Democracy, human rights and rule of law

The plan states that Sweden should realize human rights in full and act independently from superpowers in order not to be drawn into dependencies and geopolitical conflicts. The counter-proposal's demand for measurable and verifiable democracy conditions in partnership agreements with authoritarian states, and that energy and raw material cooperation does not create new strategic dependencies, follow directly from these commitments. The plan furthermore wants all countries to control their own natural resources and financial flows.

• human rights in fulldecisive»rättigheterna var ett historiskt framsteg vi vill förverkliga fullt ut.« (party programme ↗)“rights were a historical advance we want to realize in full.”
• independence from superpowers»Det är viktigt att Sverige kan agera självständigt från stormakter som« (party programme ↗)“It is important that Sweden can act independently from superpowers such as”
• national control over resources»om sin produktion, sina finansiella flöden och sina naturresurser.« (party programme ↗)“of their production, their financial flows and their natural resources.”
• conditions against dictatorships»förbjuda vapenexport till diktaturer, stater som för angreppskrig och« (party programme ↗)“ban arms exports to dictatorships, states that wage wars of aggression and”

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 that the EU's agreements be concluded with our values on social dialogue, human rights and the environment as guiding principles, and that the EU stands up for our shared values. Conditioning deepened partnerships with authoritarian states on measurable demands for democracy and rule of law, and monitoring this annually, is exactly such an application. The requirement not to create new strategic dependencies is close to the plan's view on supply security.

• value-based agreementsdecisive»EU behöver sluta fler handelsavtal där också våra värderingar om social dialog, mänskliga rättigheter och miljö är vägledande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The EU needs to conclude more trade agreements where our values on social dialogue, human rights and the environment are also guiding.”
• EU as value community»Vi vill se ett EU som står upp för våra gemensamma värderingar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to see an EU that stands up for our shared values.”
• international law and rule of law»Försvar för folkrätten och en regelbaserad världsordning.« (party programme ↗)“Defence of international law and a rule-based world order.”
• women's rights globally»Flickors och kvinnors rättigheter måste stärkas globalt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The rights of girls and women must be strengthened globally.”

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 condition deeper agreements with authoritarian states with measurable demands for democracy and human rights and avoid new strategic dependencies. The plan demands that trade policy is a tool for human rights and democratization, that Sweden is a driving force in state cooperation and supports civil society and human rights defenders. The plan also wants to reduce dependence on imports of critical goods.

• trade promotes human rightsdecisive»fattigdomsbekämpning, främjande av mänskliga rättigheter, fredliga samarbeten,« (party programme ↗)“poverty reduction, promotion of human rights, peaceful cooperation,”
• driving force for democracy»för demokrati och mänskliga rättigheter både inom internationella organisationer och i« (party programme ↗)“for democracy and human rights both within international organizations and in”
• support for civil society and human rights defenders»att främja fredsbyggande och dialog och stötta civilsamhället och försvarare av fri- och« (party programme ↗)“to promote peacebuilding and dialogue and support civil society and defenders of freedom and”
• reduced strategic dependencies»självförsörjningsgrad av viktiga och nödvändiga produkter - till exempel livsmedel,« (party programme ↗)“self-sufficiency of important and necessary products - for example foodstuffs,”

The counter-proposal does not want to stop the agreement but condition it with measurable demands on democracy and human rights and avoid new strategic dependencies on authoritarian regimes. The plan explicitly demands tougher requirements in trade agreements and that dependence on the energy of an authoritarian regime be broken, with foreign policy ultimately aimed at universal freedoms and rights. The counter-proposal's demands therefore align with the plan.

• tougher requirements in trade agreementsdecisive»Ställ hårdare krav på arbetsvillkor, miljö och klimat i handelsavtal.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Set tougher requirements on working conditions, environment and climate in trade agreements.”
• no dependencies on authoritarian regimes»Stryp Putins krigskassa nu. Vi vill stoppa all energihandel med Ryssland och fasa ut fossila bränslen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Choke Putin's war chest now. We want to stop all energy trade with Russia and phase out fossil fuels.”
• human rights guide foreign policy»Utrikes- och säkerhetspolitiken syftar ytterst till att värna universella mänskliga fri- och rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“Foreign and security policy ultimately aims to safeguard universal human freedoms and rights.”
• resist authoritarian forces»Runtom i världen pågår en kamp mellan anhängare av den liberala demokratin och auktoritära krafter. Den måste vi vinna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Around the world, a struggle is underway between defenders of liberal democracy and authoritarian forces. We must win it.”

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 does not demand rejection but measurable and monitored democracy conditions in partnership agreements with authoritarian states. The plan requires precisely that agreements contain clear demands on democracy and human rights, that policy legitimizing undemocratic regimes be dismantled and that trade be conducted without naivety towards authoritarian power politics. The warning against new strategic dependencies responds to the plan's security-policy view on energy dependence.

• conditioned agreementsdecisive»EU:s grannskapsavtal med unionens grannar söderut måste innehålla samma krav på demokrati och mänskliga rättigheter som avtalen med grannarna österut, och tydliga krav om respekt för kvinnors, barns och minoriteters rättigheter ska ställas.« (party programme ↗)“EU's neighbourhood agreements with the union's neighbours to the south must contain the same demands on democracy and human rights as agreements with neighbours to the east, and clear demands on respect for women's, children's and minorities' rights shall be set.”
• trade without naivety»Handels- och främjandepolitiken ska stärka Sverige som aktör för en friare värld och dra nytta av frihandelns fördelar utan den naivitet som alltför länge uppvisats för kinesisk och rysk maktpolitik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Trade and promotion policy shall strengthen Sweden as an actor for a freer world and take advantage of free trade's benefits without the naivety that has long been shown towards Chinese and Russian power politics.”
• do not legitimize dictatorships»Det handlar också om att avveckla politik som motverkar demokratisk utveckling eller legitimerar odemokratiska regimer.« (party programme ↗)“It also concerns dismantling policy that counteracts democratic development or legitimizes undemocratic regimes.”
• avoid strategic dependencies»Många fria stater är beroende av odemokratiska regimer för sin energiförsörjning.« (party programme ↗)“Many free states are dependent on undemocratic regimes for their energy supply.”

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 does not want to stop the agreement but to condition it with measurable and verifiable requirements on democracy and human rights. The plan makes human rights a chief goal of foreign policy, requires that cooperation be based on respect for them and that international bodies set high requirements for human rights in their activities. Dialogue and cooperation are, according to the plan, the foremost tool, which the counter-proposal retains.

• high human rights requirements in cooperationdecisive»höga krav på respekt för mänskliga rättigheter i sin verksamhet.« (party programme ↗)“high requirements for respect for human rights in their activities.”
• human rights as chief goal»rättigheter ska vara ett huvudmål för utrikespolitiken.« (party programme ↗)“rights shall be a chief goal of foreign policy.”
• cooperation conditioned by human rights»utvecklingssamarbetet ska baseras på respekt för mänskliga rättigheter. Detta ställer krav på« (party programme ↗)“development cooperation shall be based on respect for human rights. This sets requirements on”
• positive instruments first»I främjandet av mänskliga rättigheter ska i första hand positiva verkningsmedel användas,« (party programme ↗)“In the promotion of human rights, positive instruments shall primarily be used,”

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 says nothing about conditional partnership agreements, but it establishes that Swedish tax money shall not end up with undemocratic leaders and that democracy and human rights shall be prioritized in Sweden's foreign policy work. The demand for measurable and verifiable democracy requirements and for avoiding new dependencies on authoritarian regimes is close to the plan's line on reduced vulnerability. The support is derived and uncertain.

• no funds to undemocratic leadersdecisive»Dina skattepengar ska inte försvinna i korruption eller hamna i fickorna på odemokratiska ledare« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Your tax money shall not disappear in corruption or end up in the pockets of undemocratic leaders”
• strong voice for democracy»Sverige ska vara en stark röst för frihet, demokrati och« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall be a strong voice for freedom, democracy and”
• reduced vulnerability and fewer dependencies»Det nya säkerhetsläget i Europa gör att vi som land måste minska vår sårbarhet och öka vår självförsörjningsgrad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The new security situation in Europe means that we as a country must reduce our vulnerability and increase our self-sufficiency.”
• democracy and human rights are prioritized»Prioritera insatser som stödjer arbetet för demokrati och mänskliga rättigheter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prioritize initiatives that support work for democracy and human rights”

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 demands that Sweden makes greater distinction in its attitude to democratic values against states without genuine rule of law ambitions and that Sweden is a clear voice for human rights and freedoms. The counter-proposal's demand for measurable and verifiable democracy conditions in partnership agreements follows from this. The plan also warns against strategic dependencies on authoritarian states in its view of Russia and China.

• distinction based on democratic valuesdecisive»Sverige bör göra större åtskillnad i sin hållning till demokratiska värden och upphöra med finansiellt eller politiskt stöd till länder eller rörelser som varken bidrar till svenskarnas intressen eller har en genuin sekulär rättsstatlig strävan eller respekt för mänskliga fri- och rättigheter för alla oberoende av kön, religion eller sexuell läggning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should make greater distinction in its attitude to democratic values and cease financial or political support to countries or movements that neither contribute to Swedes' interests nor have a genuine secular rule of law aspiration or respect for human rights and freedoms for all regardless of sex, religion or sexual orientation.”
• voice for democracy»Vara en tydlig röst för den västerländska demokratimodellen och mänskliga fri- och rättigheter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Be a clear voice for the Western democracy model and human rights and freedoms”
• counter strategic dependencies»En tydlig Arktispolitik ska tas fram som hindrar ryska och kinesiska framflyttningar och bejakar svenska ekonomiska intressen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A clear Arctic policy shall be developed that prevents Russian and Chinese advances and supports Swedish economic interests.”
• demand-based relations»Biståndspolitiken skall bedrivas med respekt för mottagarländernas kultur och traditioner men också vara kravbaserad.« (party programme ↗)“Development aid policy shall be conducted with respect for recipient countries' culture and traditions but also be demand-based.”

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.