2025-02-262024/25:KrU5 · p.11KrUCulture
Museum Matters
Museum funding and broadening participation
What's at stake: The question is how museums should be funded and run to reach wider and more varied visitor groups — including whether free admission alone is enough to boost participation, or whether museums must actively work to attract visitors who would not normally go there.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The motions covered issues ranging from the role of the Museum of Work and broadened funding for museums to free admission, while the committee held that the issues are already partly addressed through ongoing work and said it intends to keep following the area.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee notes that the Museum of Work already has a special responsibility for rolling-stock heritage, shares the view that broadened funding for museums is worth examining and intends to follow the issue, but finds the demands already partly met and therefore rejects the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 15 (S)
The reserving party (S) wants free-admission museums also given a mandate to actively work, over the long term, to broaden the range of visitors, since free admission alone does not solve the challenge of reaching groups beyond regular museum-goers.
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 15 by S.
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 | Yes 19/0/0/5 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| S | No | No 1/92/0/13 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| MP | No | Abstain 0/0/15/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: high | not addressed |
| C | No | Yes 21/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | 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: low | not addressed |
| M | Yes | Yes 60/0/0/8 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| SD | Yes | Yes 63/0/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Broke with the party line
| SSofia Amloh (S, Södermanlands län) | Yes — party line: No |
MPs whose vote differs from their party's majority position in this division. Marked with a dark ring in the chamber view.
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2024/25:153 by Per-Arne Håkansson (S), 2024/25:1774 by Mats Berglund et al. (MP) requests 30-32, 2024/25:1845 by Fredrik Olovsson et al. (S), 2024/25:2272 by Mattias Eriksson Falk and Roger Hedlund (both SD), 2024/25:2406 by Magnus Resare et al. (M), 2024/25:2410 by Magnus Resare (M) and 2024/25:3110 by Lawen Redar et al. (S) requests 41 and 44.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2024/25:153 av Per-Arne Håkansson (S), 2024/25:1774 av Mats Berglund m.fl. (MP) yrkandena 30-32, 2024/25:1845 av Fredrik Olovsson m.fl. (S), 2024/25:2272 av Mattias Eriksson Falk och Roger Hedlund (båda SD), 2024/25:2406 av Magnus Resare m.fl. (M), 2024/25:2410 av Magnus Resare (M) och 2024/25:3110 av Lawen Redar m.fl. (S) yrkandena 41 och 44.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag said no to approximately 120 proposals concerning cultural heritage in motions from the ordinary motion period 2024. The proposals concern, among other things, cultural heritage protection, emergency preparedness and museum matters. The Riksdag refers, among other things, to ongoing work and implemented measures.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the government to review and strengthen support for cultural environment protection to preserve and develop Sweden's cultural heritage. (S) — Reservation 15
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 wants to see cultural creation that reaches everyone in society, and the election manifesto highlights culture's role in counteracting segregation and class differences.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme wants to see cultural creation that reaches everyone in society, and the election manifesto highlights culture's role in counteracting segregation and class differences. A mandate to actively and in the long term broaden visitor participation is a direct means to that goal, and concerns audience development rather than content, so arm's length distance is not affected. The plan also emphasises that culture must reach everyone throughout the country.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet vill se kulturellt skapande som når alla i samhället, och valmanifestet lyfter kulturens roll att motverka segregation och klasskillnader. Ett uppdrag att aktivt och långsiktigt bredda besöksdeltagandet är ett direkt medel för det målet, och rör publikarbete snarare än innehåll, så armlängds avstånd berörs inte. Planen betonar också att kulturen ska komma alla till del i hela landet.
- culture that reaches everyonedecisive»Vi vill se gott om utrymmen för kulturellt skapande, som når alla i« (party programme ↗)“We want to see plenty of space for cultural creation, which reaches everyone in”
- culture against segregation»Kulturen kan spegla samhället, motverka segregation och klasskillnader.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Culture can reflect society, counteract segregation and class differences.”
- broad culture for everyone, arm's length distance»Politiken ska skapa förutsättningar för en bred kultur som kommer alla till del och hålla armlängds avstånd till innehållet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Policy shall create conditions for a broad culture that reaches everyone and maintain arm's length distance to content.”
- 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 steering and exists 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 party programme's cultural policy commitment is to make the arts' various forms of expression accessible for all, children and adults, throughout the country and that cultural institutions shall reflect the diversity in today's Sweden.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme's cultural policy commitment is to make the arts' various forms of expression accessible for all, children and adults, throughout the country and that cultural institutions shall reflect the diversity in today's Sweden. The counter-proposal's demand that museums with free admission also receive an assignment to actively broaden visitor participation is precisely this commitment implemented in an assignment. The election manifesto's particular cultural initiatives in resource-poor areas point in the same direction.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammets kulturpolitiska åtagande är att göra konstens uttrycksformer tillgängliga för alla, barn och vuxna, i hela landet och att kulturinstitutionerna ska spegla mångfalden i dagens Sverige. Motförslagets krav på att museer med fri entré också får i uppdrag att aktivt bredda besöksdeltagandet är just detta åtagande omsatt i ett uppdrag. Valmanifestets särskilda kultursatsningar i resurssvaga områden pekar i samma riktning.
- culture accessible to alldecisive»konstens olika uttrycksformer tillgängliga för alla, barn och vuxna, i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“the arts' various forms of expression accessible for all, children and adults, throughout the country.”
- cultural life shall reflect diversity»Kulturinstitutionerna och kulturlivet måste spegla den kulturella mångfalden i dagens« (party programme ↗)“Cultural institutions and cultural life must reflect the cultural diversity in today's”
- cultural initiatives in resource-poor areas»Vi vill stärka kulturskolan för att säkra alla barns möjligheter till kulturella aktiviteter, och genomföra särskilda satsningar i resurssvaga områden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to strengthen cultural school to secure all children's opportunities for cultural activities, and implement special initiatives in resource-poor areas.”
- active cultural policy»Ett verkligt kunskapssamhälle förutsätter en aktiv kulturpolitik.« (party programme ↗)“A truly knowledge society requires an active cultural policy.”
The plan gives the state cultural institutions a clear commission to make their activities accessible across the country and builds cultural policy on the principle that everyone shall be able to take part in culture on equal terms.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan gives the state cultural institutions a clear commission to make their activities accessible across the country and builds cultural policy on the principle that everyone shall be able to take part in culture on equal terms. A commission to the free-entry museums to actively broaden visitor participation is precisely such an accessibility commission. The plan does not mention free admission as a steering instrument, so the stance is inferred from the accessibility commitment.
Original (Swedish)
Planen ger de statliga kulturinstitutionerna ett tydligt uppdrag att tillgängliggöra sin verksamhet i hela landet och bygger kulturpolitiken på att alla ska kunna ta del av kultur på jämlika villkor. Ett uppdrag till fri-entré-museerna att aktivt bredda besöksdeltagandet är just ett sådant tillgänglighetsuppdrag. Planen nämner inte fri entré som styrmedel, så ställningstagandet härleds ur tillgänglighetsåtagandet.
- commission to make culture accessibledecisive»De statliga kulturinstitutionerna ska ha ett tydligt uppdrag att tillgängliggöra sin verksamhet i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“State cultural institutions shall have a clear commission to make their activities accessible across the country.”
- culture on equal terms»Miljöpartiet de grönas kulturpolitik bygger på att alla ska kunna utöva och ta del av kultur på jämlika villkor.« (party programme ↗)“The Green Party's cultural policy is built on the principle that everyone shall be able to practise and take part in culture on equal terms.”
- broad cultural life across the country»satsa på en bred återhämtningsplan för kulturlivet i hela landet, som omfattar både offentliga, fria, professionella och ideella aktörer« (2022 manifesto ↗)“invest in a broad recovery plan for cultural life across the country, encompassing public, free, professional and voluntary actors”
- spread culture broadly»Digital teknik ska användas på bästa sätt för att sprida kultur.« (party programme ↗)“Digital technology shall be used to best effect to spread 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 party programme makes it a natural part of the public mission that everyone, regardless of social and cultural background, gets access to cultural assets, and that state cultural institutions spread their activities throughout the country.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme makes it a natural part of the public mission that everyone, regardless of social and cultural background, gets access to cultural assets, and that state cultural institutions spread their activities throughout the country. An assignment to actively broaden visitor participation at museums with free entry serves precisely that broader access. Arm's length distance applies to cultural content, not to audience development work.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet gör det till en självklar del av det offentliga uppdraget att alla, oavsett social och kulturell bakgrund, får tillgång till kulturvärden, och att statliga kulturinstitutioner sprider sin verksamhet i hela landet. Ett uppdrag att aktivt bredda besöksdeltagandet vid museer med fri entré tjänar just den bredare tillgången. Armlängdsprincipen gäller kulturens innehåll, inte publikarbetet.
- broad cultural accessdecisive»Att ge alla, oberoende av var vi bor, oberoende« (party programme ↗)“To give everyone, regardless of where we live, regardless”
- dispersed cultural activity»Statliga kulturinstitutioner ska sprida sin verksamhet i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“State cultural institutions shall spread their activities throughout the country.”
- culture throughout the country»Att tillhandahålla kultur i hela landet är en viktig utgångspunkt för Centerpartiet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To provide culture throughout the country is an important starting point for the Centre Party.”
- arm's length distance»Politiken ska bidra till goda förutsättningar men hålla armlängds avstånd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Politics should contribute to good conditions but maintain 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 wants the public at all levels to increase cultural accessibility for the entire population, and it establishes both free admission to national museums and that museums' role as educational institutions shall be strengthened.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants the public at all levels to increase cultural accessibility for the entire population, and it establishes both free admission to national museums and that museums' role as educational institutions shall be strengthened. A task to actively broaden visitor participation lies within that accessibility ambition and does not concern content, which the plan wants to keep free from political control. The plan thus argues for the counter-proposal.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill att det offentliga på alla nivåer ökar kulturens tillgänglighet för hela befolkningen, och den slår fast både fri entré på statliga museer och att museernas roll som bildningsinstitutioner ska stärkas. Ett uppdrag att aktivt bredda besöksdeltagandet ligger inom den tillgänglighetsambitionen och rör inte innehållet, som planen vill hålla fritt från politisk styrning. Planen talar därför för motförslaget.
- increased cultural accessibilitydecisive»Det offentliga ska på alla nivåer gynna mångfalden av kulturuttryck, öka kulturens tillgänglighet för hela befolkningen och skapa ekonomiska förutsättningar även för sådan kultur som är av hög kvalitet utan att vara kommersiellt lönsam.« (party programme ↗)“The public shall at all levels promote diversity of cultural expression, increase cultural accessibility for the entire population and create economic conditions also for such culture that is of high quality without being commercially profitable.”
- strengthened museums, free admission»Museernas roll som bildningsinstitutioner och deras forskningsanknytning ska stärkas. Statliga museer ska ha fri entré.« (party programme ↗)“Museums' role as educational institutions and their research affiliation shall be strengthened. National museums shall have free admission.”
- no political control of content»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 in cultural content.”
- free access to culture»Biblioteken har en central roll för att alla ska ha kostnadsfri tillgång till litteratur och annan kultur samt för att uppmuntra till läsning.« (party programme ↗)“Libraries have a central role in ensuring everyone has free access to literature and other culture as well as to encourage reading.”
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 the public should not only guarantee cultural freedom but also actively contribute to culture reaching citizens, and that the state is responsible for what is called cultural infrastructure throughout the country.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme states that the public should not only guarantee cultural freedom but also actively contribute to culture reaching citizens, and that the state is responsible for what is called cultural infrastructure throughout the country. An assignment to museums with free entry to work long-term for broadened visitor participation is one way to realize this. The plan's subsidiarity principle at the same time speaks for supporting rather than directing cultural activities, which is why the certainty is low.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet säger att det offentliga inte bara ska garantera kulturell frihet utan också aktivt bidra till att kulturen kommer medborgarna till del, och att staten svarar för en kulturell infrastruktur i hela landet. Ett uppdrag till museer med fri entré att arbeta långsiktigt för breddat besöksdeltagande är ett sätt att förverkliga det. Planens subsidiaritetsprincip talar samtidigt för att stödja snarare än styra kulturverksamhet, varför säkerheten är låg.
- culture shall reach citizensdecisive»ska inte bara garantera kulturell frihet, utan också aktivt bidra till att kulturen kommer medborgarna till« (party programme ↗)“shall not only guarantee cultural freedom, but also actively contribute to culture reaching citizens”
- cultural infrastructure throughout the country»svara för det som brukar benämnas en kulturell infrastruktur, i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“provide what is commonly called cultural infrastructure, throughout the country.”
- accessible culture for all»Likaså måste kultur- och fritidsaktiviteter vara« (party programme ↗)“Likewise culture and leisure activities must be”
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 core principle on culture is that public funding and political ambitions constitute a risk and that the objective is institutions that stand free from state and politics.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's core principle on culture is that public funding and political ambitions constitute a risk and that the objective is institutions that stand free from state and politics. Tasking museums with free entry with a special mission to actively broaden visitor participation is precisely such political steering of activities' content. The plan also prioritizes the state's core tasks and reduced spending ahead of new assignments. The requirement is rejected.
Original (Swedish)
Planens bärande princip på kulturområdet är att offentlig finansiering och politiska ambitioner utgör en risk och att målet är institutioner som står fria från stat och politik. Att ålägga museer med fri entré ett särskilt uppdrag att aktivt bredda besöksdeltagandet är just en politisk styrning av verksamhetens innehåll. Planen prioriterar dessutom statens kärnuppgifter och minskade utgifter framför nya uppdrag. Kravet avvisas.
- risk of political cultural steeringdecisive»offentlig finansiering och politiska ambitioner utgör en risk« (party programme ↗)“public funding and political ambitions constitute a risk”
- independent cultural institutions»Målet ska vara självständiga institutioner som i sin verksamhet står« (party programme ↗)“The objective should be independent institutions that in their operations stand”
- culture as independent sphere»sfärer som media, akademin och kulturen är viktiga motvikter« (party programme ↗)“spheres such as media, academia and culture are important counterweights”
- reduced state spending»Statens utgifter ska minska« (2022 manifesto ↗)“State spending shall decrease”
The election manifesto values independent cultural institutions' freedom from political interference and wants to reduce the public sector's economic control over contemporary culture.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto values independent cultural institutions' freedom from political interference and wants to reduce the public sector's economic control over contemporary culture. A new government mandate for museums to actively broaden visitor participation is precisely this kind of political direction of institutions' operations. The plan instead wants to distribute cultural funds with greater citizen influence and demand clear results from investments, which speaks against the counter-proposal's demand.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet värnar de oberoende kulturinstitutionernas frihet från politiska pekpinnar och vill minska det offentligas ekonomiska kontroll över samtidskulturen. Ett nytt statligt uppdrag till museerna om att aktivt bredda besöksdeltagandet är just en sådan politisk styrning av institutionernas verksamhet. Planen vill i stället fördela kulturmedlen med större medborgarinflytande och kräva tydliga resultat av satsningar, vilket talar mot motförslagets krav.
- freedom from political interferencedecisive»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.”
- less public control of culture»Minska det offentligas ekonomiska kontroll över samtidskulturen och mediesfären« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce the public sector's economic control over contemporary culture and media”
- 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”
- results requirements on investments»Begära tydliga resultat för varje offentlig satsning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Demand clear results for every public investment”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2024/25:KrU5)
- Committee report full text (HC01KrU5)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2024/25:1022 — Ett levande fäbodbruk av Anders W Jonsson (C)
- Motion 2024/25:108 — Museum för varvs- och industrihistoria i Göteborg av Björn Tidland (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:109 — Avveckling av Världskulturmuseet och inrättande av ett museum för runstenar av Björn Tidland (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:110 — Bevarandeprogram för runstenar av Björn Tidland (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1201 — Finansiering av utgrävningar i Uppåkra av Niels Paarup-Petersen (C)
- Motion 2024/25:1212 — Det kristna kulturarvet i Turkiet av Yusuf Aydin (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1277 — Kyrkoantikvarisk ersättning av Mirja Räihä m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2024/25:1321 — Politik för tornedalingar, kväner och lantalaiset av Jan Riise m.fl. (MP)
- Motion 2024/25:1337 — Kulturmiljöer av Runar Filper m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1347 — Arkitekturfrågor av Anna-Lena Hedberg m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:136 — Åtgärder för att motverka antisemitism av Magnus Jacobsson (KD)
- Motion 2024/25:1370 — Skog, skogsbruk och ekonomi av Martin Kinnunen m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1373 — Livsmedel av Martin Kinnunen m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1384 — Konsumentpolitik av Mikael Eskilandersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1395 — Jordbruk - ökad konkurrenskraft utan förlust av biologisk mångfald av Martin Kinnunen m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1416 — Trossamfundsfrågor av Alexander Christiansson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1417 — Svenskt kulturarv av Runar Filper m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1421 — Nationella minoriteter och urfolk i Sverige av Michael Rubbestad m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1422 — Museifrågor av Runar Filper m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2024/25:1435 — Stöd till utsatta grupper av Rasmus Giertz m.fl. (SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament