2026-04-152025/26:FöU8 · p.10FöUDefence
Staffing in the rescue service
Staffing and personnel supply within the rescue services
What's at stake: The rescue services' ability to respond equally and safely across the country, not least during heightened alert, depends on whether part-time fire brigades can be staffed. The decision mainly affects municipalities struggling to recruit part-time firefighters and the level of readiness residents there can expect.
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's and the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency's (MCF) ongoing commissions and measures are enough to solve the recruitment difficulties facing part-time fire brigades, or whether parliament should instruct the government that further action is needed to strengthen the rescue services' personnel supply.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee rejects the motions, pointing to ongoing work: the government has tasked the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MCF) with investigating civil defence duty after registration within the rescue services and with taking measures to strengthen operations during heightened alert, and has proposed additional funding. The committee judges this work to be sufficient and sees no reason for further action now.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 22 (S, V)
The reservation (S, V) wants the recruitment of part-time firefighters reviewed and parliament to instruct the government that the country's rescue services and their recruitment need to be strengthened, since recruitment difficulties persist despite ongoing efforts.
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.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/18/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| S | No | No 0/91/0/15 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Abstain 0/0/15/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | No | Abstain 0/0/20/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | No | Yes 56/0/0/10 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 61/0/0/9 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2025/26:662 by Kristoffer Lindberg (S), 2025/26:779 by Lena Bäckelin and Marie Olsson (both S), 2025/26:1639 by Alexander Christiansson (SD) motions 1 and 2, 2025/26:2311 by Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M), 2025/26:2822 by Mikael Larsson et al. (C) motion 37, 2025/26:3405 by Emma Berginger et al. (MP) motions 57 and 60 and 2025/26:3556 by Peter Hultqvist et al. (S) motion 84.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2025/26:662 av Kristoffer Lindberg (S), 2025/26:779 av Lena Bäckelin och Marie Olsson (båda S), 2025/26:1639 av Alexander Christiansson (SD) yrkandena 1 och 2, 2025/26:2311 av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M), 2025/26:2822 av Mikael Larsson m.fl. (C) yrkande 37, 2025/26:3405 av Emma Berginger m.fl. (MP) yrkandena 57 och 60 samt 2025/26:3556 av Peter Hultqvist m.fl. (S) yrkande 84.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected 98 proposals in motions from the general motion period 2025 on personnel matters. The proposals concern, among other things, personnel and competence supply within total defence and the rescue service, military conscription, equality and inclusion, veterans and voluntary defence organizations. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to the fact that work is already underway within the areas that the proposals concern.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the daily allowance for conscripts to be indexed. (S, V) — 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 plan does not address part-time firefighters, but demands a robust society with broad capacity to meet various kinds of crises and that social services function everywhere.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address part-time firefighters, but demands a robust society with broad capacity to meet various kinds of crises and that social services function everywhere. Targeted measures to strengthen the rescue services' recruitment are the concrete application of that commitment. The plan furthermore emphasizes investments in society's core activities rather than relying on the problem solving itself.
Original (Swedish)
Planen tar inte upp deltidsbrandmän, men kräver ett robust samhälle med bred förmåga att möta olika slags kriser och att samhällsservice ska fungera överallt. Riktade åtgärder för att stärka räddningstjänsternas rekrytering är den konkreta tillämpningen av det åtagandet. Planen betonar dessutom investeringar i samhällets kärnverksamheter framför att lita på att problemet löser sig.
- broad crisis capacitydecisive»Vi vill se ett modernt totalförsvar byggt på allmän värnplikt, med en bred förmåga att möta olika former av kriser Sverige kan ställas inför.« (party programme ↗)“We want to see a modern total defence built on universal conscription, with a broad capacity to meet various forms of crises Sweden can face.”
- investments in core services»Investeringar i samhällets kärnverksamheter, gemensamt ägande i nyckelsektorer och medvetna strategier för landets ekonomiska utveckling är viktiga delar av det.« (party programme ↗)“Investments in society's core activities, collective ownership in key sectors and conscious strategies for the country's economic development are important parts of that.”
- social services throughout the country»Välfärden måste vara till för alla och finnas överallt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Welfare must be available to everyone and exist everywhere.”
- service everywhere»Skola, vård, omsorg och annan service behöver fungera överallt.« (party programme ↗)“School, care, elderly care and other services need to function everywhere.”
The plan requires that civil defence and crisis preparedness be upgraded and that preparedness against extreme weather be strengthened, which presupposes a staffed rescue service throughout the country.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that civil defence and crisis preparedness be upgraded and that preparedness against extreme weather be strengthened, which presupposes a staffed rescue service throughout the country. Targeted action to strengthen recruitment of part-time firefighters is a tool for that commitment. The plan does not, however, express itself on part-time firefighters' conditions.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att det civila försvaret och krisberedskapen rustas upp och att beredskapen mot extremväder stärks, vilket förutsätter en bemannad räddningstjänst i hela landet. Riktade åtgärder för att stärka rekryteringen av deltidsbrandmän är ett medel för det åtagandet. Planen uttalar sig dock inte om deltidsbrandmännens villkor.
- upgraded civil defencedecisive»Rusta upp det civila försvaret.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Upgrade civil defence.”
- preparedness against extreme weather»Stärk beredskapen mot extremväder.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen preparedness against extreme weather.”
- community services throughout the country»God tillgång till samhällets service i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“Good access to community services throughout the country.”
- preparedness throughout society»Stark infrastruktur för stärkt beredskap.« (party programme ↗)“Strong infrastructure for strengthened preparedness.”
The plan's guiding commitment in this area is that a larger share of defence resources should go to civil defence and that allocations to crisis preparedness should increase, because climate change makes extreme weather events more common.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's guiding commitment in this area is that a larger share of defence resources should go to civil defence and that allocations to crisis preparedness should increase, because climate change makes extreme weather events more common. The rescue service's staffing, including part-time firefighters, is a direct prerequisite for that preparedness. The counter-proposal's demand for targeted measures to strengthen the rescue services and their recruitment therefore follows from the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planens bärande åtagande på området är att en större andel av försvarsresurserna ska gå till det civila försvaret och att anslagen till krisberedskap ska öka, eftersom klimatförändringarna gör extrema väderhändelser vanligare. Räddningstjänstens personalförsörjning, inklusive deltidsbrandmän, är en direkt förutsättning för den beredskapen. Motförslagets krav på riktade åtgärder för att stärka räddningstjänsterna och deras rekrytering följer därför av planen.
- strengthened civil defencedecisive»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.”
- increased crisis preparedness»Sverige måste höja beredskapen för att möta den nya tidens hot.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden must increase preparedness to meet the threats of the new age.”
- preparedness for serious events»Alla samhällen drabbas förr eller senare av allvarliga händelser.« (party programme ↗)“All societies are struck sooner or later by serious events.”
- civilian service strengthens resilience»Värnplikten ska kompletteras med en civilplikt för att stärka samhällets motståndskraft« (party programme ↗)“Military service should be complemented with civilian service to strengthen society's resilience”
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 requires that civil defence and society's preparedness be strengthened and that public service, including safety, exists near throughout the country.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that civil defence and society's preparedness be strengthened and that public service, including safety, exists near throughout the country. The part-time fire brigade is the emergency resource that carries that readiness outside urban areas, and targeted measures to strengthen recruitment therefore follow from the commitment. The plan does not however explicitly mention emergency service staffing.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att civilförsvaret och samhällets beredskap rustas och att offentlig service, inklusive trygghet, finns nära i hela landet. Deltidsbrandkåren är den räddningsresurs som bär den beredskapen utanför tätorterna, och riktade åtgärder för att stärka rekryteringen följer därför av åtagandet. Planen nämner dock inte räddningstjänstens personalförsörjning uttryckligen.
- strengthen civil preparednessdecisive»Även det civila försvaret är livsviktigt. Vi måste rusta civilförsvaret och samhällets beredskap inför krig och kris.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Civil defence too is vital. We must strengthen civil defence and society's preparedness for war and crisis.”
- near service throughout the country»Offentlig service ska vara nära och pålitlig i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Public service shall be near and reliable throughout the country.”
- accessible social services»den offentliga servicen ska finnas där när man behöver den« (2022 manifesto ↗)“public service shall be there when you need it”
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 requires that civil defence be strengthened at the same pace as military defence and that total defence be significantly strengthened in the most difficult security policy situation since the end of the Second World War.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that civil defence be strengthened at the same pace as military defence and that total defence be significantly strengthened in the most difficult security policy situation since the end of the Second World War. The staffing of the rescue service is part of that capacity, and the plan also establishes that public services shall function throughout the country. Targeted measures to strengthen recruitment of part-time firefighters are therefore in line with the plan's direction, but are not addressed explicitly.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att det civila försvaret stärks i samma takt som det militära och att totalförsvaret stärks kraftigt i det svåraste säkerhetspolitiska läget sedan andra världskriget. Räddningstjänstens bemanning är en del av den förmågan, och planen slår också fast att samhällsservice ska fungera i hela landet. Riktade åtgärder för att stärka rekryteringen av deltidsbrandmän ligger därför i planens riktning, men behandlas inte uttryckligen.
- strengthened civil defencedecisive»Antalet anställda och värnpliktiga i krigsorganisationen ska öka, ny materiel tillföras och det civila försvaret stärkas i samma takt som det militära.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The number of employees and conscripts in the war organisation shall increase, new equipment shall be supplied and civil defence shall be strengthened at the same pace as military defence.”
- significantly strengthened total defence»I ett säkerhetspolitiskt läge som är det svåraste sedan andra världskrigets slut behöver Sveriges totalförsvar stärkas kraftigt.« (party programme ↗)“In a security policy situation that is the most difficult since the end of the Second World War, Sweden's total defence needs to be significantly strengthened.”
- public services throughout the country»Tillgången till statlig service ska säkras i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“Access to state services shall be secured throughout 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 demands that civil defence has sufficient resources and is able to maintain readiness to participate in managing catastrophes and other severe hardships, which requires a functioning rescue service with staff.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan demands that civil defence has sufficient resources and is able to maintain readiness to participate in managing catastrophes and other severe hardships, which requires a functioning rescue service with staff. Targeted measures to strengthen recruitment of part-time firefighters follow from this commitment. The plan also demands that everyone, regardless of where they live, receives society's basic services, which concerns rescue service coverage throughout the country.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att totalförsvaret har tillräckliga resurser och förmår upprätthålla beredskap för att delta i hanteringen av katastrofer och andra svåra påfrestningar, vilket förutsätter en fungerande räddningstjänst med bemanning. Riktade åtgärder för att stärka rekryteringen av deltidsbrandmän följer av detta åtagande. Planen kräver också att alla, oavsett bostadsort, får del av samhällets grundläggande rättigheter, vilket träffar räddningstjänstens täckning i hela landet.
- readiness for catastrophesdecisive»Därutöver krävs att totalförsvaret förmår upprätthålla beredskap för att kunna« (party programme ↗)“Furthermore, civil defence is required to be able to maintain readiness to”
- sufficient resources for civil defence»Det samlade totalförsvaret måste ha tillräckliga resurser för att kunna garantera« (party programme ↗)“Civil defence as a whole must have sufficient resources to guarantee”
- social services regardless of place of residence»Alla människor ska oavsett bostadsort kunna få del av samhällets grundläggande sociala« (party programme ↗)“All people regardless of where they live shall be able to receive society's basic social”
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 establishes that the military defence cannot fulfil its tasks if civil defence does not function, and commits to strengthening civil defence's personnel supply and ensuring long-term planning.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that the military defence cannot fulfil its tasks if civil defence does not function, and commits to strengthening civil defence's personnel supply and ensuring long-term planning. The staffing of rescue services, not least part-time firefighters, is the core of that preparedness. Targeted measures to strengthen recruitment thus follow from the plan, although part-time firefighters are not explicitly mentioned.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att det militära försvaret inte kan lösa sina uppgifter om inte det civila försvaret fungerar, och åtar sig att förstärka det civila försvarets personalförsörjning och säkra en långsiktig planering. Räddningstjänstens bemanning, inte minst deltidsbrandmännen, är kärnan i den beredskapen. Riktade åtgärder för att stärka rekryteringen följer därför av planen, även om deltidsbrandmän inte nämns uttryckligen.
- civil personnel supplydecisive»Förstärka det civila försvarets personalförsörjning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen civil defence's personnel supply”
- civil defence bears total defence»Fungerar inte det civila försvaret så kan inte heller det militära försvaret lösa sina uppgifter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“If civil defence does not function, then neither can military defence fulfil its tasks.”
- long-term civil planning»Säkra en långsiktig planering för det civila försvaret« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Ensure long-term planning for civil defence”
- strong civil defence»Tryggheten i Sverige förutsätter också ett starkt civilförsvar« (party programme ↗)“Security in Sweden also presupposes strong civil defence”
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 society's preparedness for all types of crises shall be strengthened and that allocations to authorities responsible for civil defence and crisis management should increase.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that society's preparedness for all types of crises shall be strengthened and that allocations to authorities responsible for civil defence and crisis management should increase. Staffing of the rescue service is a direct part of civil defence capacity, and the counter-proposal's demands for targeted recruitment measures align with that commitment. Part-time firefighters are not explicitly mentioned, so the position is derived from the preparedness and total defence commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att samhällets beredskap för alla typer av kriser ska stärkas och att anslagen till de myndigheter som ansvarar för civilförsvar och krisledning bör öka. Räddningstjänstens personalförsörjning är en direkt del av den civila beredskapsförmågan, och motförslagets krav på riktade åtgärder för rekryteringen ligger i linje med det åtagandet. Deltidsbrandmän nämns inte uttryckligen, varför ställningstagandet härleds ur beredskaps- och totalförsvarsåtagandena.
- increased allocations for civil defencedecisive»Anslagen till de myndigheter som har övergripande ansvar för civilförsvar, krisledning och beredskap bör öka och stödet till civilorganisationer med samhällsuppdrag ska stärkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Allocations to authorities with overall responsibility for civil defence, crisis management and preparedness should increase and support for civil organisations with societal missions shall be strengthened.”
- strengthened crisis preparedness»Sverigedemokraterna vill stärka samhällets beredskap för alla typer av kriser som kan uppstå.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to strengthen society's preparedness for all types of crises that may arise.”
- re-established total defence»Återupprätta ett totalförsvar som är rustat för krig« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Re-establish a total defence that is prepared for war”
- civil defence as foundation»Ett välfungerande civilförsvar skapar förutsättningarna för det militära försvaret« (party programme ↗)“A well-functioning civil defence creates the conditions for military defence”
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 (2025/26:FöU8)
- Committee report full text (HD01FöU8)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2025/26:1003 — Lärdomar från Finland: jägare som del av landets krisberedskap av Magnus Jacobsson (KD)
- Motion 2025/26:1131 — Vapenfri värnplikt av Martina Johansson (C)
- Motion 2025/26:1639 — Bristen på deltidsbrandmän av Alexander Christiansson (SD)
- Motion 2025/26:1937 — Utlandssvenskars skyldigheter vid krig och kris av Jan Ericson (M)
- Motion 2025/26:1970 — Stärkt civilt försvar av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M)
- Motion 2025/26:199 — Personalfrågor i Försvarsmakten av Hanna Gunnarsson m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2025/26:2102 — Stärkt försvarsförmåga med ett ökat samarbete mellan jägare, sportskyttar och försvaret av Sten Bergheden och Johanna Rantsi (båda M)
- Motion 2025/26:2311 — Rekrytering av blåljuspersonal av Ann-Sofie Lifvenhage (M)
- Motion 2025/26:2368 — Säkerhetspolitik för en fredligare värld av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2025/26:2497 — Nationell frivilligplattform och samverkan med civilt försvar av Ann-Charlotte Hammar Johnsson (M)
- Motion 2025/26:2525 — Möjlighet för fler att genomgå grundutbildning inom Försvarsmakten av Mattias Eriksson Falk och Roger Hedlund (båda SD)
- Motion 2025/26:2684 — Satsa på försvarsmusiken av Niklas Karlsson (S)
- Motion 2025/26:2790 — Konstitutionella frågor av Jessica Wetterling m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2025/26:2807 — Ökat stöd för veteraner av Markus Wiechel m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2025/26:2822 — Militärt och civilt försvar samt samhällets krisberedskap av Mikael Larsson m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2025/26:3033 — Krigsplacering av frivilligpersonal av Thomas Ragnarsson (M)
- Motion 2025/26:3227 — Stärkt skytte som del av totalförsvaret av Marléne Lund Kopparklint (M)
- Motion 2025/26:3405 — Ökad civil försvarsförmåga och stärkt krisberedskap av Emma Berginger m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2025/26:3406 — Inrättande av en ny försvarsmusikkår av Emma Berginger m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2025/26:3409 — Försvarsmakten - en trygg och jämställd arbetsmiljö av Emma Berginger m.fl. (MP)
Source: The Swedish Parliament