Political scientist on the government's independent school proposal: "It's about winning political opinion points"

The Law Council gives the government the green light to proceed with two bills.

One is that municipal schools should receive a higher tuition fee per pupil than independent schools, and the other means that queuing time should be abolished as a selection criterion when applying for a place at a school.

- We should not be careless with how money is used in schools and municipalities, and we should also have a school choice that provides equal opportunities for everyone to participate in an active school choice, says Minister of Education Lina Axelsson Kihlblom (S).

Lacks support in the Riksdag

But the proposals that the Minister of Education chooses to proceed with lack the support in the Riksdag that is required for the changes in the law to become a reality.

- It is very much about winning political opinion points.

That you want to raise an issue and clarify where you stand.

Be able to go to the polls and show the voters that we have proposed this, but the Riksdag has said no, says Tommy Möller, professor of political science at Stockholm University.

Submitting proposals that are known in advance without support in the Riksdag is historically very unusual according to Tommy Möller.

But as the parliamentary situation has changed in Sweden and governments have become increasingly weak, it has begun to be used as a way to position oneself politically.

- In one scale, of course, is the opportunity to get attention on an issue even if you lose in the Riksdag.

In the other scale, there is the risk that you will be considered a weak government, he says.

The opposition wants to negotiate

In the question of how early it should be allowed to put their child in line at a school, more and more parties have begun to open up for a change.

Both the Liberals and the Center Party want to shorten the queue time, and believe that it is a pity that the government has not wanted to cooperate on the issue.

- It would have been very easy for the government to hold talks with the parties and then a good solution could be found that makes this system of queues for schools more restrictive.

Then the proposal would have been passed, says Fredrik Malm, school policy spokesman for the Liberals.

But according to the Minister of Education, a compromise where you shorten the time allowed to stand in line, instead of completely removing queue time as a selection criterion, is not relevant.

- If we go from a very unfair system to a slightly less unfair system… I do not understand, says Lina Axelsson Kihlblom (S).