pic: barrons.com
Earnings reports are in for Sweden’s political parties. Hands up who knew this was a thing. SvD.se gave the following rundown:
The gold prize goes to the Social Democrats. They raked in 249 million SEK of which 55% (about 139 mil) came from public coffers. Main money-making source: lotteries (also donations from unions).
Silver to the Center Party, who made nearly as much, with 229 million SEK coming in (18%, about 41 mil, came from public coffers). Main money-making source: investments made with the money from a sale of their newspaper concern Randello.
Bronze goes to the Moderates, who made 176 million SEK – way more than last year, due to the sale of their previous offices in Old Town (Gamla Stan). The Moderates also got 109 mil from the state (us).
Finishing 4th are the Sweden Democrats with 96 million SEK. SD gets more money from its members than any other party by far. They also get 69% of their total income from the state, 66 mil.
In 5th place comes the Environment Party with a little under 64 million SEK. Sales have been a big part of their income but like all the other parties, they also get a huge chunk of change, 37 mil, from the state.
The Liberals come in at 6th place with an income of 57 million SEK. 55% of that, 31 mil, came from the state, while sales, and income from lower level party organizations, make up most of the rest.
78% of Vänsterpartiet’s income of 49 million SEK comes from the state. What’s left is what’s gotten via collection, donations and sales.
Dead last come the Christian Democrats, with an income of under 37 million SEK. All of 84% of it, nearly 31 mil, comes from public coffers too, while about 6 million is gotten via fees, sales and donations.
To some degree, party earnings match party standing seen over time. A huge difference is found in the Social Democrats’ lottery earnings. According to Wikipedia, only the Social Democrats, and recently the Sweden Democrats, have licenses to run big country-wide lotteries, and for the Social Democrats they are a huge part of their earnings (see “dream-trip lottery” and “motor lottery”). This has not gone unnoticed and uncriticized, particularly when they are the only ones who don’t have to follow a new law forbidding lottery ticket sales on credit. This allows the S party to sell lottery tickets to people who are already in debt.
None of this really makes sense, but it’s been going on for a long time and the Social Democrats have been in power for almost that long as well.