Act on public commercial activities

The election manifesto requires that society-critical activities and infrastructure that have been privatized be taken back, and the party programme wants to gradually strengthen collective ownership in key sectors. A law limiting public sales activities in favor of private competitors goes directly against that line, and the plan also warns that privatizations have drained services in smaller towns. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's demand that the law not be implemented.

• reclaim privatized activitiesdecisive»Det är hög tid att agera och ta tillbaka den samhällsviktiga verksamhet och infrastruktur som har privatiserats.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is high time to act and take back the society-critical activities and infrastructure that have been privatized.”
• collective ownership in key sectors»strategiska naturtillgångar, energiförsörjning, infrastruktur, bostadsproduktion och den finansiella sektorn« (party programme ↗)“strategic natural resources, energy supply, infrastructure, housing production and the financial sector”
• privatization depletes rural services»Privatiseringar har lett till dyrare elpris, att apoteken flyttar från landsbygd till städer och från fattiga till rika områden« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Privatizations have led to higher electricity prices, pharmacies moving from countryside to cities and from poor to rich areas”
• service throughout the country»Äldreomsorg, förskola, skola och matbutik behöver finnas på fler mindre orter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Elderly care, preschool, school and grocery store need to exist in more smaller towns.”

The plan establishes that society has a responsibility to solve questions that market forces cannot handle and requires democratic control over socially vital functions and good service regardless of where in the country you live. A law that restricts public sales activities in favour of private actors risks exactly what the counter-proposal warns about: that public actors are prevented from counteracting market failures in smaller places. The plan places cooperation before competition in social services.

• society solves market failuresdecisive»Samhället har ett ansvar att lösa frågor som enskilda, företag« (party programme ↗)“Society has a responsibility to solve questions that individuals, companies”
• equivalent service throughout the country»God service och välfärd till medborgarna oavsett var i landet de bor.« (party programme ↗)“Good service and welfare for citizens regardless of where in the country they live.”
• democratic control»Demokratisk kontroll över välfärden och samhällsviktiga funktioner.« (party programme ↗)“Democratic control over welfare and socially vital functions.”
• cooperation before competition»Samarbete i stället för konkurrens för utförare av välfärd, samhällsservice.« (party programme ↗)“Cooperation instead of competition for welfare and social service providers.”

The plan states that society and its institutions should be present in all areas and that welfare should be built on solidarity rather than market logic. A law that restricts public actors' commercial activities risks exactly what the counter-proposal warns about: that public services disappear in smaller communities and that preparedness is weakened. The plan's principle of present public services and strengthened civil preparedness therefore speaks in favor of the counter-proposal's demand not to implement the law.

• public services throughout the countrydecisive»Samhället och dess institutioner ska vara närvarande i alla områden.« (party programme ↗)“Society and its institutions should be present in all areas.”
• welfare before market logic»Välfärden ska byggas utifrån solidaritet, inte marknadslogik.« (party programme ↗)“Welfare should be built on solidarity, not market logic.”
• strengthened civil preparedness»satsa en större andel av försvarets pengar på det civila försvaret, och öka anslagen till krisberedskap.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“invest a larger share of defence spending on civil defence, and increase allocations to crisis preparedness.”

The plan is based on a well-functioning market economy where competition is a driving force and where public activities preferably should be subject to competitive tendering rather than competing with private companies. A law against improper public selling activities is therefore in line with the plan, and the counter-proposal's demand to stop it is not. The plan's demand for reliable public services throughout the country speaks partly the other way but weighs less than the competition commitment.

• competitively tendered public activitiesdecisive»Offentlig verksamhet kan med fördel konkurrensutsättas för att ge det privata näringslivet möjlighet att skapa« (party programme ↗)“Public activities can advantageously be subject to competitive tendering to give the private sector the opportunity to create”
• competition as a driver»Konkurrens är en viktig drivkraft för utvecklingen av marknadsekonomin.« (party programme ↗)“Competition is an important driver for the development of the market economy.”
• freer markets»Genom att skapa friare marknader och förbättra konkurrensen kan vi dämpa priserna ytterligare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“By creating freer markets and improving competition we can further dampen prices.”
• services throughout the country»Offentlig service ska vara nära och pålitlig i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Public services shall be close and reliable throughout the country.”

The plan establishes that the public should not conduct activities that crowd out functioning private alternatives and should only conduct commercial activities in the event of strong public interest. A law on public commercial activities is precisely the regulation that should maintain fair competition between public and private actors. The counter-proposal wants to stop the law and thereby goes against the plan's commitment to competition on equal terms.

• public sector must not crowd out privatedecisive»Det offentliga ska inte driva verksamheter som tränger ut fungerande privata alternativ eller försvårar nyföretagande.« (party programme ↗)“The public should not conduct activities that crowd out functioning private alternatives or hinder new entrepreneurship.”
• restrictive public commercial activity»Det offentliga ska endast driva affärsverksamhet om det finns ett starkt samhällsintresse.« (party programme ↗)“The public should only conduct commercial activities if there is a strong public interest.”
• rules of the game for fair competition»Även den privata makten kan missbrukas. Marknadsekonomin kräver spelregler för att upprätthålla en sund konkurrens.« (party programme ↗)“Private power can also be abused. The market economy requires rules of the game to maintain fair competition.”
• competition on equal terms»Lagar och regler ska slå vakt om äganderätt, konkurrens på lika villkor, rättssäkerhet och att enskilda människor har likvärdiga och goda möjligheter att nå sina livsmål.« (party programme ↗)“Laws and regulations should protect property rights, competition on equal terms, rule of law, and that individuals have equivalent and good opportunities to reach their life goals.”

The party programme demands effective competition policy that counteracts monopolies and unfair competition, and that private operations be given the same conditions as publicly operated ones. A law against improper public commercial activity is just such an instrument. The counter-proposal wants to stop the law, which goes against the plan's competition commitment, even though the plan's concern for service in smaller places pulls in the other direction.

• effective competition policydecisive»En effektiv konkurrenspolitik motverkar oligopol, monopol och illojal konkurrens.« (party programme ↗)“Effective competition policy counteracts oligopolies, monopolies and unfair competition.”
• absence of public monopolies»Den offentliga sektorns verksamhetsformer ska så långt möjligt bygga på frånvaro av monopol.« (party programme ↗)“Public sector activities shall as far as possible be based on absence of monopolies.”
• the state oversees a sound market»Statens roll i näringspolitiken är att övervaka att lagstiftningen och en god etik upprätthålls på marknaden.« (party programme ↗)“The state's role in business policy is to oversee that legislation and good ethics are upheld in the market.”
• service in smaller places»Rädda lanthandeln genom att bredda driftstödet till dagligvarubutiker.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Save rural shops by expanding operational support to grocery stores.”

The plan builds prosperity on a free and dynamic business sector and warns that a large state gives a weaker society. A law that curbs public actors' improper commercial activity protects precisely the competition the plan wishes to protect, while the counter-proposal wishes to preserve the scope for public business activity. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's demand to reject the law.

• free business sector creates prosperitydecisive»Moderaterna vill bygga ett land där ett fritt näringsliv skapar ett välstånd som kommer alla till del.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Moderaterna wishes to build a country where a free business sector creates prosperity that benefits everyone.”
• limited state activity»En stor stat leder till ett svagare samhälle.« (party programme ↗)“A large state leads to a weaker society.”
• the business sector bears prosperity»Sveriges välstånd bygger på ett dynamiskt och livskraftigt näringsliv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden's prosperity is built on a dynamic and vibrant business sector.”
• the value of market economy»Marknadsekonomin främjar hushållning, ansvar, kreativitet och långsiktighet.« (party programme ↗)“Market economy promotes thrift, responsibility, creativity and long-termism.”

The plan wants to streamline public services and consolidate agencies, and points out that conditions often make it difficult for smaller operators to enter the market. A law limiting improper public sales activities aligns with that position, which is why the counter-proposal's demand not to implement the law is rejected. The plan's principle that the whole of Sweden should live, with maintained public influence over infrastructure, points in the opposite direction and makes the assessment uncertain.

• streamlined public servicesdecisive»Sverigedemokraterna vill också slå samman myndigheter och renodla offentliga verksamheter där det är möjligt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats also want to streamline public services and consolidate agencies where possible.”
• equal conditions for smaller operators»Onödigt stränga villkor i branschstandarder och i upphandlingar gör det ofta svårt för mindre aktörer att slå sig in på marknaden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Unnecessarily strict conditions in industry standards and in procurement often make it difficult for smaller operators to enter the market.”
• responsible market economy»reglerad marknadsekonomi, byggd på långsiktigt tänkande, är för oss självklar« (party programme ↗)“regulated market economy, based on long-term thinking, is self-evident for us”
• the whole of Sweden shall live»Principen om att hela Sverige skall leva är mycket viktig för Sverigedemokraterna.« (party programme ↗)“The principle that the whole of Sweden shall live is very important to Sweden Democrats.”