The Fiscal Policy Council recently released a new report showing that Swedish pensioners' finances have never been better.

The disposable income of pensioners, ie the money they have left each month after taxes and fees have been paid, has in some cases even increased more than for non-pensioners.

In addition, their purchasing power has risen faster than that of non-pensioners over the past 30 years.

At the same time, there is a political rhetoric that pensioners are feeling bad in Sweden - and right now the government's (and the Left Party and the Green Party)'s proposal for increased guarantee pensions is competing against the right - wing opposition's alternative to pension increases.

"Can not be described as a financially vulnerable group"

The Fiscal Policy Council is critical of how politicians handle the issue.

- Pensioners in general can not be described as a financially vulnerable group.

This is not to say that there are no pensioners who do not have low incomes, but the pension system has mainly delivered as it was intended to deliver, says Lisa Laun, member of the Fiscal Policy Council.

How would you rate the political debate?

- It is difficult to oppose poor pensioners getting more money and it may be reasonable for incomes to increase for certain groups, but at the same time it is a bit dangerous if it leads to a short-term overbid policy in the pension area that risks destroying the basis of the pension system we has.

CUF: "Very bad"

Réka Tolnai, union chairman of the Center Party's youth union, agrees with the criticism.

- Now it has really become a political game and we think it is very bad.

Because it will be nothing but pork and pension populism.

I genuinely think it's worrying because it's my money, it's other young people's money.

But it is also 30- and 40-year-olds' money that you are playing with and trying to win votes for, she says.

"Unworthy"

Eva Eriksson, union president for SPF Seniorerna, does not agree, however.

She believes that pensions are too low, and that the entire system must be renovated.

She thinks that the politicians duck the issue and that they instead make proposals that should rather patch up a broken system.

- It is unworthy, she says.

Eva Eriksson is also critical of what she considers to be pork.

- The pension issue has become an election issue for politics and it is not factual, but it is like a political party game that is now being handled.