The new governing coalition in Oskarshamn, led by the Sweden Democrats, will review the municipality's flag policy as part of its coalition agreement. The review could end the flying of the Pride flag at the town hall, SVT reported.
The Sweden Democrats, the largest party in the coalition, want the municipality to stop flying the Pride flag. P4 Kalmar was first to report the plan. "Just at the municipality's properties, you should have symbols that everyone can feel included in," said Ted Nyberg (SD), incoming municipal commissioner in Oskarshamn.
Lucas Lodge (M) said that a stop to the Pride flag is not necessarily the outcome of a revised policy. The new governing coalition of SD, M, KD and L has agreed only that the policy shall be "reviewed". "It's about a policy from 2017 that needs to be reviewed and clarified. Then we'll see where we land," he said.
In SVT's local election compass, the Liberals in Oskarshamn said continuing to fly the Pride flag was an "extra important issue" for the party. "When the municipality flies the pride flag, it signals that all people have the same value and rights, regardless of sexual orientation. It's a simple but important way to stand up for openness, respect and freedom," the party wrote.
Pontus Welin (L) does not want to equate a review with an automatic stop, though that is what the SD wants. He points out that another part of the four-party agreement means more money for civil society organisations, including Southeast Pride.
There is no national law on which flags a public authority may fly. The authority itself, in this case the municipality, decides the rules through a policy. The flag law, lag (1982:269) on the Swedish flag, is brief and mainly contains guidelines for how the flag is designed.
The ordinance on general flag days states which days the Swedish flag shall be flown.