state presence throughout the country»Staten ska finnas närvarande i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The state must be present throughout the country.”
The party programme wants strong consumer protection explicitly through good consumer guidance, and states that consumers should be able to make free and informed choices.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme wants strong consumer protection explicitly through good consumer guidance, and states that consumers should be able to make free and informed choices. The programme furthermore wants public services to be available throughout the country and municipal services to be provided equitably everywhere. The counter-proposal's demand to ensure functioning consumer guidance in every municipality follows from these commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet vill ha ett starkt konsumentskydd uttryckligen genom god konsumentvägledning, och slår fast att konsumenter ska kunna göra fria och upplysta val. Programmet vill dessutom att samhällsfunktioner ska finnas tillgängliga i hela landet och att kommunal service ska kunna bedrivas likvärdigt överallt. Motförslagets krav på att säkerställa fungerande konsumentvägledning i varje kommun följer av dessa åtaganden.
- good consumer guidancedecisive»Vi vill ha ett starkt skydd för konsumenterna genom god konsumentvägledning, tydlig märkning av varor och tjänster och en relevant konsumentutbildning i skolan.« (party programme ↗)“We want strong protection for consumers through good consumer guidance, clear labelling of goods and services and relevant consumer education in schools.”
- informed consumer choices»Konsumenter ska ha möjligheter att göra fria och upplysta val.« (party programme ↗)“Consumers should have the opportunity to make free and informed choices.”
- equitable municipal services»Ett väl fungerande skattesystem ska ge likvärdiga ekonomiska förutsättningar att bedriva kommunal service i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“A well-functioning tax system should provide equal economic conditions to provide municipal services throughout the country.”
- services throughout the country»Samhällsfunktioner som polis, arbetsförmedling och försäkringskassa ska vara till för Sveriges alla invånare och finnas tillgängliga över hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“Public services such as the police, labour exchange and social insurance office should be there for all Sweden's inhabitants and be available throughout the country.”
The plan demands that public services be close and reliable throughout the country and that the public guarantees basic social services close to people.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan demands that public services be close and reliable throughout the country and that the public guarantees basic social services close to people. Ensuring functioning consumer guidance in every municipality is in line with this. At the same time, the plan insists that rights can be provided in different ways locally, which makes support for a uniform requirement uncertain.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att offentlig service är nära och pålitlig i hela landet och att det offentliga garanterar grundläggande samhällsservice nära människan. Att säkra en fungerande konsumentvägledning i varje kommun ligger i linje med detta. Planen håller samtidigt fast vid att rättigheter kan tillgodoses på olika sätt lokalt, vilket gör stödet för ett enhetligt krav osäkert.
- close public servicesdecisive»Offentlig service ska vara nära och pålitlig i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Public services shall be close and reliable throughout the country.”
- guaranteed social services»Det offentliga ska garantera att en sådan grundläggande samhällsservice finns, i hela landet,« (party programme ↗)“The public shall guarantee that such basic social services exist, throughout the country,”
- local solutions permitted»tydliga, men kan tillgodoses på olika sätt beroende på var man bor och vilka möjligheter som finns lokalt.« (party programme ↗)“clear, but can be provided in different ways depending on where one lives and what opportunities exist locally.”
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 establishes that consumers should have access to budget and debt advice and impartial consumer guidance throughout the country.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that consumers should have access to budget and debt advice and impartial consumer guidance throughout the country. The counter-proposal's requirement to ensure that every municipality has functioning consumer guidance is the same commitment. The plan is also based on the consumer having knowledge and power to make well-informed decisions and that services should be available throughout the country.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att konsumenter ska ha tillgång till budget- och skuldrådgivning och opartisk konsumentvägledning i hela landet. Motförslagets krav på att säkerställa att varje kommun har en fungerande konsumentvägledning är samma åtagande. Planen bygger dessutom på att konsumenten ska ha kunskap och makt att fatta välinformerade beslut och att service ska finnas i hela landet.
- consumer guidance throughout the countrydecisive»Konsumenter ska ha tillgång till budget- och skuldrådgivning och opartisk konsumentvägledning i hela« (party programme ↗)“Consumers should have access to budget and debt advice and impartial consumer guidance throughout”
- informed consumer»I en fungerande marknadsekonomi har konsumenten kunskap och makt att fatta välinformerade beslut.« (party programme ↗)“In a functioning market economy, the consumer has knowledge and power to make well-informed decisions.”
- help for over-indebted people»Reglerna för skuldsanering ska ändras så att överskuldsatta får större möjlighet att bli skuldfria.« (party programme ↗)“Rules for debt relief should be changed so that over-indebted people have greater opportunity to become debt-free.”
- service throughout the country»Tillgången till statlig service ska säkras i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“Access to state services should be secured throughout the country.”
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 establishes that well-developed consumer information is necessary and that a market economy requires active and well-informed consumers.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that well-developed consumer information is necessary and that a market economy requires active and well-informed consumers. Ensuring that every municipality has functioning consumer guidance is a means to this, and the municipality is according to the subsidiarity principle the level that should handle the task. The plan simultaneously requires that the financing principle be respected if the state assigns municipalities new tasks.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att en väl utbyggd konsumentinformation är nödvändig och att marknadsekonomin kräver aktiva och välinformerade konsumenter. Att säkerställa att varje kommun har en fungerande konsumentvägledning är ett medel för detta, och kommunen är enligt subsidiaritetsprincipen den nivå som bör sköta uppgiften. Planen kräver samtidigt att finansieringsprincipen respekteras om staten ålägger kommunerna nya uppgifter.
- developed consumer informationdecisive»En väl utbyggd konsumentinformation« (party programme ↗)“Well-developed consumer information”
- active and informed consumers»och välinformerade konsumenter samt effektiva rättsliga spelregler.« (party programme ↗)“and well-informed consumers as well as effective legal rules of the game.”
- subsidiarity»Det en gemenskap på ett ändamålsenligt sätt kan« (party programme ↗)“That a community in an appropriate manner can”
- the financing principle»Finansieringsprincipen måste respekteras när staten ålägger kommunerna nya uppgifter.« (party programme ↗)“The financing principle must be respected when the state assigns municipalities new tasks.”
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 consumer guidance.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address consumer guidance. The closest principles are that decisions shall be taken as close to citizens as possible, that policy must prioritise and choose to omit with the state's core tasks first, and that the public shall not carry out what others can do equally well. Derived from this, a national commitment to every municipality having functioning consumer guidance is rejected, but the foundation is weak.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte konsumentvägledning. Närmast liggande principer är att beslut ska fattas så nära medborgarna som möjligt, att politiken måste prioritera och välja bort med statens kärnuppgifter först, och att det offentliga inte ska utföra det andra kan göra lika bra. Härlett ur detta avvisas ett nationellt åtagande om att varje kommun ska ha en fungerande konsumentvägledning, men underlaget är svagt.
- municipal self-governancedecisive»Beslut ska fattas på lägsta möjliga nivå, så nära medborgarna som möjligt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Decisions shall be taken at the lowest possible level, as close to citizens as possible.”
- prioritise core tasks»Politiken har en viktig uppgift att prioritera och välja bort« (party programme ↗)“Policy has an important task to prioritise and choose to omit”
- limited public commitment»Om något kan göras lika bra eller bättre av« (party programme ↗)“If something can be done equally well or better by”
The plan is based on the principle that all of Sweden shall prosper, and that all citizens have the right to equivalent welfare and public services, and explicitly criticizes that public services have been dismantled in large parts of the country.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan is based on the principle that all of Sweden shall prosper, and that all citizens have the right to equivalent welfare and public services, and explicitly criticizes that public services have been dismantled in large parts of the country. Ensuring that every municipality has functioning consumer guidance aligns with this. The plan's emphasis on municipal self-determination pulls in the opposite direction, and the question is not directly addressed.
Original (Swedish)
Planen bygger på att hela Sverige ska leva och att alla medborgare har rätt till en likvärdig välfärd och samhällsservice, och kritiserar uttryckligen att offentlig service monterats ned i stora delar av landet. Att säkerställa att varje kommun har en fungerande konsumentvägledning ligger i linje med det. Planens betoning av kommunalt självbestämmande drar i motsatt riktning, och frågan berörs inte direkt.
- hela Sverige ska levadecisive»Principen om att hela Sverige skall leva är mycket viktig för Sverigedemokraterna.« (party programme ↗)“The principle that all of Sweden shall prosper is very important to Sweden Democrats.”
- likvärdig samhällsservice»måste balanseras mot principen om att alla svenska medborgare skall ha rätt till en likvärdig välfärd« (party programme ↗)“must be balanced against the principle that all Swedish citizens shall have the right to equivalent welfare”
- mot nedmonterad service»offentlig service har monterats ned på landsbygd och i stora delar av landet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“public services have been dismantled in rural areas and in large parts of the country”
- kommunalt självbestämmande»Vi betraktar det kommunala självbestämmandet som en central del av demokratin« (party programme ↗)“We regard municipal self-determination as a central part of democracy”
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.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:CU8)
- Committee report full text (HA01CU8)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1003 — Sverigevänlig konsumentpolitik av Mikael Eskilandersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1007 — Krafttag mot överskuldsättning av Mikael Eskilandersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1231 — Ett hållbart småföretagande av Lorena Delgado Varas m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1385 — Räntetak för effektiv ränta gentemot låntagare av Patrik Jönsson (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1673 — Jämställdhet för hållbar utveckling av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:2162 — Förbud mot erbjudanden och kampanjer på sockerrika livsmedel av Yasmine Eriksson (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:2190 — Ledarskap för klimat och grön omställning av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:2215 — Konsumentpolitik av Jennie Nilsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2272 — Romansbedrägerier av Alexander Christiansson (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:471 — Förbud mot reklam för fossilbaserade produkter och tjänster av Mattias Jonsson och Dzenan Cisija (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:483 — Lag om att retuscherade bilder ska markeras av Eva Lindh och Åsa Eriksson (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:490 — Förbud mot snabblån, stöd till skuldsatta och åtgärder mot reafusk av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2022/23:843 — Hållbara gröna och blå näringar av Daniel Bäckström m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:848 — En bättre digital säkerhet - stärkt cybersäkerhet för nutid och framtid av Niels Paarup-Petersen m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:86 — Konsumentfrågor av Nadja Awad m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:865 — Hållbar konsumentpolitik av Alireza Akhondi m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:896 — Reklam - nej tack! av Michael Rubbestad (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:907 — Cirkulär ekonomi och kemikalier av Stina Larsson m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:966 — Brott mot företagare av Tobias Andersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:976 — Framtidens e-sport av Michael Rubbestad m.fl. (SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament