New requirements January 1 – they may be without a grant

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New requirements January 1 they may be without a

In connection with 2024 turning into 2025, a lot of new laws and regulations start to apply.

As early as June 18, the government decided to change the conditions on which organizations apply for state grants. These conditions go under the name democracy conditions and apply to non-profit organisations, religious communities and foundations.

The new requirements for which organizations receive state grants will be introduced on 1 January 2025.

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New requirements for organizations applying for state grants – apply from 1 January 2025

News24 has contacted the Authority for Youth and Civil Society Affairs (MUCF) about what the new conditions mean for those receiving state grants.

– Every authority that handles grants, with regulations that require a grant applicant to comply with the new democratic conditions, makes an assessment for each grant application, says Marie Pettersson Hallberghead of the department for state grants at MUCF, to Nyheter24.

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The new conditions are several. One of them is about organizations not being allowed to work against the democratic governance.

– An authority must assess this on a case-by-case basis. But broadly speaking, it means opposing Sweden’s laws and constitutions on, for example, the equal value of all people, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, discrimination, etc. and trying to influence democracy through undemocratic methods, says Pettersson Hallberg.

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The new conditions: They are granted state subsidies

In order to be granted a state grant, an organization must…

  • have a purpose that is compatible with the values ​​that characterize a democratic society,
  • be democratically structured,
  • respect the ideas of democracy in their activities, including the principles of equality and non-discrimination.

    • State grants may not be granted to an organization if it, or any of its representatives within the scope of the activities…

  • exercises violence, coercion or threats against a person or otherwise violates a person’s fundamental rights and freedoms,
  • discriminates against persons or groups of persons or otherwise violates the principle of the equal value of all people,
  • advocates, promotes or encourages such actions as specified in 1 or 2, or
  • works against democratic governance.

    • Source: The Authority for Youth and Civil Society Affairs (MUCF).

    Difference between non-profit organizations and religious communities

    There is a big difference between non-profit organizations that seek state grants and faith communities that seek state grants – the latter has no requirement to be democratically structured.

    – The state, in accordance with the constitution and the idea of ​​freedom of religion, wants to support and promote diversity of religious expression without deciding how these religious communities are organized internally. Different denominations have different ways of organizing themselves and practicing theological beliefs, says Marie Pettersson Hallberg to Nyheter24.

    READ MORE: News today – current news from Sweden and the world

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