The results of a new survey from the leading Swedish paper, The Daily News (dn.se), and Ipsos have been presented. Still, The Daily News chooses to tone down the most important figures: that the Swedish people do not want to primarily spend their tax money on the Ukraine war and green transition for the climate.
The survey, in which voters were asked to allocate 4,9 billion US dollars, shows that only 2.1% of tax money goes to the environment, climate, and sustainability. Defense and preparedness are allocated only 2.3%. Health and social care top the list with 14.4% of the money, followed by education (8.3%) and law enforcement (5.5%).
The fact that Swedes most want to spend tax on health care can be interpreted as a sign that they think it is not up to scratch. Care and health include wellness (pre-emptive care) and natural medicine, but the survey does not mention these words.
The results can be interpreted to mean that people are generally most interested in health, accept the climate as it is, and do not need to be decarbonized.
The Daily News/Ipsos poll results show apparent agreement on investments in health care, schools, and crime, while climate and defense receive low support regardless of voter group. But the answers depend on how the questions are asked.
Of course, questions that are not asked are entirely unrepresented, and in this way, the poll results of the surveys can influence opinion in a desired direction.
This is how taxpayers (all voters) want the Swedish government to spend their tax money:
- Other areas: 14.5%
- Health care, social care, dental care, psychiatry: 14.4%
- Schools, education, scientific research: 8.3%
- Crime, correctional services, law and order, police: 5.5%
- Infrastructure, railways, clean water, and sewerage treatment: 2.9%
- Defense, Ukraine, civil defense, emergency response: 2.3%
- Environment, climate, green transition, sustainability: 2.1%
The category ‘Other areas’ includes, among other things, migration, re-immigration, and deportations, but right-wing parties still choose to spend only 1.4% on migration, re-immigration, and deportations.
The Swedish Minister of Finance, Elisabeth Svantesson (conservative), presented the budget proposal for 2025.
- Source: Daily News (DN.se): ‘This is where the billions end up if the voters get to make the budget’