Pensioners' Council

The plan wants to deepen political democracy and establishes that everyone should be able to participate in society, regardless of age and dependent on care. Mandatory pensioners' councils give older people a formalised influence and thus align with that principle. At the same time, the plan says nothing about pensioners' councils specifically and values municipal self-government, so the conclusion is uncertain.

• deepened political democracydecisive»Vi vill bygga vidare på Sveriges demokratisering. Vi vill förstärka och« (party programme ↗)“We want to build on Sweden's democratisation. We want to strengthen and”
• participation for all»Alla behöver kunna vara delaktiga i samhället, bli bemötta för« (party programme ↗)“Everyone needs to be able to participate in society, be treated with”
• older people's self-determination»Att du är beroende av omsorg ska inte, som idag, begränsa dina möjligheter att styra över ditt liv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That you are dependent on care should not, as today, limit your opportunities to control your life.”
• municipal self-government»Det kommunala självstyret är en betydelsefull del av den svenska« (party programme ↗)“Municipal self-government is a meaningful part of the Swedish”

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 equal opportunities for participation in community life and sees popular movements as a way for people to influence, which speaks in favour of giving older people's organisations a formalised influence. The programme also notes that social cohesion is at risk of weakening when people leave working life. At the same time, the plan safeguards municipal self-governance, which makes a mandate a trade-off and lowers confidence.

• equal democratic participationdecisive»Alla ska ges lika möjlighet till delaktighet i samhällslivet, oavsett bakgrund.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone shall be given equal opportunity to participate in community life, regardless of background.”
• role of popular movements»Livskraftiga folkrörelser för att hålla ihop samhället.« (party programme ↗)“Vigorous popular movements to hold society together.”
• elderly people's conditions are prioritised»Trygg och trivsam äldreomsorg som uppfyller de växande behoven.« (party programme ↗)“Safe and pleasant elderly care that meets growing needs.”
• municipal self-governance»Det kommunala och regionala självstyret skapar närhet och« (party programme ↗)“Municipal and regional self-governance creates proximity and”

The plan explicitly views citizen councils and other forms that broaden democracy positively, and wants to strengthen civic influence. It furthermore emphasizes that elderly people's knowledge and experience are valuable and that elderly should participate in social life. An obligatory pensioner council is such an instrument for influence and is therefore supported in substance.

• citizen councils broaden democracydecisive»Vi ser positivt på initiativ för att bredda demokratin såsom medborgarförslag, medborgarråd, medborgardialoger och folkomröstningar.« (party programme ↗)“We view positively initiatives to broaden democracy such as citizen proposals, citizen councils, citizen dialogues and referendums.”
• strengthened civic influence»Vi i Miljöpartiet arbetar för att stärka och utveckla det medborgerliga inflytandet.« (party programme ↗)“We in the Green Party work to strengthen and develop civic influence.”
• elderly experience is used»Äldres kunskaper och erfarenheter är ovärderliga på många områden« (party programme ↗)“Elderly people's knowledge and experience are invaluable in many areas”
• elderly participation in social life»Pensionärer och äldre ska ha möjlighet att uppleva samvaro,« (party programme ↗)“Pensioners and elderly should have the opportunity to experience socializing,”

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 consistent principle is that decisions shall be made as close as possible to those affected and that municipalities and regions shall have strong self-determination over how tasks are solved. To force every municipality and region in law to establish pensioner councils is the opposite of the decentralization the plan advocates, even though older people's influence in itself is compatible with user influence. The plan speaks in favour of the form being chosen locally, not prescribed nationally.

• decentralize decisionsdecisive»Decentralisera mera. Människor ska få bestämma mer själva, och politiska beslut ska fattas nära dem som berörs.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Decentralize more. People shall get to decide more themselves, and political decisions shall be made close to those affected.”
• power close to daily life»Decentralisering handlar om att flytta makten närmare människors vardag.« (party programme ↗)“Decentralization means moving power closer to people's daily lives.”
• local solutions can vary»tydliga, men kan tillgodoses på olika sätt beroende på var man bor och vilka möjligheter som finns lokalt.« (party programme ↗)“clear, but can be met in different ways depending on where you live and what opportunities exist locally.”
• locally determined organization»Samtidigt ser vi gärna fler kommundelningar där invånarna så önskar.« (party programme ↗)“At the same time, we welcome more municipal divisions where residents wish for this.”

The plan wants to make it easier for municipalities to test new organizational forms and is based on a healthy scepticism towards increased public power claims. A statutory obligation to establish pensioner councils is the opposite of local freedom to choose the form for citizen dialogue. The plan supports the purpose, however, since systematic citizen dialogue and the autonomy of the elderly are valued, but not the obligation.

• municipal organizational freedomdecisive»För att underlätta lokalt reformarbete ska det bli lättare för kommuner att under en försöksperiod pröva nya organisationsformer.« (party programme ↗)“To facilitate local reform work it should become easier for municipalities during a trial period to test new organizational forms.”
• scepticism towards increased power claims»I det liberala samhället är vaksamhet på hur den offentliga makten utövas, och en sund skepsis mot ökade offentliga maktanspråk, därför en självklarhet.« (party programme ↗)“In the liberal society, vigilance on how public power is exercised, and healthy scepticism towards increased public power claims, are therefore self-evident.”
• citizen dialogue between elections»En systematisk medborgardialog bidrar till att medborgarnas kunskaper och intresse tas tillvara även mellan valen.« (party programme ↗)“A systematic citizen dialogue contributes to making use of citizens' knowledge and interest even between elections.”
• elderly's self-determination»Äldres rätt till självbestämmande ska hävdas och alla tendenser till åldersfördomar bekämpas.« (party programme ↗)“The elderly's right to self-determination shall be asserted and all tendencies towards age discrimination combated.”

The plan wants the influence of older people through pensioner and user associations to be encouraged and sees older people's life experience as an asset that should benefit society. The election manifesto also shows that the party is prepared to require all municipalities to undertake measures for the elderly or parents when the issue is sufficiently important. A mandatory pensioner council is thus a means that aligns with the plan's commitments.

• older people's influence shall be encourageddecisive»Äldres inflytande i form av patient-, pensionärs- eller brukarföreningar ska uppmuntras.« (party programme ↗)“The influence of older people through patient, pensioner or user associations shall be encouraged.”
• elderly measures in all municipalities»Bryt äldres ofrivilliga ensamhet och isolering genom äldresamtal i alla kommuner« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Break older people's involuntary loneliness and isolation through elderly conversations in all municipalities”
• national mandatory requirement accepted»göra det obligatoriskt med föräldrastöd i alla Sverige kommuner« (2022 manifesto ↗)“make it mandatory with parental support in all Swedish municipalities”
• older people's experience is utilized»De äldre utgör en stor tillgång. De representerar en mångårig livserfarenhet som bör komma« (party programme ↗)“The elderly constitute a great asset. They represent many years of life experience that should benefit”

flags: citat_migrerat

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 counter-proposal wants to require all municipalities and regions to establish pensioner councils. The plan states that decisions should be made at the lowest possible level and that decentralized decision-making makes society more robust; according to the ideology programme, a large state leads to a weaker society. The elderly's right to a safe and dignified old age is admittedly a commitment, but it does not carry a state mandate for how municipalities organize their consultation.

• decisions at the lowest leveldecisive»Beslut ska fattas på lägsta möjliga nivå, så nära medborgarna som möjligt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Decisions should be made at the lowest possible level, as close to citizens as possible.”
• decentralized decision-making»Decentraliserat beslutsfattande gör samhället mer robust« (party programme ↗)“Decentralized decision-making makes society more robust”
• limited state detail control»En stor stat leder till ett svagare samhälle.« (party programme ↗)“A large state leads to a weaker society.”
• safe old age»Äldre har en självklar rätt till en trygg och värdig ålderdom« (party programme ↗)“Elderly people have a clear right to a safe and dignified old age”

The plan wants to see requirements for elder ombudsmen in every municipality who actively work together with the municipality's pensioners and their organisations. That in the same way require that municipalities and regions establish pensioner councils for elderly influence and insight lies in line with that commitment. The plan's protection of municipal self-determination pulls in the opposite direction, but the plan already accepts national requirements on precisely this structure.

• requirements for elder ombudsmendecisive»Se krav på äldreombudsmän i varje kommun« (2022 manifesto ↗)“See requirements for elder ombudsmen in every municipality”
• elderly influence in municipality»Vi vill se äldreombudsmän ute i kommunerna, som aktivt ska arbeta tillsammans med kommunens pensionärer och organisationer för att uppmuntra till sociala aktiviteter och hälsofrämjande insatser.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to see elder ombudsmen in the municipalities, who actively should work together with the municipality's pensioners and organisations to encourage social activities and health-promoting initiatives.”
• dignified ageing»Samhället har ett ansvar i att alla svenska medborgare ska kunna åldras med värdighet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Society has a responsibility that all Swedish citizens can age with dignity.”
• municipal self-determination»Vi betraktar det kommunala självbestämmandet som en central del av demokratin« (party programme ↗)“We regard municipal self-determination as a central part of democracy”

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.