Strengthened Protection for Journalists, Elected Officials and Artists

The election manifesto warns that right-wing populist forces increasingly try to control information and content and states that free culture is crucial for a strong democracy. The programme demands a diversity of channels for information and opinion formation that the state must secure. Continued monitoring and completion of the action plan against threats and hate against journalists, elected representatives and artists protects precisely this space, although the plan does not mention the action plan.

• threat to free speechdecisive»Vi lever i en tid då högerpopulistiska krafter försöker styra information och innehåll allt hårdare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We live in a time when right-wing populist forces try to control information and content increasingly forcefully.”
• free culture for democracy»En fri kultur är avgörande för en stark demokrati.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A free culture is crucial for a strong democracy.”
• diversity of media channels»Samhällets demokratisering kräver en mångfald av kanaler för information« (party programme ↗)“Democratic development of society requires a diversity of channels for information”
• independent culture»Vänsterpartiet försvarar den oberoende kulturen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Left Party defends independent culture.”

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 programme explicitly states that democracy is undermined when groups spread hate on the internet and try to scare journalists and politicians into silence, and makes it society's absolute duty to prevent threats and harassment. The counter-proposal's requirement for continued and supplemented monitoring of the action plan against threats and hate follows directly from this. The election manifesto's commitments to public service and media support for independent news coverage point in the same direction.

• hate undermines democracydecisive»Demokratin undergrävs när rasistiska och andra ickedemokratiska grupper sprider sitt hat« (party programme ↗)“Democracy is undermined when racist and other non-democratic groups spread their hate”
• duty to stop threats»att förhindra att nätet används för förtal, hets mot folkgrupp, kränkningar av enskilda« (party programme ↗)“to prevent the internet from being used for defamation, incitement against groups, harassment of individuals”
• independent journalism throughout the country»Mediestödet ska ge förutsättningar för oberoende och lokalt förankrad nyhetsförmedling i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Media support should provide conditions for independent and locally anchored news coverage throughout the country.”
• protected free speech»Vi vill grundlagsskydda public service.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to provide constitutional protection for public service.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The election manifesto wants to strengthen freedom of expression and support independent media throughout the country, and the party programme establishes that a democratic society requires active public scrutiny and investigative journalism and that no one should be subject to hate crimes or hate propaganda. To continue to follow up and complete the action plan against threats and hatred directed at journalists, elected officials and artists is therefore the plan's own line.

• freedom of expression and free mediadecisive»förstärka yttrandefriheten och stödja oberoende medier i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen freedom of expression and support independent media throughout the country.”
• investigative journalism is needed»Ett demokratiskt samhälle kräver saklig information, aktiv samhällsgranskning och grävande« (party programme ↗)“A democratic society requires factual information, active public scrutiny and investigative”
• no one should be subjected to hate»utsättas för hatbrott eller hatpropaganda.« (party programme ↗)“be subjected to hate crimes or hate propaganda.”

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 election manifesto explicitly requires that hate, threats, harassment and violence directed at democracy-bearing institutions shall cease and that protection for persons working in, among other things, media is strengthened. To continue and supplement the work against threats and hate against journalists, elected officials and artists is thus precisely what the plan requires. The plan also establishes that freedom of the press shall be protected and that artistic freedom is a cornerstone of civil society.

• protection against threats and hatedecisive»Hat, hot, trakasserier och våld riktade mot demokratibärande institutioner måste upphöra. Vi ska stärka skyddet för personer verksamma bland annat i media, religiösa samfund och offentlig förvaltning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Hate, threats, harassment and violence directed at democracy-bearing institutions must cease. We shall strengthen protection for persons working in, among other things, media, religious communities and public administration.”
• protected freedom of the press»Pressfriheten ska skyddas och oberoende public service försvaras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Freedom of the press shall be protected and independent public service defended.”
• artistic freedom»Den akademiska och konstnärliga friheten liksom den fria kulturen är grundbultar i ett vitalt civilsamhälle.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Academic and artistic freedom, as well as free culture, are cornerstones of a vital civil society.”
• independent media»Tillgången till oberoende medier som står fria från såväl politisk kontroll och censur, som snävt ekonomiska« (party programme ↗)“Access to independent media that stands free from both political control and censorship, as well as narrow economic [constraints]”

The party programme explicitly requires that threats and harassment against the politically active and elected representatives are actively combated, and the election manifesto wants to introduce a new crime for persecution of public officials and states that media's independent scrutiny is the foundation of every democracy. Continuing and supplementing the action plan against threats and hate against journalists, elected representatives and artists is exactly this work. The plan also protects culture's freedom from pressures.

• combat threats to elected representativesdecisive»hot och trakasserier mot politiskt aktiva och förtroendevalda« (party programme ↗)“threats and harassment against the politically active and elected representatives”
• protection against persecution»Socialsekreterare och andra offentliganställda ska skyddas mot förföljelse och utsatthet genom att ett nytt brott – tjänstemannaförföljelse – införs.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Social workers and other public officials shall be protected against persecution and exposure through a new crime – civil servant persecution – being introduced.”
• free scrutinizing journalism»Mediernas oberoende roll och kritiska granskning är grunden i varje demokrati.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Media's independent role and critical scrutiny is the foundation of every democracy.”
• culture's freedom»Kulturpolitiken ska utgå från frihet, mångfald och kvalitet men ska inte lägga sig i innehållet i kulturen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Cultural policy shall be based on freedom, diversity and quality but shall not interfere with the content of culture.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan states that strong protection for freedom of expression and communication is of great importance for a living democracy and that artistic freedom shall be protected. The election manifesto wants to criminalize profanity against officials, which shows that the plan sees a need for sharper protection for those performing public duties. Continued monitoring and completion of the action plan against threats and hate follows from this.

• protection for freedom of expressiondecisive»Ett starkt skydd för yttrande- och meddelarfriheten« (party programme ↗)“Strong protection for freedom of expression and communication”
• living democracy»är av stor vikt för en levande demokrati« (party programme ↗)“is of great importance for a living democracy”
• sharper protection for officials»Inför brottsrubriceringen missfirmelse mot tjänsteman« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce the crime of misfirmness against official”
• artistic freedom»Därför är det viktigt att slå vakt om den konstnärliga friheten« (party programme ↗)“Therefore it is important to stand guard over artistic freedom”

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 election manifesto explicitly promises to strengthen criminal law protection for journalists to counter threats, violence and other illegal attacks on journalists and media newsrooms, and the party programme demands zero tolerance for all types of threats and violence, especially against elected representatives. Continued and supplemented work against threats and hate against journalists, elected representatives and artists is precisely this. The plan therefore supports the demand.

• strengthened protection for journalistsdecisive»Stärka det straffrättsliga skyddet för journalister, i syfte att värna tryck- och yttrandefriheten, motverka hot, våld och andra olagliga angrepp mot journalister och medieredaktioner« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen criminal law protection for journalists, in order to protect freedom of the press and speech, prevent threats, violence and other illegal attacks on journalists and media newsrooms”
• zero tolerance for threats and violence»fritt samhälle har nolltolerans mot alla typer av hot och våld,« (party programme ↗)“free society has zero tolerance for all types of threats and violence,”
• protection from threats and violence»Vi vill värna och utveckla public service, och stärka skyddet för journalister mot hot och våld.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to protect and develop public service broadcasting, and strengthen protection for journalists against threats and violence.”
• free media sustains democracy»En mångfald av fria och oberoende medier som håller hög kvalitet spelar en helt avgörande roll för det öppna och demokratiska samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A diversity of free and independent media that maintains high quality plays a completely decisive role for the open and democratic society.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan establishes that every journalist's, artist's and citizen's right to express themselves freely without threats or reprisals should be valued and strengthened, and sees free debate as hindered by structures and politics. Continuing and completing the action plan against threats and hate against journalists, elected officials and artists is the same commitment, supported by the plan's demand for significantly increased sentences for crimes against the person.

• protection for free expressiondecisive»Varje journalists, konstutövares och medborgares rätt att uttrycka sig fritt utan att utsättas för hot eller repressalier ska värnas och stärkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Every journalist's, artist's and citizen's right to express themselves freely without being subjected to threats or reprisals should be valued and strengthened.”
• free debate and media diversity»En fri debatt och åsiktsbildning som präglas av transparens och mångfald av perspektiv i såväl traditionella som nya medier, hämmas av strukturer och politik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Free debate and opinion-formation characterised by transparency and a diversity of perspectives in both traditional and new media is hindered by structures and politics.”
• increased sentences for threats and violence»Kraftigt höja straffen samt avskaffa mängdrabatten vid allvarliga brott mot person« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Significantly increase sentences and abolish the quantity discount for serious crimes against the person”
• freedom of expression online»Stärka yttrandefriheten på Internet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen freedom of expression on the Internet”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.