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Demokratiskolan
The Regions card from MethodKit for Society and Politics
Card 88 of 128 · MethodKit for Society & Politics
  • AreaPlaces & infrastructure
  • Centre of gravityThe region
  • Points of influence3 on the journey
  • Decisive electionThe regional election
Places & infrastructure

Regions

Different regions, similarities & differences

Sweden is made up of 21 regions, and the differences between them shape your options: the jobs, the healthcare, the trains and the courses on offer. The regions hold the responsibility for regional development, but many people forget that they are run by politicians you choose in the regional election.

Where does the power lie?1

  • Municipality · cooperation & local needs · approx 10 %
  • Region · development strategy & growth funds · approx 60 %
  • State · laws, county boards & equalisation · approx 25 %
  • EU · structural funds & regional support · approx 5 %

The centre of gravity is with the region, which since 2019 has held the development responsibility across the whole country. The regional election decides who sets the priorities.

How it works: the breakdown

The municipalityThe local voice
The regionThe development responsibility · centre of gravity
Central governmentThe framework & the equalisation
Who decides?
The municipal council (kommunfullmäktige) and the municipal executive board, often in cooperation with neighbouring municipalities.
The regional council (regionfullmäktige), the regional executive board and the regional development committee.
The Riksdag, the Government, the County Administrative Board (Länsstyrelsen) and the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillväxtverket).
What do they decide?
Watches over the municipality's interests in regional plans and seeks funding for local projects.
The regional development strategy, growth funds, culture, public transport and the county plan for transport.
The law on regional development responsibility, central government grants and the equalisation system between rich and poor parts of the country.
Where are decisions made?
In the municipal hall and in the cooperation forums where the municipalities meet the region.
In the regional council, open to the public, and in the development committee.
In the Riksdag and at the agencies. The County Administrative Board is central government's arm in every county.
Who pays?
The municipal tax: co-funding of projects and local services.
The regional tax plus national and European development funds.
The central government budget: equalisation, regional policy support and infrastructure.
Fastest way in?
Municipal election Raise an issue with the municipal politicians who sit on the regional cooperation forums.
Regional election Respond to the consultation (samråd) on the development strategy, contact the regional politicians directly.
General election A referral response (remissvar) and contact with members of the Riksdag from your constituency.
EUThe EU's structural funds finance regional development across Sweden. How the money is steered is decided partly in the European Parliament election.

Read the table by column to understand one level, or by row to compare the levels. The green level is the area's centre of gravity.

How it works: follow the decision

The case The region draws up its development strategy
  1. EU

    The EU fills the funds

    The EU's cohesion policy sets aside structural fund money that Swedish regions can use to scale up local projects. The priorities are negotiated between the EU, central government and the regions.

  2. State

    The Riksdag points out who is responsible

    The law on regional development responsibility gives the regions the task of leading the development work in their county. Central government sends money along via Tillväxtverket, and the County Administrative Board watches over central government's interests.

    Point of influence

    The general election shapes the legislation and how much central government invests in regional development.

  3. Region

    The strategy is written, everyone gets to weigh in

    The regional development strategy, often called the RUS, sets out what the county should invest in over ten years: jobs, skills, transport. It is drawn up in dialogue with municipalities, business and residents.

    Point of influence

    The strategy goes out for referral (remiss) and open dialogue meetings. Associations and private individuals can submit views.

  4. Region

    The council decides and allocates the money

    The regional council adopts the strategy and the development committee allocates growth funds to projects: business support, broadband, skills initiatives. Which projects win depends on the politicians' priorities.

    Point of influence

    The regional election decides who sets the priorities. The members' names and emails are on the region's website.

  5. Municipality

    The municipality scales it up

    Municipalities and local associations apply for money from the strategy's programmes and co-fund with their own money. This is often where the strategy becomes concrete: a business park, a course, a charging station.

  6. Your everyday life

    The county you live in takes shape

    The commute, the jobs and what is on offer in your area are partly the result of strategies that few read but everyone lives in. The next version also goes out for consultation.

The journey looks the same in reverse: what has been built came the same way, through the same decisions. Whoever knows where the decisions are made also knows where they can be changed.

Questions to discuss

  1. What sets your region apart from the neighbouring region, and does it matter in your everyday life?

  2. Which parts of the county get most of the region's investment, and what would a fair distribution be?

  3. Should richer parts of the country share more with poorer ones, or keep more for themselves?

  4. What would make young people stay in or move to your region?

  5. Do you know what your region is actually responsible for, beyond healthcare?

Glossary

RUS
Regional development strategy: the region's long-term plan for the county's development.
Regionalt utvecklingsansvar
The regions' statutory task to lead the development work in their county.
Utjämningssystemet
Central government system that redistributes money between municipalities and regions with different conditions.
Strukturfonder
The EU's funds for regional development and employment.
Länsstyrelsen
Central government's representative in the county, coordinates and watches over national interests.

Go further

Footnotes

1) This is an estimate of how decision-making power over the issue is split between the municipality, the region, central government and the EU, based on how responsibility is divided in legislation. A teaching guide, not an exact measurement.