The single most important decision that the country's regional politicians make each year is the budget. 

Assignment review has gone through all regional budgets for 2020, adopted before the pandemic.

When the budget of the rulers is compared with the opposition, few differences can be seen.

Checks of budgets from both 2019 and 2022 confirm the picture.

In most cases, less than one per cent separates the budgets between the largest political alternatives - that is, what politicians in total want to spend on the region's collective activities. 

In six regions, the rulers and the opposition want to spend just as much money. 

"Has been a little too small differences"

When Assignment review asks regional politicians in the country to separate their own budget from their opponent's, there are several who can not see the difference between them. 

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Region Örebro County belongs to the regions where the differences are greatest.

In the Assignment review review, 1.8 percent differentiate between the governing budget and the opposition's.

Ola Karlsson (M), second vice chairman of the Örebro County Regional Council, thinks that the country's regional politicians should think about and be clearer about their policies.

- This is perhaps one of the reasons why the regional election or the county council election has been one of the somewhat forgotten elections.

There have been a little too small differences, a little too little clarity perhaps.

"Just as happy to shut down these elections"

Bo Rothstein, senior professor of political science, believes that those who want a different healthcare in their region do not have much to choose from.

- If the politicians go so close to each other that there is no alternative, you can just as easily shut down these elections, he says.

In Region Halland, the difference between the majority's and the opposition's budget was 0.01 percent, in Assignment review comparison.

The political opposition is also the least active there. 

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The political scientist sees major problems with the similarities in the regions

Assignment review has gone through all the opposition's motions and interpellations during the term of office in Sweden's 21 regions - and counted the number of initiative matters in committees, as well as how long politicians discuss and debate in the regional council.

The political opposition is most active in Stockholm, followed by Norrbotten, Västerbotten and Västmanland.

At the bottom comes Dalarna, Gotland and in a clear last place - Region Halland.

At 248 meetings where 2,568 cases were settled, the opposition has only 10 times marked a dissenting opinion against the bourgeois government, according to the minutes.

- I think that they have probably had very great success in getting our policy through in the other governing documents, says Opposition Councilor Lise-Lotte Bensköld Olsson (S).

Agreed on just about everything

A review of all protocols over three years from Region Halland's local committees in Kungsbacka, Varberg, Falkenberg, Halmstad, Laholm and Hyltebruk shows that the region's politicians agree on pretty much everything.

In Hyltebruk, the seven politicians, from right to left, have agreed on just about everything - so far during the term of office.

- Here we try to find an opportunity to work together and make a difference for the residents of Hylte municipality.

It is our focus more than that we have different views on the decisions we make, says Camilla Gustafsson (S), vice chairman of the local committee Hylte, Region Halland.