Extract: Since the presentation of the Tidö agreement, the focus has been on the political game rather than its content. Beyond the newspaper headlines, the agreement contains significant reform proposals, particularly in the field of healthcare.
Extract: Since the presentation of the Tidö agreement, the focus has been on the political game rather than its content. Beyond the newspaper headlines, the agreement contains significant reform proposals, particularly in the field of healthcare.
The Tidö Agreement is the foundation for cooperation between the government parties M, KD, and L on one side and SD on the other. The agreement outlines how the parties must collaborate and specifies which concrete reforms will be investigated and implemented during the mandate period.
The political debate since the agreement was presented has largely centered on the political maneuvering and identifying winners and losers. Another aspect that has been discussed is the tone of the agreement, with criticism directed at what some perceive as more authoritarian than libertarian tendencies. Lena Andersson, in an editorial column in Svenska Dagbladet, put it bluntly:
“The Tidö agreement is, in some parts, so red-hot confrontational that it closes down the open spirit of society in our country in agony and discomfort.”
When the form garners more attention, the content often gets overshadowed. In short, the focus on the political game obscures the fact that the Tidö agreement contains numerous reform proposals, particularly in the fields of health and medical care, as well as for the life science industry. There are over twenty potential reforms and changes that could lead to significant alterations compared to the current state.
Here are a few examples:
- Examination of state ownership of healthcare. Possibly, an investigative directive could be issued before the summer. This is a significant question and perhaps the clearest profile issue for the Christian Democrats during their time in opposition.
- Establishing a uniform and common digital infrastructure for the Swedish healthcare system. This would replace and supplement the existing infrastructure of the 21 regions. It’s an extensive undertaking and unusual for the state to assume such a large operational responsibility in an area that currently falls under municipal and regional jurisdiction.
- Developing a national plan for controlling the supply of skills: This task is assigned to the National Board of Health and Welfare. Again, it represents a partially new expanded responsibility at the state level, while the majority of staff in healthcare and social care work in regions and municipalities. Given an aging population and the need for one-third of all new entrants to the labor market by 2030 to choose careers in elderly care, there’s a clear need for a comprehensive plan…
Källa: SKR
- Special investments in cancer and childhood cancer care: This includes aftercare and rehabilitation. Cancer care continues to be a focal point, with the Moderates, for example, proposing a national strategy for childhood cancer during their time in opposition.
In addition to numerous reform proposals and investigations, the Tidö agreement uniquely identifies specific disease areas. For instance, it includes provisions for increased investment in research related to women’s diseases and health, as well as investments in the treatment of conditions such as migraine, endometriosis, and menopausal symptoms.
In summary, the Tidö Agreement has faced criticism for its tone and for lacking a fundamental libertarian optimism for the future. However, it also includes a substantial number of reform proposals that merit a place in the societal discussion, given their potential to concretely impact people’s daily lives and the conditions for businesses both within and outside the life science industry.