Making Sweden rich again

- Stop giving away Swedes' tax money.

Deteriorating economic development

Sweden has had a weak economic performance for many years. GDP growth has been far below our historical figures. In terms of GDP per capita, growth in welfare is extremely modest because our population has increased sharply, but without a corresponding increase in GDP. This is because Sweden currently has a mixed economy, and too large a proportion of this economy is now managed as a planned economy.

In the 1970s, Swedes were one of the richest people in the world, on a par with Switzerland in terms of wealth. Today, an experienced Swedish secondary school teacher earns around SEK 40 000 per month, while a Swiss teacher receives the equivalent of SEK 150 000. Given that Switzerland has lower taxes but higher prices, the Swiss teacher receives just over four times as much purchasing power as the Swede for the same working hours. In the 1970s, a Swedish worker could support a family on one salary. Today, few can afford such a luxury. Why did we become poorer and how did the Swiss become four times richer than us in 50 years?

One reason for the weak development is that the Swedish public sector has expanded. Increased bureaucracy results in lower productivity. One problem with the public sector is the lack of both competition and entrepreneurship. It is important to make public expenditure more efficient. This requires firm discipline and clear priorities throughout the public sector.

Sweden has a generally favourable business climate, with strong innovative capacity and a good culture of creative entrepreneurship. At the same time, businesses, both large and small, are burdened by growing regulations and burdens from the EU.

A Poor Nation Becomes Rich Through Economic Growth

The natural state of mankind is poverty and hunger, hunting and gathering what little nature offers. How could we lift ourselves out of this sad state? Through economic growth. The concept of economic growth means producing more with the same input - creating added value.

It is not working time rules per se that have given us weekends and holidays off. It is not compulsory schooling that has allowed us to afford to spare children's labour in agriculture. It is economic growth. Growth is created by the sum of people's productive endeavours and is driven by the availability of cheap and reliable energy, competition and entrepreneurship.

High taxes stifle economic growth

People who add value to society should be rewarded, through fair wages and other remuneration. It should be worthwhile to work. If it does not pay to work, the willingness to work decreases.

Say 90 per cent of the farmer's harvest is confiscated in taxes. That makes him poorer. But it also reduces his willingness to invest, which makes the rest of us poorer too. Why bother if you don't get to keep the results? You'd rather do something else with your time.

High taxes stifle the willingness to invest for economic growth. But high taxes also mean that money is shifted from a market economy to a planned economy. A planned economy means that the government takes most of your wage income and decides what your earned money is spent on, instead of you deciding for yourself.

All experience shows that planned economy systems tend to produce a strong growth of bureaucracy. The more bureaucracy, the more a country's economy stagnates because bureaucracy creates minimal added value for society.

The public sector must not grow unrestrained

In Sweden, almost 50 per cent of the country's GDP is consumed by the public sector, compared with 30 per cent in Switzerland. In Sweden, the public sector accounts for more than 30 per cent of the total workforce, while in Switzerland it is only 15 per cent. This is a major reason why we have fallen behind.

The public sector should focus on the country's core tasks: defence against external and internal enemies, health, education, justice, infrastructure, social safety net and business management.

Reducing the number of authorities and cutting costs

Sweden currently has 367 government agencies. That is far too many. The public sector's core activities must be prioritised, but today many government agencies are engaged in tasks that either overlap with others - or are not necessary. There is therefore a lot of scope to both reduce the number of agencies and cut costs.

A significant proportion of these authorities could be dismantled altogether, while others should be merged. Those that remain should be subject to clear efficiency and savings requirements. Technological developments in IT and AI make it possible to carry out government work more cost-effectively than ever before.

For example, the National Institute of Economic Research, the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth and Growth Analysis could be brought together in a joint organisation. Similarly, the Swedish Export Credit Corporation, the Swedish Export Council and Business Sweden could be merged and streamlined. For authorities that are not structurally affected, savings requirements of at least ten per cent should be introduced as a first step.

Ambition Sverige wants to halve both the number of authorities and their costs. At the same time, a general efficiency requirement will be introduced for those authorities that are still deemed to have a necessary function. The central government will focus on its core tasks - not grow on its own.

The economy can be repaired quickly

Sweden could become rich again in a short time. This does not require politicians doing smart things with the economy to ”create growth and jobs”. On the contrary, it requires politicians to step out of the rut and allow individuals and businesses more room to create wealth. The more deregulated society becomes, the greater the creativity, the desire to work and the prosperity. The greater the prosperity, the better the wage growth and consequently the higher the pensions.

Reduce the tax burden to the industrialised countries' (OECD) average

Today, the tax burden in Sweden is about 42.8% and the average tax burden in OECD countries is 33.9%. During the period up to the mid-1960s when Sweden had the highest average growth in the world and became one of the world's richest countries, the tax burden never exceeded 30%. Ambitions Sweden's intention is to reduce the Swedish tax burden towards the OECD average. This will shift economic resources from command economy management to market management. This will boost economic growth in Sweden. It has been done before and it can be done again.

Abolish the state income tax

It should pay to work and it should pay better to work even more. Reduced tax pressure provides room for increased creativity and economic growth. That is why we want to abolish the state income tax of 20%, which applies to monthly incomes above SEK 51,200. Income tax will then be levied at the municipal tax rate. The tax revenue from the central government income tax amounts to approximately SEK 54 billion.

Ambition Sverige wants to phase out the state income tax in stages over a few years until it is completely eliminated.

Increase the basic allowance

By increasing the basic deduction, we want to increase the part of income that is not taxed at all. This affects local taxation and means that people on low incomes get to keep more of their money. It also benefits our pensioners who, after a lifetime of hard work, often have to live on a meagre pension.

Increasing the basic deduction directly contributes to reducing the tax burden and makes it more profitable to move from benefits to work. Sweden currently has a basic deduction that amounts to a maximum of SEK 49,400. In comparison, Germany has a basic allowance of EUR 11 784 (equivalent to about SEK 130 000) and Norway about NOK 88 000 (2024).

Ambition Sverige wants to increase the basic deduction so that it is comparable to the level of the subsistence minimum. The subsistence minimum consists of the sum of a reservation amount and the cost of housing. For a single person in 2025, this would be SEK 6,186 plus rent of around SEK 6,500, i.e. around SEK 12,600/month or around SEK 150,000 per year.

To simplify the calculations around such an increased basic deduction, one can use the price base amount (PBB) that is determined each year. For 2025, the PBB is SEK 58,800. Doubling the PBB would amount to SEK 117,600, which is a reasonable level to set the basic deduction at.

Ambition Sverige believes that the basic deduction for both earned income and pensions should be increased to twice the price base amount, which for 2025 would amount to SEK 117,600.

Reducing sick pay liability for small businesses

In Sweden, employers are fully responsible for sick staff during the first 14 days of sick leave, apart from a qualifying day. For small companies, this is a very big financial risk. Suppose a company with 4 employees has two people who are repeatedly absent due to illness. The company will then have to pay both sick pay for the sick people and salaries for extra staff, which will result in significant costs for the small company. If the firm cannot afford to bring in a replacement when absent due to illness, production is reduced. One option is for the firm to be very restrictive about employing people who have the slightest sign of illness risk. Sick pay liability thus becomes a clear burden for small businesses and can seriously hamper their ability to survive and grow.

Ambition Sverige believes that the responsibility for sick pay for companies with fewer than ten employees should be changed. The company should only be responsible for day two of sickness, while the state takes over the cost responsibility from day three.

Reduced VAT on food

The government currently has three VAT levels: 25%, 12% and 6%. VAT on foodstuffs amounts to 12%, which annually provides the state treasury with approximately SEK 25-35 billion. Reducing VAT on food to 6% provides a relative economic improvement, especially for low-income earners, while reducing the overall tax burden.

There is also added administrative value in reducing the number of VAT rates from three to two, i.e. less bureaucracy to deal with.

Ambition Sverige wants to reduce VAT on food from 12% to 6%. We want to remove the VAT rate 12% completely, so that the VAT on restaurants, hotels and catering is also reduced to 6%. The result will be a simpler tax system, a lower cost of living and better conditions for jobs in the food and service sectors. The total reduction in tax revenue will then be around SEK 40-45 billion if no account is taken of positive effects from increased consumption of food, hotels, restaurants and catering (so-called dynamic effects).

Introduce benefit caps

Prosperity in the country is a result of companies and employees producing goods and services that in turn generate tax revenue. Ambition Sverige wants it to pay off to work, so it should not be possible to ”earn” as much from receiving benefits as from working.

Today, beneficiaries can stack benefits on top of each other, making it impossible to take a job without loss. This should not be the case. Examples of benefits that can be stacked are income support, housing allowance, housing supplement, maintenance support, activity compensation and unemployment benefit. For example, a single person with 2 children can receive income support of SEK 9,000, housing allowance of SEK 4,500, housing supplement of SEK 4,500, maintenance support of around SEK 3,000 and child benefit of SEK 2,500, provided that the requirements of the Social Insurance Agency are met. This means a total allowance of SEK 23,500/month after tax, which corresponds to almost SEK 35,000/month before tax. It would be almost impossible to motivate such a person to move from benefits to work.

A benefit ceiling of 50 % of the price base amount (for 2025: SEK 29,400) before tax should be introduced. The Tidö parties' proposal for a benefit cap, which certainly reduces benefits, still gives some families up to SEK 38,000 per month after tax.

Ambition Sverige believes that a benefit ceiling should be introduced so that a maximum of half a price base amount before tax is paid to benefit recipients and that a work effort should be required of the recipient.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

phasing out the state income tax through a gradual process over a few years.
Increasing the basic deduction for both earned income and pension so that it corresponds to twice the price base amount, which for 2025 would be SEK 117,600.
Abolishing the general payroll tax for company employees numbered 2-6 and gradually removing it for all employees.
Reduce VAT on food to 6% and remove the VAT rate of 12% so that VAT on restaurants, hotels and catering is also reduced to 6%.
Halving the number of Swedish authorities and imposing a general efficiency requirement on other authorities.
Lowering the benefit ceiling so that a maximum of half a price base amount before tax is paid to benefit recipients.

Our plan for Sweden

Ambition Sverige is based on five
universal principles that make up our
compass for freedom and governance.

Ambition Sweden's policies are always tested against these principles.

Power is under the law
(Magna Carta)

Politicians and civil servants should be held personally accountable for wrong decisions, abuse of power or negligence.

Protection against arbitrariness
(Habeas Corpus)

No person should be detained without a legal basis. The justice system should be fair, impartial and protect the people, not be used as a political tool.

The good of the people and the nation first
(Virtue)

Decisions should be made for the long-term good of the country, not for power plays or international pressure.

Self-determination and non-interference
(International law)

Sweden will respect the sovereignty of other states and demand respect for our own. No foreign power should control our politics, our security or our territory.

Freedom, security and dignity
(Human rights)

Every human being has the right to life, liberty, privacy and security.

Popular rule instead of supranationalism - leave the EU

Swedish citizens should not be governed by supranational agendas.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Moving away from the 2030 Agenda as the guiding framework, as well as the UN Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact; reclaiming national targets and budget governance.
Saying no to the WHO Pandemic Convention and binding IHR changes; leaving the WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network.
Stopping the ekrona and rejecting digital euro for the public; constitutional protection of cash and diversity in payments.
Say no to EUDI as a condition for civic participation; reject SOU 2023:61 and ban centralised logging of everyday use.
Rejecting SOU 2023:22 and all general access to electronic communications; defending strong encryption and privacy.
Reduce state media subsidies that favour agenda-driven giants; safeguard freedom of expression and pluralism.
Pulling the handbrake on DSA, EU Digital Travel Identity and WHO GDHC/GDHCN; no permanent digital access systems in Sweden.

An independent defence and security policy

Security through détente, diplomacy and military defence.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Sweden's security is safeguarded through non-alignment, diplomacy and détente.
Sweden is building a strong defence force.
Military aid to Ukraine is cancelled because it increases the threat to Sweden.
The DCA is cancelled immediately - Sweden will not have foreign troops on its territory.
Licensed gun owners should be allowed to use their weapons without government interference.
Sweden is taking control of the monopoly on violence in all "vulnerable areas".

Stop all immigration for 10 years

Taking back control to tackle social unrest and crime.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Impose a ten-year freeze on all new immigration. Deportation of persons without legal right to reside in the country, family immigration is stopped during the period.
Faster deportations and sentences to be served in the home country by agreement. Deportation as a general rule after sentencing.
Sweden will regain control at the border. We will expand detention centres, acquire our own transport resources and introduce fast-track identity checks.
Stopping the shadow society. Impose sanctions on illegal employers/landlords, carry out exit checks and require a unified ID flow.
The fact that temporary residence permits are subject to regular review where return to the country of origin, serious criminality or long-term dependency on benefits breaks the right to stay.
Introducing a qualifying period of at least five years before gaining full access to welfare and benefits.
Improving background checks through document research, biometrics, security interviews and information sharing.
Placing responsibility for language and integration on the individual. Abolition of home language teaching and SFI, interpreter support for a maximum of one year.
Conducting a national census to ensure that there is one personal/coordination number per person. Nullity in case of fraudulent citizenship.
Taxpayers' money should not go to organisations that make deportations more difficult.
Speaking plainly in the countries of origin - Sweden is not a welfare destination.
That honour crimes, forced marriages and parallel systems of norms are met with immediate protection for children and women. Tougher penalties and deportation of perpetrators.
Tackling clan crime through restraining orders, witness protection and deportation.

Weighing costs against benefits in climate policy - prioritising the environment

A fixation on carbon dioxide hampers environmental efforts.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

That the installation of a fifth treatment stage becomes a reality in the municipal wastewater treatment plants in the 30 largest municipalities, where the total annual emissions of organic pollutants including heavy metals are also measured, identified and reported.
That supplementary treatment is introduced in all PFAS-contaminated waterworks in Sweden to meet future limit values for PFAS.
Launching a programme to reduce emissions to air and water of so-called microplastics, including nanoparticles, from traffic, roads, industries, wastewater treatment plants, etc.
A monitoring programme is started for Sweden's 30 largest lakes, where, in addition to organic pollutants and heavy metals, the amount and number of microplastic particles are measured and reported.
In the wake of the Think Pink scandal, in which waste was allowed to spread unchecked in some 15 municipalities, to set up a monitoring project on waste management in general. The aim is to examine whether the control of waste is working satisfactorily.
That ongoing projects within Avfall Sverige dealing with emissions of PFAS from waste incineration, among other things, be given extra resources so that results can be obtained more quickly.
Initiate continuous random testing of organic pollutants in suspected imported consumer products, especially in products from China and Asia. A mandate should be given to the Swedish Chemicals Agency with the aim of stopping the import of the most toxic products - or influencing suppliers to supply non-toxic products.
That the Swedish Chemicals Agency be given the task of proposing a programme of measures to reduce emissions, leaks and spills of PFAS from various products.
That the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency initiate a project to report on the state of the environment in Sweden, as a guide for decision-makers/politicians.
That a monitoring project under the Environmental Code be started, where emissions of particles and other substances from rotor blades in onshore and offshore wind power are investigated and reported. Emissions from various types of malfunctions/breakdowns should also be reported.
Launch a project to provide an overview of the environmental impact and demand for rare earths in the manufacture, use and scrapping of electric vehicles, solar energy systems and wind turbines, using life cycle analyses (LCA).
addressing the most serious water and air pollutants, such as persistent and accumulative pollutants.
That the work of public authorities is based on facts - not on activism based on unrealistic projections of climate emissions.
Sweden leaving the Paris Agreement (from 2015).
Sweden to leave coalitions aiming for net zero carbon emissions by 2050, such as the UN Net Zero Coalition, the Carbon Neutrality Coalition (CNC), the EU Fit for 55 and the World Economic Forum's First Movers Coalition.
That Sweden abolishes the climate policy framework consisting of the Climate Act and the Climate Policy Council and renegotiates the Climate Goals.
That Sweden establishes a non-political climate science council that follows scientific developments in order to be able to give good advice to decision-makers. Those who are part of this council should be professors in the basic sciences on which the climate issue rests.
That all public commitment to the "green transition" is suspended. Innovation and energy efficiency must take place in a free market without government interference.
The removal of subsidies and other special treatment for companies in the transition industry. For example, companies that want to engage in battery manufacturing, hydrogen production or underground storage of carbon dioxide can do so with their own resources and not with the public's pension funds or taxes.
That planned bans on the sale of petrol and diesel cars are removed. The same conditions will apply to vehicles with internal combustion engines as to electric cars and hybrids.

Restore law and order

Zero tolerance towards criminal gangs and clans.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

That the escalating violence and insecurity end up being the focus of the policy pursued.
That the victim's well-being should be prioritized - not the perpetrator's.
That protection and support for victims of crime increases.
That legislation and the scale of punishment are adapted to meet serious crime.
That system-threatening crime is noticed and counteracted.
That Sweden's inhabitants are protected against honour violence and honour oppression.
That legislative work is speeded up. The preparation requirement must be made more efficient and the independence of the Council on Legislation strengthened.
The introduction of on-call courts for cases where the evidence is obvious and indisputable.
The introduction of a constitutional court that can review laws that are interpreted by courts with politically controlled guidelines.
To reintroduce strict civil servant responsibility.
That EU directives are not automatically converted into Swedish law.
That Sweden's own legislation should take precedence over UN conventions, and that certain ratified UN conventions should be terminated.
That all forms of penalty discounts are removed.
That a civic advisory council replaces today's party-political representation in the relevant authorities.
To introduce the right to decisive referendums on matters of a national security nature.
To limit the government's power of appointment and base appointments on meritocracy.
That non-Swedish citizens and persons with dual citizenship are deported upon conviction for a serious crime.
That non-Swedish citizens' right to Swedish rights and freedoms is limited.
To create legal support for being able to buy prison places abroad.

Minimising the risks of digitalisation and AI

Personal privacy instead of digital dictatorship.

Ambition Sverige will work for:

Regarding digital IDs and central bank digital currencies:

Demand public debate and referendum before implementation of digital central bank currency and ID.
We demand that every individual is given full legal ownership and control over their own biometric data - including the right to consent, restriction, traceability and financial protection from commercial exploitation.
We call for an end to the mandatory link between ID systems and financial transactions.
Secure and preserve cash as a statutory, protected right.
Set legal limits on what digital currencies and ID systems can contain, record and control.
Build open, non-centrally controlled digital identity options.

As regards AI:

Without free access to information, there is no free thought - and without free thought, there is no democracy. Ambition Sweden therefore demands that access to information on the internet remains free, open and uncensored - because freedom of information is a prerequisite for democracy, freedom of expression and a free society. AI provided to Swedish citizens must therefore fulfil these requirements.
We call for a national AI infrastructure - Publicly funded and openly and transparently vetted AI models based on local laws, language, culture and ethics should be developed.
We demand that no AI can make decisions that affect people's lives without full transparency, legal accountability and human control - as in Danish law. It must be clear who is behind an AI decision, what data it is based on and what values have been prioritised. Automated decisions should always be appealable.
Data sovereignty - All sensitive data, especially from public authorities, schools and healthcare, must be stored and processed within Sweden's borders and by actors under democratic control (not the EU or global and private actors).
Digital literacy - Citizens and decision-makers should be educated about new technologies and AI.
Active regulation to prevent platform dependency and to promote open, interoperable options.
Ambition Sverige calls for work to identify and analyse risks linked to AI in military and civilian security systems to be initiated and for the protection of critical infrastructure from AI-driven attacks, sabotage or disinformation to be developed.
Finally, we call for developing our defence capabilities against autonomous weapons systems and digitally targeted attacks, and for strengthening international legal, ethical and technical safeguards against the use of AI against populations - by other states or by private actors.