Suitability of firearms for hunting

The plan makes the fight against access to firearms a part of crime prevention and wants the world to move towards fewer weapons in circulation. An explicit ban on licensing semi-automatic weapons with military appearance for hunting follows from that line. The plan also highlights gun violence as one of the insecurities society must eliminate.

• limited access to firearmsdecisive»kamp mot tillgången till illegala skjutvapen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“fight against access to illegal firearms”
• fewer weapons in circulation»och färre vapen i cirkulation.« (party programme ↗)“and fewer weapons in circulation.”
• safety from gun violence»Föräldrar ska inte behöva oroa sig över skjutvapenvåld och drömma mardrömmar om att deras barn ska drabbas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Parents should not have to worry about gun violence and dream nightmares about their children being affected.”
• no to militarization»och deeskalering. Vi vänder oss emot militarisering och kapprustning.« (party programme ↗)“and de-escalation. We oppose militarization and arms races.”

The election manifesto wants to double the penalty for serious weapons crimes and take decisive action against weapon smuggling as part of an uncompromising fight against serious crime. That semi-automatic weapons with military appearance should not be able to be licensed for hunting lies in that line of fewer such weapons in circulation. The party programme also highlights the fight against illegal weapons trafficking. The plan does not mention hunting weapons, so the conclusion is derived.

• tougher action on weapons crimesdecisive»Vi vill fördubbla straffet för grova vapenbrott.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to double the penalty for serious weapons crimes.”
• limit weapons in circulation»Vi vill ta krafttag mot införsel av vapen och narkotika, bland annat genom stärkt gränskontroll.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to take decisive action against smuggling of weapons and drugs, among other things through strengthened border control.”
• uncompromising crime prevention»Kampen mot kriminaliteten ska vara kompromisslös.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The fight against crime shall be uncompromising.”
• against illegal weapons trafficking»Det gör också kampen mot den illegala vapenhandeln.« (party programme ↗)“It also applies to the fight against illegal weapons trafficking.”

The plan states that the ecological perspective shall be placed in focus in hunting and that hunting forms that subject animals to unnecessary suffering shall not be permitted — hunting shall be guided by nature conservation and animal welfare considerations, not by weapon types. The plan also sees serious organised crime as a threat to people's freedom, which argues against weapons associated with serious violence being licensed for hunting. An explicit ban is thereby in line with the plan.

• ecological perspective in huntingdecisive»Det är viktigt att det ekologiska perspektivet sätts i« (party programme ↗)“It is important that the ecological perspective is placed in”
• no unnecessary animal suffering in hunting»Jaktformer som utsätter djur för onödigt lidande« (party programme ↗)“Hunting forms that subject animals to unnecessary suffering”
• counteract serious gun violence»grova organiserade brottsligheten utgör ett hot mot« (party programme ↗)“serious organised crime is a threat to”

The plan says nothing about weapons legislation or licensing of hunting weapons. Nearest principles are that superfluous rules burdening the countryside shall be cleared, that wildlife management shall be active and that property rights are central. A ban based on a weapon's appearance rather than its function appears against that background as such a regulatory burden, but the ground is weak.

• no superfluous rulesdecisive»Vi ska rensa upp bland överflödiga regler och byråkrati.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall clear away superfluous rules and bureaucracy.”
• active wildlife management»aktiv förvaltning av rovdjur och klövvilt« (party programme ↗)“active management of predators and cloven-hoofed animals”
• central property rights»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 realise themselves and their dreams.”

The plan does not take a position on which types of weapons may be licensed for hunting. The nearest line is a tightened attitude toward weapons in criminal environments, with tightened sentences for weapons offences and a stated concern about serious violence with firearms, which speaks for limiting access to semi-automatic weapons with military appearance. The plan at the same time wishes that the state cooperate with landowners and local people in wildlife management, which pulls in the opposite direction and makes the conclusion uncertain.

• increased sentences for weapons offencesdecisive»Vi vill avskaffa dagens mängdrabatt på brott, slopa den närmast automatiska frigivningen från fängelsestraff och skärpa straffen för bland annat vapenbrott, våldtäkt och utpressning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We wish to abolish today's sentence reduction for multiple offences, abolish the near-automatic release from prison sentences and increase sentences for, among other things, weapons offences, rape and extortion.”
• weapons in criminal environments»Polisen rapporterar om sjuåringar som är knarkkurirer och tolvåringar som bär vapen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Police report on seven-year-olds who are drug runners and twelve-year-olds who carry weapons.”
• strong rule of law and security»Rättsstaten ska stärkas. Sverige ska vara ett tryggt land att leva i.« (party programme ↗)“The rule of law shall be strengthened. Sweden shall be a secure country to live in.”
• cooperation in wildlife management»markägare och lokalbefolkning i naturvård och viltförvaltning.« (party programme ↗)“landowners and local people in nature conservation and wildlife management.”

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 which types of weapons may be licensed for hunting. The closest principle is that hunting, fishing and game management shall be valued as applied stewardship and that hunting rights are linked to land ownership, which argues against new restrictions that affect legal hunters and sport shooters. The election manifesto's stricter penalties for weapons crimes are directed at criminals' weapons, not at licensed hunting weapons.

• hunting shall be valueddecisive»Jakt, fiske och viltvård är en del i bevarandet av den biologiska mångfalden.« (party programme ↗)“Hunting, fishing and game management are part of the conservation of biological diversity.”
• hunting rights linked to land ownership»bör kopplingen mellan markägande och jakt- och fiskerätt finnas.« (party programme ↗)“should the connection between land ownership and hunting and fishing rights exist.”
• tough penalties for weapons crimes»Skärp straffet för vapenbrott till lägst fem års fängelse.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Tighten the penalty for weapons crimes to at least five years' imprisonment.”

The plan's commitment is that legal hunters, sport shooters and weapons collectors shall not be negatively affected by weapons regulations and that license handling shall be simplified rather than restricted. A ban on licensing semi-automatic weapons with military appearance for hunting is such a restriction for legal weapons owners. The plan's tightenings are instead directed at serious weapons crimes and criminals, not at hunters.

• no restrictions for legal weapons ownersdecisive»Det är viktigt att EU:s vapendirektiv inte genomförs i svensk lagstiftning så att du som är jägare, sportskytt eller vapensamlare drabbas negativt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is important that the EU's weapons directive is not implemented in Swedish legislation so that you as a hunter, sport shooter or weapons collector are negatively affected.”
• stop the hunt on hunters»Vi ska stoppa jakten på jägarna och rädda fiskerinäringen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall stop the hunt on hunters and save the fishing industry”
• simpler license handling»Arbeta för kortade handläggningstider för vapenlicenser« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for shortened handling times for weapons licenses”
• harder action on weapons crimes»Skärpa minimistraffen för grova vapenbrott från dagens 2 års fängelse till 6 års fängelse« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Tighten minimum sentences for serious weapons crimes from today's 2 years in prison to 6 years in prison”

The plan points to magazine restrictions and similar requirements as examples of measures taken to make legal gun ownership difficult, and establishes that political measures that should have been directed against illegal weapons have instead been directed at hunters and sport shooters. A license ban on semi-automatic hunting weapons with military appearance is exactly such a restriction on legal gun ownership. The plan therefore argues against the counter-proposal's requirement.

• against hassle for legal gun ownersdecisive»Magasinsreglering och förbud mot bly i ammunition är exempel på åtgärder som görs för att försvåra legalt vapenägande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Magazine restrictions and bans on lead in ammunition are examples of measures taken to make legal gun ownership difficult.”
• direct measures against illegal weapons»Samtidigt har politiska åtgärder som borde riktats mot illegala vapen och gängbrottslighet istället riktats mot legalt vapeninnehav, svenska jägare och sportskyttar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Meanwhile political measures that should have been directed against illegal weapons and gang crime have instead been directed at legal gun ownership, Swedish hunters and sport shooters.”
• protect legal gun owners»Stoppa hetsjakten på jägare och legala vapeninnehavare« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop the witch-hunt against hunters and legal gun owners.”
• value hunting weapons»Möjligheten att äga jaktvapen och att ägna sig åt jakt ska värnas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The possibility to own hunting weapons and to engage in hunting shall be valued.”