Sweden: effective system of local self-government, but consultation with subnational authorities remains to be formalized
A report from the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities states with satisfaction that the local and regional self-governments in Sweden manage the highest shares of public affairs in Europe and have a high degree of financial autonomy. It also welcomes the relatively high percentage of women in elected positions and a high level of citizens’ trust in democratic institutions.
However, the Congress expresses concern that in some cases new obligations are imposed by the state on municipalities and regions without giving sufficient room for discretion. There is also a lack of systematic formal consultation procedures on all matters affecting subnational authorities, which would be in line with the requirements of the Charter and relevant congressional resolutions and recommendations.
The rapporteurs Harald BERGMANN, Netherlands (L, ILDG) and Matija KOVAC, Serbia (R, EPP/CCE) pointed out that there is a shift in the distribution of roles between state governance and local/regional self-government, to the detriment of the latter, due to new rules and guidelines, methods and instruments launched by the state. They also noted that contributions are not indexed in times of rising inflation, climate and societal change.
The Congress calls on the Swedish authorities to give local and regional authorities greater freedom of action, whenever new obligations are imposed on them, and to establish formal consultation procedures in all matters affecting subnational authorities in accordance with the Charter. The authorities should also refrain from bypassing the local authorities by implementing new governance methods and instruments and policy arrangements and instead find ways for their inclusion. The rapporteurs also call for the introduction of a developed system for the indexation of state subsidies, following appropriate consultation procedures.
The Committee for the Fulfillment of Obligations and Undertakings carried out a monitoring visit to review the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Sweden on 5-7 April 2022. During the visit, the congressional delegation met representatives of various institutions at all levels of government.