2026-04-012025/26:KU31 · p.2KUConstitution
Minorities' Language Center
Permanent funding for the national minority-language centres
What's at stake: The language centres provide support and knowledge that let speakers of the minority languages keep and develop their language and pass it on to the next generation; uncertain, short-term funding has, according to a review, forced the centres to be shut down and restarted, wasting resources and affecting both staff and language communities.
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 funding for the national minority-language centres (for Finnish, Yiddish, Meänkieli, Romani chib and Sami) should be made permanent through a parliamentary statement, or whether it should continue to be decided year by year through the ordinary budget process, as the committee favors.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that the mandate for the language centres held by the Institute for Language and Folklore has recently been moved from the appropriation directions into the agency's instruction to give the work more long-term stability, notes that the Culture Committee views this change favorably and that funding for minority-language policy is in any case addressed annually in parliament's budget decisions, and therefore rejects the motions for permanent funding.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (V, MP)
The reservation (V, MP) points to Audit Office findings that both the Institute for Language and Folklore and the Sami Parliament work effectively with the language centres when conditions allow, but that the government's short-term, late decisions have forced the centres to be shut down and restarted at great cost in wasted resources, and it wants the centres' funding and mandate secured on a long-term, permanent basis.
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 1 by V, MP.
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 0/17/0/5 | follows the plan | confidence: high | not addressed |
| S | No | Yes 90/0/0/16 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/15/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: high | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 19/0/0/5 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 12/0/0/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 55/0/0/11 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | No | Yes 59/0/0/11 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2025/26:2786 by Nooshi Dadgostar et al. (V) amendment 3, 2025/26:3435 by Jan Riise et al. (MP) amendment 3, 2025/26:3775 by Amanda Lind et al. (MP) amendment 46, 2025/26:3884 by Jan Riise et al. (MP) amendment 1 and 2025/26:3892 by Lorena Delgado Varas and Daniel Riazat (both -) amendment 4.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2025/26:2786 av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V) yrkande 3, 2025/26:3435 av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP) yrkande 3, 2025/26:3775 av Amanda Lind m.fl. (MP) yrkande 46, 2025/26:3884 av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP) yrkande 1 och 2025/26:3892 av Lorena Delgado Varas och Daniel Riazat (båda -) yrkande 4.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag has discussed a communication from the Government concerning the National Audit Office's examination of the State's efforts to protect the national minority languages. According to law, the public sector has a special responsibility to protect and promote the national minority languages: Yiddish, Romani Chib, Sámi, Finnish, and Meänkieli. The National Audit Office has examined whether the State's efforts to keep the national minority languages alive are effective. According to the National Audit Office, the State's efforts are insufficient to achieve the goal, and resources could be used more effectively. The Government largely agrees with the National Audit Office's findings. The Government takes seriously the fact that the State's efforts are insufficient and is committed to long-term work to keep minority languages alive. The Riksdag emphasizes the importance of preserving, strengthening, and increasing access to minority languages and shares the Government's assessment that long-term work is required. Furthermore, the Riksdag believes that the National Audit Office's report is important knowledge material for ongoing work to keep minority languages alive. The Riksdag filed the Government's communication with the documents, which means the matter was closed.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to make permanent the financing of minority language centers and increase resources for language vitalization. (V, MP) — Reservation 1
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 establishes that Sweden has a special task to strengthen indigenous peoples' and national minorities' rights to identity, language and cultural heritage.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that Sweden has a special task to strengthen indigenous peoples' and national minorities' rights to identity, language and cultural heritage. Language centres are the practical tool for that right, and short-term management that forces closure and restart undermines it. The plan also requires that culture exists throughout the country, which speaks for long-term and permanent financing.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att Sverige har en särskild uppgift att stärka urfolks och de nationella minoriteternas rättigheter till identitet, språk och kulturarv. Språkcentrumen är det praktiska verktyget för den rättigheten, och kortsiktig styrning som tvingar fram nedläggning och återstart undergräver den. Planen kräver också att kulturen finns i hela landet, vilket talar för långsiktig och permanent finansiering.
- strengthen minorities' rightsdecisive»Sverige har en särskild uppgift att stärka urfolks och« (party programme ↗)“Sweden has a special task to strengthen indigenous peoples' and”
- right to language and cultural heritage»de nationella minoriteternas rättigheter till identitet, språk, kulturarv« (party programme ↗)“national minorities' rights to identity, language, cultural heritage”
- culture throughout the country»Det är viktigt att kulturen står fri från såväl kommersiell som politisk styrning och finns i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is important that culture stands free from both commercial and political control and exists throughout the country.”
The plan sets out rights for national minorities as an independent goal and wants to see cultural diversity with active exchange across linguistic and national boundaries.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan sets out rights for national minorities as an independent goal and wants to see cultural diversity with active exchange across linguistic and national boundaries. Short-term control that forces the closure and restart of language centres works against this, which is why long-term and permanently secured financing is in line with the plan. The plan does not comment on the form of government allocations.
Original (Swedish)
Planen ställer upp rättigheter för nationella minoriteter som ett eget mål och vill se kulturell mångfald med aktivt utbyte över språkliga och nationella gränser. Kortsiktig styrning som tvingar fram nedläggning och återstart av språkcentrumen motverkar det, varför långsiktigt och permanent säkrad finansiering ligger i planens linje. Planen uttalar sig inte om myndigheters anslagsformer.
- minorities' rightsdecisive»Rättigheter för nationella minoriteter.« (party programme ↗)“Rights for national minorities.”
- linguistic and cultural diversity»Kulturell mångfald med aktivt utbyte över språkliga, nationella och kulturella gränser.« (party programme ↗)“Cultural diversity with active exchange across linguistic, national and cultural boundaries.”
- vibrant cultural life»Sverige ska ha ett levande, fritt och obundet kulturliv som både stärker samhörigheten och utmanar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden shall have a vibrant, free and independent cultural life that both strengthens solidarity and challenges.”
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 national minority languages shall be preserved and developed and that society has a responsibility to strengthen the conditions for children's right to learn their minority language.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that national minority languages shall be preserved and developed and that society has a responsibility to strengthen the conditions for children's right to learn their minority language. The election manifesto wants to strengthen national minorities' and the Sámi people's rights. Short-term control that forces closure and restart of language centres undermines precisely this, which is why the plan supports the demand for long-term and permanently secured financing.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att de nationella minoritetsspråken ska bevaras och utvecklas och att samhället har ett ansvar att stärka förutsättningarna för barns rätt att lära sig sitt minoritetsspråk. Valmanifestet vill stärka nationella minoriteters och samernas rättigheter. Kortsiktig styrning som tvingar fram nedläggning och återstart av språkcentrumen undergräver just detta, varför planen stöder kravet på långsiktigt och permanent säkrad finansiering.
- minority languages shall be preserveddecisive»De fem erkända nationella minoritetsspråken: finska, jiddisch, meänkieli, romani chib« (party programme ↗)“The five recognized national minority languages: Finnish, Yiddish, Meänkieli, Romani”
- society's responsibility for languages»Samhället har ett ansvar att stärka förutsättningarna för detta.« (party programme ↗)“Society has a responsibility to strengthen the conditions for this.”
- strengthened minority rights»stärka nationella minoriteters och urfolket samernas rättigheter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen national minorities' and the indigenous Sámi people's rights”
- protection of minorities' culture»rättigheter, sin kultur och sin historia respekterade och skyddade.« (party programme ↗)“rights, their culture and their history respected and protected.”
The election manifesto commits to strengthening minority protection and the status of minority languages, and the party programme wants state cultural institutions to exist throughout the country.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto commits to strengthening minority protection and the status of minority languages, and the party programme wants state cultural institutions to exist throughout the country. Long-term and permanent funding of language centres is a direct means for that status to become real instead of activities being closed and restarted. The plan however does not mention the language centres as such.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet åtar sig att stärka minoritetsskyddet och minoritetsspråkens ställning, och partiprogrammet vill att statliga kulturinstitutioner finns i hela landet. Långsiktig och permanent finansiering av språkcentrumen är ett direkt medel för att den ställningen ska bli reell i stället för att verksamheten läggs ned och startas om. Planen nämner dock inte språkcentrumen som sådana.
- strengthened status for minority languagesdecisive»Vi vill stärka bland annat äganderätten, diskrimineringsförbudet, minoritetsskyddet och minoritetsspråkens ställning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to strengthen, among other things, the right to property, the prohibition on discrimination, minority protection and the status of minority languages”
- culture nationwide»Att tillhandahålla kultur i hela landet är en viktig utgångspunkt för Centerpartiet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Making culture available throughout the country is an important starting point for the Centre Party.”
- state cultural activity regionally»Statliga kulturinstitutioner ska sprida sin verksamhet i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“State cultural institutions shall spread their activities 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 commits that the public sector shall support language, culture and media offerings with a minority language profile and that the individual's opportunities to use minority languages in dealing with authorities shall be strengthened.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan commits that the public sector shall support language, culture and media offerings with a minority language profile and that the individual's opportunities to use minority languages in dealing with authorities shall be strengthened. The activity of language centres is precisely such support, and short-term management that forces closure and restart counteracts the commitment. Ensuring assignments and financing in the long term thus follows from the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen åtar sig att det offentliga ska understödja ett språk-, kultur- och medieutbud med minoritetsspråksprofil och att individens möjligheter att använda minoritetsspråk gentemot myndigheter ska stärkas. Språkcentrumens verksamhet är just ett sådant stöd, och kortsiktig styrning som tvingar fram nedläggning och återstart motverkar åtagandet. Att säkra uppdrag och finansiering långsiktigt följer därför av planen.
- support for minority languagesdecisive»understödja ett språk-, kultur- och medieutbud med minoritetsspråksprofil.« (party programme ↗)“support language, culture and media offerings with a minority language profile.”
- minority languages against authorities»möjligheter att använda minoritetsspråk i kontakten med myndigheter ska stärkas.« (party programme ↗)“opportunities to use minority languages in dealing with authorities shall be strengthened.”
- protection for national minorities»Skolor med inriktning mot de lagskyddade nationella minoriteterna ska alltid kunna finnas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Schools with orientation towards the legally protected national minorities shall always be able to exist.”
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 aims to ensure minority languages a strong position through legislation and sees it as a central public task to support minorities' own efforts to preserve their culture.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan aims to ensure minority languages a strong position through legislation and sees it as a central public task to support minorities' own efforts to preserve their culture. Long-term and permanently secured funding and remit for language centres are the practical expression of this commitment. The plan furthermore places on the state the responsibility for a cultural infrastructure throughout the country.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill tillförsäkra minoritetsspråken en stark ställning genom lagstiftning och ser det som en central offentlig uppgift att stödja minoriteters egna insatser för att bevara sin kultur. Långsiktigt och permanent säkrad finansiering och uppdrag för språkcentrumen är det praktiska uttrycket för detta åtagande. Planen lägger dessutom på staten ansvaret för en kulturell infrastruktur i hela landet.
- status of minority languagesdecisive»detta är att tillförsäkra minoritetsspråken en stark ställning genom lagstiftning.« (party programme ↗)“this is to ensure minority languages a strong position through legislation.”
- public support for minorities»Det är en central offentlig uppgift att stödja minoriteters egna insatser för att« (party programme ↗)“It is a central public task to support minorities' own efforts to”
- national minorities' rights»samer, sverigefinländare, tornedalingar, romer och judar språkliga och etniska rättigheter« (party programme ↗)“Sami, Swedish Finns, Tornedalians, Roma and Jews linguistic and ethnic rights”
- state cultural infrastructure»brukar benämnas en kulturell infrastruktur, i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“is usually called a cultural infrastructure, 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 does not address the national minority languages or the financing of language centers.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address the national minority languages or the financing of language centers. The nearest guiding principle is that politics must prioritize and choose to discard, and all new commitments must fit within the surplus target, with the justice system, defence and welfare first. A permanent earmarked grant therefore does not follow from the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte de nationella minoritetsspråken eller språkcentrumens finansiering. Närmast liggande princip är att politiken måste prioritera och välja bort och att alla nya åtaganden ska rymmas inom överskottsmålet, med rättsväsende, försvar och välfärd först. Ett permanent öronmärkt anslag följer därför inte av planen.
- prioritize core tasksdecisive»Politiken har en viktig uppgift att prioritera och välja bort,« (party programme ↗)“Politics has an important task to prioritize and choose what to discard,”
- financed reforms»Alla nya löften och reformer – som till exempel våra inkomstskattesänkningar – behöver finansieras eller rymmas inom överskottsmålet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“All new promises and reforms – such as our income tax cuts – need to be financed or fit within the surplus target.”
- hard prioritization»De stora behoven inom rättsväsendet, försvaret och välfärden ställer stora krav på prioriteringar under åren som kommer.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The major needs within the justice system, defence and welfare impose major demands on prioritization in the years to come.”
The plan explicitly exempts national minorities from general assimilation efforts and wants to give them extensive cultural autonomy, as well as protect indigenous peoples' position and cultural values.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly exempts national minorities from general assimilation efforts and wants to give them extensive cultural autonomy, as well as protect indigenous peoples' position and cultural values. Long-term secured financing and a standing mandate for language centres is a means for that autonomy. The plan simultaneously requires clear results for every public investment, which qualifies but does not cancel the support.
Original (Swedish)
Planen undantar uttryckligen de nationella minoriteterna från allmänna assimileringssträvanden och vill ge dem långtgående kulturell autonomi, samt värna urfolkens ställning och kulturella värden. Långsiktigt säkrad finansiering och ett fast uppdrag för språkcentrumen är ett medel för den autonomin. Planen kräver samtidigt tydliga resultat för varje offentlig satsning, vilket kvalificerar men inte upphäver stödet.
- cultural autonomy for minoritiesdecisive»assimileringssträvanden och ges långtgående kulturell autonomi.« (party programme ↗)“assimilation efforts and want to give them extensive cultural autonomy.”
- protect indigenous peoples' position»Urfolkens ställning och kulturella värden ska värnas i den utrikespolitiska inriktningen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Indigenous peoples' position and cultural values should be protected in foreign policy direction.”
- language's organic value»Kulturen liksom språk och dialekter utvecklas organiskt, över tid, mellan generationer och över geografi.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Language as well as dialects develop organically, over time, between generations and across geography.”
- results demands on public investments»Begära tydliga resultat för varje offentlig satsning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Demand clear results for every public investment”
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:KU31)
- Committee report full text (HD01KU31)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2025/26:2786 — En politik för de nationella minoriteterna och minoritetsspråken av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2025/26:3435 — Politik för Sveriges nationella minoriteter av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2025/26:3775 — Kultur och bildning av Amanda Lind m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2025/26:3884 — med anledning av skr. 2025/26:62 Riksrevisionens rapport om statens främjande av de nationella minoritetsspråken av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2025/26:3892 — med anledning av skr. 2025/26:62 Riksrevisionens rapport om statens främjande av de nationella minoritetsspråken av Lorena Delgado Varas och Daniel Riazat (båda -)
- Regeringens skrivelse 2025/26:62 — Riksrevisionens rapport om statens främjande av de nationella minoritetsspråken
Source: The Swedish Parliament