Right of first refusal

The plan wants to gradually strengthen collective ownership in the economy's key sectors and establishes that collective ownership of housing and land provides strong tools for urban planning. A modern right-of-first-refusal law giving municipalities, regions, and the state the ability to acquire society-critical buildings and areas is precisely such a tool. The election manifesto also demands that society-critical activities and infrastructure be taken back.

• strengthened collective ownershipdecisive»gemensamma ägandet i ekonomins nyckelsektorer och därmed öka« (party programme ↗)“collective ownership in the economy's key sectors and thereby increase”
• collective land ownership»Det gemensamma ägandet av bostäder och mark ger starka verktyg« (party programme ↗)“Collective ownership of housing and land provides strong tools”
• active land policy»Vänsterpartiet vill se ett statligt byggbolag, investeringsstöd för ökat bostadsbyggande och en aktiv markpolitik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party wants to see a state building company, investment support for increased housing construction and an active land policy.”
• reclaim society-critical infrastructure»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.”

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 basic attitude is that society should advance positions and take back control, and that democracy has priority before the market; moreover, it should strike hard against the organized crime's financing and organization. A modern pre-emption law that gives municipalities, regions and the state the opportunity to acquire socially vital properties serves both these purposes. Pre-emption rights are not explicitly mentioned, so the support is derived.

• democracy's prioritydecisive»Demokratin har därför företräde före marknaden.« (party programme ↗)“Democracy therefore has priority before the market.”
• society takes back control»Samhället ska flytta fram positionerna för att ta tillbaka kontrollen över utvecklingen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Society shall advance positions in order to take back control of development.”
• against criminals' finances»Slå hårt mot den organiserade brottslighetens finansiering och organisation.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strike hard against the organized crime's financing and organization.”
• common ownership in housing policy»Starka allmännyttiga och kooperativa företag är nödvändiga för att« (party programme ↗)“Strong general-purpose and cooperative enterprises are necessary in order to”

The plan wants municipalities and regions to be given increased responsibility and influence and maintains that in certain cases there are reasons for the state or a municipality to own and operate activities, while land policy should be long-term. The election manifesto furthermore wants to strike at the businesses of organized crime from multiple directions. A modern right of pre-emption law that gives municipalities, regions and the state the opportunity to acquire socially important properties is a tool for both of these commitments.

• increased municipal influencedecisive»kommuner ges ett ökat ansvar och inflytande över de« (party programme ↗)“municipalities are given increased responsibility and influence over the”
• cut off gang financing»stoppa finansieringen av de kriminella gängen genom att stärka myndighetssamverkan« (2022 manifesto ↗)“stop financing of criminal gangs by strengthening coordination between authorities”
• public ownership can be justified»kan det dock finnas skäl för staten« (party programme ↗)“however, there may be reasons for the state”
• long-term land policy»Markpolitiken i Sverige måste vara långsiktig och« (party programme ↗)“Land policy in Sweden must be long-term and”

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 makes property rights a central and protectable right that shall explicitly be strengthened, and the party programme warns against arbitrary interference that undermines long-term sustainability in society. A new right of first refusal law giving the state, regions and municipalities the right to intervene in property acquisitions is such an interference. Crisis preparedness arguments speak for the counter-proposal, but the plan's property rights commitment weighs more.

• central property rightsdecisive»Äganderätten är central för ett samhälle där människor kan förverkliga sig själva och sina drömmar.« (party programme ↗)“Property rights are central to a society where people can realize themselves and their dreams.”
• strengthened property rights»Vi vill stärka bland annat äganderätten, diskrimineringsförbudet, minoritetsskyddet och minoritetsspråkens ställning, och grundlagsskydda rätten till abort och reproduktiv hälsa.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to strengthen, among other things, property rights, the prohibition on discrimination, minority protection and the status of minority languages, and constitutionally protect the right to abortion and reproductive health.”
• against interference in property rights»Brott mot äganderätten, med konfiskatoriska och godtyckliga beskattningar och ingrepp, underminerar förtroendet och långsiktigheten i samhället.« (party programme ↗)“Violations of property rights, with confiscatory and arbitrary taxation and interference, undermine confidence and long-term sustainability in society.”
• 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 civil protection in the face of war and crisis.”

Worldstate weighed in: Damaged underwater cable between Gotland and Latvia with suspected sabotage — sharpens crisis preparedness arguments for right of first refusal, but does not change the plan's property rights principle

The plan proceeds from property rights and the right to buy and sell property, and holds to a sound skepticism toward increased public claims to power and that the public should only operate activities of strong public interest. The counter-proposal's starting point that society should own and control socially important buildings and areas, with broad pre-emption rights for state, region and municipality, goes against this. That the plan sees security policy risks when foreign states acquire strategic assets pulls partly in the other direction, which is why the foundation is weak.

• property rights and freedom of contractdecisive»Äganderätten, rätten att köpa, sälja och ge bort« (party programme ↗)“Property rights, the right to buy, sell and give away”
• skepticism toward public claims to power»sund skepsis mot ökade offentliga maktanspråk, därför en självklarhet.« (party programme ↗)“sound skepticism toward increased public claims to power, therefore a matter of course.”
• limited public ownership»Det offentliga ska endast driva affärsverksamhet om det finns ett starkt samhällsintresse.« (party programme ↗)“The public should only operate business activities if there is a strong public interest.”
• protection of strategic assets»demokratiska länder, till exempel hamnar, elnät eller liknande, måste ses i ett säkerhetspolitiskt« (party programme ↗)“democratic countries, for example harbors, power grids or the like, must be seen in a security policy”

The party programme makes the right to property a human right, wants personal ownership to be encouraged at the expense of institutional ownership and requires that forced redemption be used only in exceptional cases. A new pre-emption law that gives the state, region and municipality the right to go first in property acquisitions, on the grounds that society should own socially important buildings, goes against these commitments.

• personal ownership before institutionaldecisive»Det är också angeläget att det personliga ägandet uppmuntras på bekostnad av det institutionella ägandet.« (party programme ↗)“It is also important that personal ownership be encouraged at the expense of institutional ownership.”
• property rights as a right»Rätten till egendom är en mänsklig rättighet« (party programme ↗)“The right to property is a human right”
• forced redemption only exceptionally»tillämpas endast i undantagsfall« (party programme ↗)“applied only in exceptional cases”
• property rights must not be undermined»får inte urholka äganderätten« (party programme ↗)“must not undermine property rights”

The party programme establishes that the state and municipalities may only take over private property in exceptional cases and that property rights should have strong protection. A new right of first refusal law that gives municipalities, regions and the state the right to intervene in private property transfers is a principled restriction of precisely that right, and the counter-proposal's starting point that society should own buildings vital to society goes against the plan's line that the right to own should be protected.

• only exceptionally intervene in ownershipdecisive»Stat och kommun ska endast i undantagsfall få ta över enskildas egendom« (party programme ↗)“The state and municipalities shall only in exceptional cases take over private property”
• strong property rights»Äganderätten och näringsfriheten ska ha ett starkt skydd« (party programme ↗)“Property rights and business freedom shall have strong protection”
• the right to own protected»Människors rätt att äga ska värnas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“People's right to own should be protected”

The plan's heaviest commitment in this area is strengthened property rights, right up to reinforced constitutional protection. A broad right of first refusal for municipalities, regions and state over socially important buildings and areas restricts that right. The plan simultaneously wants strategic infrastructure to be under society's control and clan power to be countered, which in part supports the counter-proposal, making the conclusion uncertain.

• constitutional protection of property rightsdecisive»Förstärka grundlagens rättighetsskydd vad gäller yttrandefrihet, äganderätt och frihet från religion« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the fundamental law's protection of rights regarding freedom of expression, property rights and freedom from religion”
• strengthened property rights»Stärka äganderätten« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen property rights”
• societal control over infrastructure»behålla ett betydande mått av inflytande över infrastruktur och kollektivtrafik.« (party programme ↗)“retain substantial control over infrastructure and public transport.”
• counter clans and crime»Motverka klanernas makt, både inom det offentliga och inom civilsamhället« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Counter clan power, both in the public sector and in civil society”