Pensioners' council

The plan wants democratic processes to permeate all of society and for everyone, regardless of how we function, to be able to participate and be treated as the people they are. That dependence on care should not limit the ability to control one's life speaks for guaranteeing older people influence and insight into issues that affect them. Mandatory pensioner councils are such a form of popular influence.

• democracy permeates societydecisive»Vi vill gå i riktning mot ett samhälle där demokratiska processer genomsyrar hela samhället« (party programme ↗)“We want to move towards a society where democratic processes permeate all of society”
• self-determination in care»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 it does today, limit your ability to control your own life.”
• participation for everyone»Alla behöver kunna vara delaktiga i samhället, bli bemötta för den person de är« (party programme ↗)“Everyone needs to be able to participate in society, be treated as the people they are”
• spaces for popular influence»Det behövs gott om utrymmen för folkliga politiska diskussioner som kan mynna ut i genomtänkta beslut.« (party programme ↗)“There is a need for plenty of spaces for popular political discussion that can result in well-considered decisions.”

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 party programme states that everyone has equal right to influence social development and that politics shall be formed in a living dialogue with civil society, and the election manifesto that it shall be safe to grow old in Sweden. Mandatory pensioner councils are a means for such influence and insight for older people. The documents say nothing about mandatory consultation bodies in municipalities, so the conclusion is derived.

• equal right to influencedecisive»Alla har lika rätt att påverka samhällets utveckling.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone has equal right to influence social development.”
• dialogue with civil society»formas i en levande dialog med det civila samhälle« (party programme ↗)“formed in a living dialogue with civil society”
• safe aging»Det ska vara tryggt att åldras i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It shall be safe to grow old in Sweden.”
• respect for social movements»Samhällsarbetet måste bygga på tilltro till och respekt för« (party programme ↗)“Society's work must be based on confidence in and respect for”

The plan establishes that elderly people's knowledge and experience are invaluable, that a rich life is characterized by self-determination and participation and that personal power and influence over welfare should be strengthened. Mandatory pensioner councils are a means for such influence. At the same time, the plan is decentralist and does not take a position on mandatory municipal bodies, which makes the position uncertain.

• elderly people's experience as a resourcedecisive»Äldres kunskaper och erfarenheter är ovärderliga« (party programme ↗)“Elderly people's knowledge and experience are invaluable”
• strengthened influence over welfare»och inflytandet över välfärden.« (party programme ↗)“and influence over welfare.”
• self-determination and participation»Ett rikt liv kännetecknas av självbestämmande,« (party programme ↗)“A rich life is characterized by self-determination,”
• participating citizens»Vi tror på en demokrati med aktiva och delaktiga« (party programme ↗)“We believe in democracy with active and participating”

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 is based on decisions being made as close to those affected as possible and that decisions concerning only the local level should not be moved up. A state requirement for pensioner councils moves precisely such a decision from the municipality to the Riksdag. The plan certainly wants to increase user influence, but argues against the requirement for mandatory regulation.

• decentralized decision-makingdecisive»Decentralisera mera. Människor ska få bestämma mer själva, och politiska beslut ska fattas nära dem som berörs.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Decentralize further. People shall be allowed to decide more themselves, and political decisions shall be made close to those affected.”
• the proximity principle»beslut i första hand ska fattas av människor själva, eller så nära den enskilda människan som möjligt« (party programme ↗)“decisions should first and foremost be made by people themselves, or as close to the individual as possible”
• no decisions moved up»Beslut som endast berör en mer lokal nivå, eller bara individen själv, bör inte flyttas upp till en högre nivå,« (party programme ↗)“Decisions that only concern a more local level, or only the individual themselves, should not be moved up to a higher level,”
• increased user influence»att öka brukarinflytandet så att de som går i skolan, eller de som har behov av omsorg« (party programme ↗)“to increase user influence so that those who go to school, or those who need care”

The plan asserts the elderly's right to self-determination and wants citizens' knowledge to be utilized even between elections through systematic citizen dialogue. Mandatory pensioner councils are a concrete form for that influence. At the same time the plan wants to give municipalities greater freedom to try their own organizational forms, which pulls in the opposite direction and makes the assessment uncertain.

• elderly's self-determinationdecisive»Äldres rätt till självbestämmande ska hävdas och alla tendenser till åldersfördomar bekämpas.« (party programme ↗)“The elderly's right to self-determination shall be upheld and all tendencies to age discrimination shall be combated.”
• systematic citizen dialogue»En systematisk medborgardialog bidrar till att medborgarnas kunskaper och intresse tas tillvara« (party programme ↗)“A systematic citizen dialogue contributes to citizens' knowledge and interest being utilized”
• active citizens»Demokratin förutsätter aktiva medborgare och ett levande demokratiskt samtal.« (party programme ↗)“Democracy presupposes active citizens and a living democratic conversation.”
• municipal organizational freedom»lättare för kommuner att under en försöksperiod pröva nya organisationsformer.« (party programme ↗)“easier for municipalities to during a trial period try new organizational forms.”

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 older people's influence through pensioner associations shall be encouraged and that older people are an asset whose experience should benefit the whole of society. The election manifesto is moreover prepared to impose obligations on all municipalities for the elderly. That speaks for a mandatory pensioner council, although the plan's strong municipal self-government points the other way.

• older people's influencedecisive»Äldres inflytande i form av patient-, pensionärs- eller brukarföreningar ska uppmuntras.« (party programme ↗)“Older people's influence in the form of patient, pensioner or user associations shall be encouraged.”
• commitments 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”
• older people's experience as resource»De äldre utgör en stor tillgång. De representerar en« (party programme ↗)“Older people are a great asset. They represent”
• strong municipal self-government»Den kommunala självstyrelsen ska vara stark« (party programme ↗)“Municipal self-government shall be strong”

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 plan takes no position on pensioner councils. The nearest principles speak against mandatory obligation: decisions should be made at the lowest possible level and municipalities and regions should be allowed to choose different paths according to their circumstances, whereas a large state produces a weaker society. The plan also values older people's right to a secure and dignified old age, but not through mandatory bodies. The plan therefore rejects the requirement.

• decisions at 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.”
• municipal freedom of action»tillåta att olika regioner och kommuner väljer« (party programme ↗)“allow different regions and municipalities to choose”
• limited state apparatus»En stor stat leder till ett svagare samhälle.« (party programme ↗)“A large state leads to a weaker society.”
• dignified old age»Äldre har en självklar rätt till en trygg och värdig ålderdom« (party programme ↗)“Older people have a clear right to a secure and dignified old age”

The plan requires that demands be placed on elder advocates in each municipality who should work together with the municipality's pensioners and their organisations. It thus accepts national demands on municipalities to give older people influence, which is exactly what the counter-proposal demands. The municipal self-determination is at the same time a principle that argues against an obligation, which reduces the certainty.

• demands on elder advocatesdecisive»Se krav på äldreombudsmän i varje kommun« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Place demands on elder advocates in each municipality”
• elderly organisations in the 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 advocates in municipalities who should actively work together with the municipality's pensioners and organisations to encourage social activities and health-promoting measures.”
• society's obligation to the elderly»Dagens pensionärer har byggt Sverige och bidragit till att skapa ett fantastiskt land för oss att leva i.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Today's pensioners have built Sweden and contributed to creating a fantastic country for us to live in.”
• municipal self-government»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.