2026-04-012025/26:KrU7 · p.9KrUCulture
National Commission for Tornedalen Theatre
A national mandate for the Tornedalen Theatre
What's at stake: The decision affects the long-term funding and standing of a theatre that is central to highlighting Tornedalen's cultural heritage, language and identity, while also touching on the principle that cultural grants are normally awarded competitively and assessed by experts to safeguard artistic freedom.
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 the government should set up an inquiry into giving the Tornedalen Theatre a national mandate with dedicated state funding, or whether the theatre, like other cultural institutions, should continue to be funded through the ordinary, competitive grant system.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee underlines that the Tornedalen Theatre has a unique role for Tornedalen's cultural heritage, language and identity, but notes that the theatre already receives state grants via the National Council for Cultural Affairs as well as regional, municipal and private support, and considers that departures from the general rule of competitive grant-giving should be made cautiously; the committee is therefore not prepared to now initiate an inquiry into a national mandate, and the motion (V) should be rejected.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 8 (V)
The reservation (V) wants the government to set up an inquiry into giving the Tornedalen Theatre a national mandate, arguing that the theatre has since 1986 played a central role in highlighting Tornedalen's cultural heritage, the Meänkieli language, and local identity, functions as both a professional stage and a meeting place, and reaches audiences nationally and internationally through tours.
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 8 by V.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have held
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: LLiberalerna
Ja 270–19Ja 258–31
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/17/0/5 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| S | No | Yes 90/0/0/16 | differs | confidence: low | derived |
| MP | No | Yes 15/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | Yes | Yes 19/0/0/5 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| L | No | Yes 12/0/0/4 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | differs | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | Yes | Yes 55/0/0/11 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| SD | No | Yes 59/0/0/11 | differs | confidence: low | derived |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motion 2025/26:2786 by Nooshi Dadgostar et al. (V) amendment 19.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motion 2025/26:2786 av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V) yrkande 19.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag said no to 73 proposals on arts, languages and libraries. The proposals were submitted during the regular motion period 2025 and concern, among other things, the status of the Swedish language, literature and reading, conditions for performing arts, and the future of film policy. The Riksdag primarily refers to ongoing work in the areas that the proposers raise.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to appoint an investigation to give Tornedalsteatern a national mandate. (V) — Reservation 8
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 party programme gives Sweden a special task to strengthen national minorities' rights to identity, language and cultural heritage, and the election manifesto requires that culture exist throughout the country.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme gives Sweden a special task to strengthen national minorities' rights to identity, language and cultural heritage, and the election manifesto requires that culture exist throughout the country. An investigation into a national assignment for a minority language theatre follows from that commitment. The plan's demands for arm's length distance apply to content, not to the question of the activity's economic sustainability.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet ger Sverige en särskild uppgift att stärka de nationella minoriteternas rättigheter till identitet, språk och kulturarv, och valmanifestet kräver att kulturen finns i hela landet. En utredning om ett nationellt uppdrag åt en minoritetsspråksscen följer av det åtagandet. Planens krav på armlängds avstånd gäller innehållet, inte frågan om verksamhetens ekonomiska bestånd.
- minorities' language and cultural heritagedecisive»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.”
- good conditions for cultural institutions»Kulturpolitiken behöver skapa goda ekonomiska villkor för såväl« (party programme ↗)“Cultural policy needs to create good economic conditions for both”
- arm's length distance to content»Politiken ska skapa förutsättningar för en bred kultur som kommer alla till del och hålla armlängds avstånd till innehållet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Politics shall create conditions for broad culture accessible to all and maintain arm's length distance to content.”
The plan establishes rights for national minorities and a cultural infrastructure with meeting places locally, regionally and nationally as a goal, which speaks for a theatre that sustains a minority language having its position investigated.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes rights for national minorities and a cultural infrastructure with meeting places locally, regionally and nationally as a goal, which speaks for a theatre that sustains a minority language having its position investigated. At the same time the plan defends arm's length distance and freedom of artistic expression, which calls for caution regarding politically decided special solutions. To only investigate the question does not however conflict with that principle.
Original (Swedish)
Planen ställer upp rättigheter för nationella minoriteter och en kulturell infrastruktur med mötesplatser lokalt, regionalt och nationellt som mål, vilket talar för att en teater som bär upp ett minoritetsspråk får sin ställning utredd. Samtidigt försvarar planen armlängds avstånd och konstens frihet, vilket manar till försiktighet med politiskt beslutade särlösningar. Att endast utreda frågan bryter dock inte mot den principen.
- minorities' rightsdecisive»Rättigheter för nationella minoriteter.« (party programme ↗)“Rights for national minorities.”
- cultural infrastructure throughout the country»Kulturell infrastruktur med fler samlingslokaler och andra mötesplatser – lokalt,« (party programme ↗)“Cultural infrastructure with more gathering places and other meeting places – locally,”
- fair access to performing arts»Jämlik tillgång till litteratur och musik, dans och teater, bildkonst och film.« (party programme ↗)“Fair access to literature and music, dance and theatre, visual art and film.”
- arm's length distance»Försvar för det konstnärliga skapandets frihet och principen om armlängds avstånd.« (party programme ↗)“Defence of artistic creation's freedom and the principle of arm's length distance.”
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 to preserving and developing the national minority languages, including Meänkieli, and to securing access to culture in minority languages and nurturing cultural heritage.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan commits to preserving and developing the national minority languages, including Meänkieli, and to securing access to culture in minority languages and nurturing cultural heritage. An inquiry into a national commission for a theatre that bears precisely this language and cultural heritage follows from these commitments. The plan's principle of arm's-length distance speaks for caution in forms, but does not prevent the question from being examined.
Original (Swedish)
Planen åtar sig att bevara och utveckla de nationella minoritetsspråken, däribland meänkieli, och att säkra tillgången till kultur på minoritetsspråk samt vårda kulturarvet. En utredning om ett nationellt uppdrag till en teater som bär just detta språk och kulturarv följer av dessa åtaganden. Planens princip om armlängds avstånd talar för försiktighet i formerna, men hindrar inte att frågan utreds.
- 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 chib”
- culture in minority languages»Barn ska ha rätt att fullt ut lära sig och behärska sina minoritetsspråk och ha tillgång till« (party programme ↗)“Children shall have the right to fully learn and master their minority languages and have access to”
- nurture cultural heritage»Kulturarvet är vårt gemensamma arv.« (party programme ↗)“Cultural heritage is our common heritage.”
- arm's-length distance»Politiken ska ge konsten och kulturen förutsättningar, inte styra dess innehåll.« (party programme ↗)“Policy shall provide art and culture with conditions, not steer its content.”
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 key commitment regarding culture financing is that politics shall create conditions but maintain arm's length distance and not act as arbiter of taste.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's key commitment regarding culture financing is that politics shall create conditions but maintain arm's length distance and not act as arbiter of taste. Politically singling out a single theater for special national status breaks that principle, even though the plan simultaneously wants culture throughout the country and wants to strengthen the status of minority languages. The balance between these commitments makes the position derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planens bärande åtagande om kulturens finansiering är att politiken ska skapa förutsättningar men hålla armlängds avstånd och inte agera smakdomare. Att politiskt peka ut en enskild teater för särskild nationell status bryter mot den principen, även om planen samtidigt vill ha kultur i hela landet och stärka minoritetsspråkens ställning. Avvägningen mellan dessa åtaganden gör ställningstagandet härlett.
- arm's length distance to culturedecisive»Politiken ska bidra till goda förutsättningar men hålla armlängds avstånd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Politics shall contribute to good conditions but maintain arm's length distance.”
- politics not an arbiter of taste»Skaparglädje frodas i frihet. Politiken ska akta sig för att agera smakdomare och diktera kulturens innehåll.« (party programme ↗)“Creative joy flourishes in freedom. Politics should refrain from acting as arbiter of taste and dictating the content of culture.”
- culture throughout the country»Att tillhandahålla kultur i hela landet är en viktig utgångspunkt för Centerpartiet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Providing culture throughout the country is an important starting point for the Center Party.”
- strengthened status for minority languages»Vi vill stärka bland annat äganderätten, diskrimineringsförbudet, minoritetsskyddet och minoritetsspråkens ställning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to strengthen, among other things, property rights, the prohibition on discrimination, minority protection and the status of minority languages”
The party programme explicitly wants to give a stage that lacks an ordinary national assignment a special artistic national assignment with government support, in order to increase access to high-quality culture throughout the country.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme explicitly wants to give a stage that lacks an ordinary national assignment a special artistic national assignment with government support, in order to increase access to high-quality culture throughout the country. The programme also establishes that the public shall support a cultural and media offering with minority language profile and that the position of Tornedalians as a national minority shall be upheld. Investigating a national assignment for the theater thus aligns with the plan's line.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet vill uttryckligen ge en scen som saknar ordinarie nationellt uppdrag ett särskilt konstnärligt nationellt uppdrag med statligt stöd, i syfte att öka tillgången till kultur av hög kvalitet i hela landet. Programmet slår också fast att det offentliga ska understödja ett kultur- och medieutbud med minoritetsspråksprofil och att tornedalingarnas ställning som nationell minoritet ska upprätthållas. Att utreda ett nationellt uppdrag för teatern ligger därmed i planens linje.
- national assignment for stagedecisive»Scenkonsten ska ges nya möjligheter genom ett nytt konstnärligt nationellt uppdrag, där en viss scen som inte har ett ordinarie nationellt uppdrag får ett särskilt uppdrag och statligt stöd för att utveckla verksamheten under en viss period.« (party programme ↗)“Scenic arts shall be given new opportunities through a new artistic national assignment, where a certain stage that does not have an ordinary national assignment gets a special assignment and government support to develop activities during a certain period.”
- support for minority language culture»Det offentliga ska understödja ett språk-, kultur- och medieutbud med minoritetsspråksprofil.« (party programme ↗)“The public shall support a language, cultural and media offering with minority language profile.”
- culture throughout the country»Syftet bör vara att långsiktigt öka tillgängligheten till kultur av hög kvalitet i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“The purpose should be to in the long term increase accessibility to high-quality culture throughout the country.”
- position of national minorities»Samernas, sverigefinnarnas, tornedalingarnas, judarnas och romernas ställning som nationella minoriteter och samernas ställning som urfolk ska upprätthållas.« (party programme ↗)“The position of Sámi, Swedish Finns, Tornedalians, Jews and Roma as national minorities and Sámi as indigenous people shall be upheld.”
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 wants to assure minority languages a strong position and sees support for minorities' own cultural initiatives as a central public task, while the state is responsible for cultural infrastructure throughout the country.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to assure minority languages a strong position and sees support for minorities' own cultural initiatives as a central public task, while the state is responsible for cultural infrastructure throughout the country. An inquiry into a national mandate for a theatre bearing a minority language and a regional cultural heritage follows from this. The plan simultaneously protects artistic freedom, which speaks for testing to be done carefully but not against its being done.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill tillförsäkra minoritetsspråken en stark ställning och ser stöd till minoriteters egna kulturinsatser som en central offentlig uppgift, samtidigt som staten ansvarar för en kulturell infrastruktur i hela landet. En utredning om ett nationellt uppdrag åt en teater som bär ett minoritetsspråk och ett regionalt kulturarv följer av detta. Planen värnar samtidigt den konstnärliga friheten, vilket talar för att en prövning ska göras omsorgsfullt men inte mot att den görs.
- strong position for minority languagesdecisive»detta är att tillförsäkra minoritetsspråken en stark ställning genom lagstiftning.« (party programme ↗)“this is to assure minority languages a strong position through legislation.”
- public support for minority culture»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”
- cultural infrastructure throughout the country»brukar benämnas en kulturell infrastruktur, i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“commonly called cultural infrastructure, throughout the country.”
- artistic freedom»det viktigt att slå vakt om den konstnärliga friheten« (party programme ↗)“it is important to safeguard 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 plan states that the objective for cultural policy should be independent institutions that stand free from state and politics, and that public funding and political ambitions in themselves constitute a risk.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan states that the objective for cultural policy should be independent institutions that stand free from state and politics, and that public funding and political ambitions in themselves constitute a risk. Politically designating a single theatre for a particular national task is precisely such a departure from arm's length distance. The plan also leaves no room for new earmarked commitments alongside the priorities.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att målet för kulturpolitiken ska vara självständiga institutioner som står fria från stat och politik, och att offentlig finansiering och politiska ambitioner i sig utgör en risk. Att politiskt peka ut en enskild teater för ett särskilt nationellt uppdrag är just ett sådant avsteg från armlängds avstånd. Planen ger inte heller utrymme för nya öronmärkta åtaganden vid sidan av prioriteringarna.
- independent cultural institutionsdecisive»Målet ska vara självständiga institutioner som i sin verksamhet står fria från stat och politik.« (party programme ↗)“The objective should be independent institutions that in their operations stand free from state and politics.”
- arm's length distance»offentlig finansiering och politiska ambitioner utgör en risk.« (party programme ↗)“public funding and political ambitions constitute a risk.”
- prioritize core tasks»Politiken har en viktig uppgift att prioritera och välja bort,« (party programme ↗)“Policy has an important task to prioritize and choose what can wait,”
- 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.”
The plan gives national minorities status as exempt from assimilationist efforts and far-reaching cultural autonomy, and emphasizes that local and regional identities with deep historical roots shall be preserved.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan gives national minorities status as exempt from assimilationist efforts and far-reaching cultural autonomy, and emphasizes that local and regional identities with deep historical roots shall be preserved. It also wants public cultural funds distributed with greater citizen influence, which weakens the objection that arm's length distance prevents a national mission. The theater is not mentioned in the plan, so the position is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen ger de nationella minoriteterna ställning som undantagna från assimileringssträvanden och långtgående kulturell autonomi, och betonar att lokala och regionala identiteter med djup historisk förankring ska bevaras. Den vill också att offentliga kulturmedel fördelas med större medborgarinflytande, vilket försvagar invändningen att armlängds avstånd hindrar ett nationellt uppdrag. Teatern nämns inte i planen, så ställningstagandet är härlett.
- cultural autonomy for minoritiesdecisive»ges långtgående kulturell autonomi« (party programme ↗)“given far-reaching cultural autonomy”
- preserved regional identities»Att lokala och regionala identiteter med en djup historisk förankring bevaras även i framtiden är av stor betydelse för Sverigedemokraterna.« (party programme ↗)“That local and regional identities with deep historical roots are preserved also in the future is of great importance to Sweden Democrats.”
- citizen influence over cultural funds»Fördela offentliga kulturmedel och utforma offentliga miljöer med ett större medborgarinflytande« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Distribute public cultural funds and design public environments with greater citizen influence”
- cultural institutions' independence»Samtidigt ska oberoende kulturinstitutioners frihet från politiska pekpinnar värnas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time, the freedom of independent cultural institutions from political interference shall be protected.”
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:KrU7)
- Committee report full text (HD01KrU7)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2025/26:1311 — Nationellt centrum för keramisk konst av Per-Arne Håkansson och Agneta Nilsson (båda S)
- Motion 2025/26:1519 — Införande av en nationell digital utbildningsplattform i svenska språket av Emma Ahlström Köster (M)
- Motion 2025/26:1597 — Teckenspråkets ställning inom kulturpolitiken av Jessica Rodén (S)
- Motion 2025/26:1599 — Teckenspråk för jämlik delaktighet av Jessica Rodén (S)
- Motion 2025/26:1618 — Politik för sverigefinnar av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2025/26:1648 — Svenska minoriteter i utlandet av John E Weinerhall (M)
- Motion 2025/26:1738 — Avskaffande av det frivilliga enprocentsmålet för utsmyckning vid statliga investeringar av Jan Ericson m.fl. (M)
- Motion 2025/26:1899 — Satsning på läs- och språkutveckling för bättre integration och ökad jämlikhet av Matilda Ernkrans m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2025/26:190 — En kulturell allemansrätt för barn och unga av Mats Berglund m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2025/26:2479 — Indelning av språk och länder på bibliotek av Ann-Charlotte Hammar Johnsson och Ulrika Heindorff (båda M)
- Motion 2025/26:2485 — Nationellt centrum för keramik som naturlig del av vårt kulturarv av Ann-Charlotte Hammar Johnsson (M)
- Motion 2025/26:2499 — Ensambegravningar av Jesper Skalberg Karlsson (M)
- Motion 2025/26:2716 — Namnbyte på Kaliningrad av Markus Wiechel m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2025/26:2786 — En politik för de nationella minoriteterna och minoritetsspråken av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2025/26:2787 — En politik för urfolket samer av Jessica Wetterling m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2025/26:2819 — Vissa kulturpolitiska frågor av Nooshi Dadgostar m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2025/26:3183 — Kultur, civilsamhälle och medier av Catarina Deremar m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2025/26:3364 — Förskola och skola för en hållbar framtid av Camilla Hansén m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2025/26:3366 — Kulturljudzoner och bättre villkor för livekulturen av Mats Berglund m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2025/26:3435 — Politik för Sveriges nationella minoriteter av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP)
Source: The Swedish Parliament